COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 5149

Groceries & Related Products, Not Elsewhere Classified

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

15companies1883–1994founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedThe Boots Company PLC
1883
FoundedCastle & Cooke, Inc.
1894
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedSchultz Sav-O Stores, Inc.
1911
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedSavannah Foods & Industries, Inc.
1916
FoundedLand O'Lakes, Inc.
1921
FoundedHain Food Group, Inc.
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedGoya Foods Inc.
1936
FoundedRoland Murten A.G.
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedMcLane Company, Inc.
1964
FoundedGrupo Industrial Bimbo
1965
FoundedSYSCO Corporation
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedSun-Diamond Growers of California
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedAmerican Italian Pasta CompanyFoundedRiviana Foods Inc.
1986
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedU.S. Office Products Company
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.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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

The Boots Company PLC →
Active · founded 1883 · United Kingdom
The Boots Company PLC is one of the leading retailers in the United Kingdom, in addition to being a major manufacturer…
Castle & Cooke, Inc. →
Active · founded 1894
Castle & Cooke, Inc.
Schultz Sav-O Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1911
Schultz Sav-O Stores, Inc.
Savannah Foods & Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1916
Savannah Foods & Industries, Inc.
Land O'Lakes, Inc. →
Active · founded 1921
Land O'Lakes, Inc.
Hain Food Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Hain Food Group, Inc.
Goya Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1936
With almost 1,000 items on sale, Goya Foods Inc.
Roland Murten A.G. →
Active · founded 1938 · Switzerland
As the manufacturer of Zwieback and brand name pains croustillants, Roland Murten is a household name throughout…
McLane Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
McLane Company, Inc., is one of the largest wholesale distribution companies in the United States.
Grupo Industrial Bimbo →
Active · founded 1965 · Mexico
Mexico's biggest baker and food company, Grupo Industrial Bimbo, is a Mexican multinational conglomerate that derives…
SYSCO Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
SYSCO Corporation (an acronym for Systems and Services Company) is the largest marketer and distributor of foodservice…
Sun-Diamond Growers of California →
Active · founded 1980
Sun-Diamond Growers of California is one of the largest specialty commodity producers in the world.
American Italian Pasta Company →
Active · founded 1986
The second largest pasta producer in North America, American Italian Pasta Company (APIC) produces more than 80 dry…
Riviana Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Riviana Foods Inc.
U.S. Office Products Company →
Active · founded 1994
Starting from scratch in 1994, U.S.
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