COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 311920

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

50companies1858–1996founding years50still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedLeroux S.A.S.
1858
FoundedJulius Meinl International AG
1862
FoundedThe Procter & Gamble Company
1890
FoundedThe Coca-Cola Company
1892
FoundedAlexander & Baldwin, Inc.FoundedBoyd Coffee Company
1900
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedVan Houtte Inc.
1919
FoundedFarmer Bros. Co.
1923
FoundedWinn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
1928
FoundedUnilever
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedStrauss-Elite Group
1934
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedR.C. Bigelow, Inc.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedCommunity Coffee Co. L.L.C.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedMontana Coffee Traders, Inc.FoundedZingerman's Community of Businesses
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedStarbucks Corporation
1985
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedAFC Enterprises, Inc.
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedOregon Chai, Inc.
1994
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Leroux S.A.S. →
Active · founded 1858 · France
Leroux S.A.S.
Leroux S.A.S. →
Active · founded 1858 · France
Leroux S.A.S.
Julius Meinl International AG →
Active · founded 1862 · Austria
With a history spanning nearly 150 years, Julius Meinl International AG has pulled an about-face for the new century.
Julius Meinl International AG →
Active · founded 1862 · Austria
With a history spanning nearly 150 years, Julius Meinl International AG has pulled an about-face for the new century.
The Procter & Gamble Company →
Active · founded 1890
c.
The Procter & Gamble Company →
Active · founded 1890
c.
The Procter & Gamble Company →
Active · founded 1890
c.
The Procter & Gamble Company →
Active · founded 1890
c.
The Coca-Cola Company →
Active · founded 1892
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's number one maker of soft drinks, selling 1.3 billion beverage servings every day.
The Coca-Cola Company →
Active · founded 1892
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's number one maker of soft drinks, selling 1.3 billion beverage servings every day.
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. →
Active · founded 1900
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., one of the original 'Big Five' Hawaiian companies, is a diversified corporation with…
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. →
Active · founded 1900
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., one of the original 'Big Five' Hawaiian companies, is a diversified corporation with…
Boyd Coffee Company →
Active · founded 1900
Boyd Coffee Company is a leading distributor of coffee, brewing equipment, and dry mixes for food service users.
Boyd Coffee Company →
Active · founded 1900
Boyd Coffee Company is a leading distributor of coffee, brewing equipment, and dry mixes for food service users.
Wm. B. Reily & Company Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
Wm.
Wm. B. Reily & Company Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
Wm.
Van Houtte Inc. →
Active · founded 1919 · Canada
Van Houtte Inc.
Van Houtte Inc. →
Active · founded 1919 · Canada
Van Houtte Inc.
Farmer Bros. Co. →
Active · founded 1923
Farmer Bros.
Farmer Bros. Co. →
Active · founded 1923
Farmer Bros.
Melitta Unternehmensgruppe Bentz KG →
Active · founded 1923 · Germany
Melitta Unternehmensgruppe Bentz KG is the holding company of the Germany-based Melitta group of companies, a leading…
Melitta Unternehmensgruppe Bentz KG →
Active · founded 1923 · Germany
Melitta Unternehmensgruppe Bentz KG is the holding company of the Germany-based Melitta group of companies, a leading…
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
Unilever →
Active · founded 1929 · The Netherlands
If the adage 'two heads are better than one' applies to business, then certainly Unilever is a prime example.
Unilever →
Active · founded 1929 · The Netherlands
If the adage 'two heads are better than one' applies to business, then certainly Unilever is a prime example.
Strauss-Elite Group →
Active · founded 1934 · Israel
Merging two of Israel's oldest and largest food companies in 2004, the Strauss-Elite Group has become that country's…
Strauss-Elite Group →
Active · founded 1934 · Israel
Merging two of Israel's oldest and largest food companies in 2004, the Strauss-Elite Group has become that country's…
Sara Lee Corporation →
Active · founded 1939
Sara Lee Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of brand-name consumer packaged goods within three…
Sara Lee Corporation →
Active · founded 1939
Sara Lee Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of brand-name consumer packaged goods within three…
R.C. Bigelow, Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
R.C.
R.C. Bigelow, Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
R.C.
Community Coffee Co. L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1956
Community Coffee Co.
Community Coffee Co. L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1956
Community Coffee Co.
The Stash Tea Company →
Active · founded 1972
The Stash Tea Company (also know as the Universal Tea Co., Inc.) ranks among the top five specialty tea companies in…
The Stash Tea Company →
Active · founded 1972
The Stash Tea Company (also know as the Universal Tea Co., Inc.) ranks among the top five specialty tea companies in…
Montana Coffee Traders, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
In its commitment to community and environment, MCT set up programs that contributed part of its sales to various…
Montana Coffee Traders, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
In its commitment to community and environment, MCT set up programs that contributed part of its sales to various…
Zingerman's Community of Businesses →
Active · founded 1982
Zingerman's Community of Businesses encompasses a delicatessen, a full-service restaurant, a catering service, a…
Zingerman's Community of Businesses →
Active · founded 1982
Zingerman's Community of Businesses encompasses a delicatessen, a full-service restaurant, a catering service, a…
Starbucks Corporation →
Active · founded 1985
Starbucks Corporation is the leading roaster, retailer, and marketer of specialty coffee in North America.
Starbucks Corporation →
Active · founded 1985
Starbucks Corporation is the leading roaster, retailer, and marketer of specialty coffee in North America.
Kraft Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Kraft Foods Inc.
Kraft Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Kraft Foods Inc.
AFC Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
AFC Enterprises, Inc., through its ownership of the Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits and Churchs Chicken chains, holds the…
AFC Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
AFC Enterprises, Inc., through its ownership of the Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits and Churchs Chicken chains, holds the…
Oregon Chai, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Oregon Chai, Inc.
Oregon Chai, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Oregon Chai, Inc.
Richtree Inc. →
Active · founded 1996 · Canada
Richtree Inc.
Richtree Inc. →
Active · founded 1996 · Canada
Richtree Inc.
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