COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 311422

Specialty Canning

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

28companies1890–1996founding years26still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedBeech-Nut Nutrition CorporationFoundedBeech-Nut Nutrition Corporation
1890
FoundedHormel Foods Corporation
1891
FoundedRoyal Numico N.V.
1896
FoundedRanks Hovis McDougall LimitedFoundedRanks Hovis McDougall Limited
1899
FoundedH.J. Heinz 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.
FoundedCSM N.V.FoundedKewpie Kabushiki Kaisha
1919
FoundedCampbell Soup CompanyFoundedCampbell Soup Company
1922
FoundedBruce Foods Corporation
1928
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedGroupe Danone
1966
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.
FoundedSpectrum Organic Products, Inc.FoundedSpectrum Organic Products, Inc.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
FoundedRelìv International, Inc.
1988
FoundedAnnie's Homegrown, Inc.
1989
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedB & G Foods, Inc.
1996
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

Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation →
Active · founded 1890
Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation, a subsidiary of the Milnot Company, is the third largest baby food manufacturer in the…
Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation →
Active · founded 1890
Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation, a subsidiary of the Milnot Company, is the third largest baby food manufacturer in the…
Hormel Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1891
Early 1940s:Jay and George Hormel found the Hormel Foundation, which would control the company through holdings of its…
Hormel Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1891
Early 1940s:Jay and George Hormel found the Hormel Foundation, which would control the company through holdings of its…
Royal Numico N.V. →
Defunct · founded 1896 · The Netherlands
Fast-growing Royal Numico N.V.
Royal Numico N.V. →
Defunct · founded 1896 · The Netherlands
Fast-growing Royal Numico N.V.
Ranks Hovis McDougall Limited →
Active · founded 1899 · United Kingdom
Ranks Hovis McDougall Limited (RHM) is the food division of Tomkins PLC, which acquired the company (then known as…
Ranks Hovis McDougall Limited →
Active · founded 1899 · United Kingdom
Ranks Hovis McDougall Limited (RHM) is the food division of Tomkins PLC, which acquired the company (then known as…
H.J. Heinz Company →
Active · founded 1900
Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J.
H.J. Heinz Company →
Active · founded 1900
Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J.
CSM N.V. →
Active · founded 1919 · Netherlands
CSM N.V.
CSM N.V. →
Active · founded 1919 · Netherlands
CSM N.V.
Kewpie Kabushiki Kaisha →
Active · founded 1919 · Japan
Kewpie Kabushiki Kaisha (QP Corporation is its English equivalent name), one of Japan's leading food products…
Kewpie Kabushiki Kaisha →
Active · founded 1919 · Japan
Kewpie Kabushiki Kaisha (QP Corporation is its English equivalent name), one of Japan's leading food products…
Campbell Soup Company →
Active · founded 1922
Campbell Soup Company is the number one maker of soups in the world, holds the top position in that category in Europe,…
Campbell Soup Company →
Active · founded 1922
Campbell Soup Company is the number one maker of soups in the world, holds the top position in that category in Europe,…
Bruce Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
Bruce Foods Corporation, headquartered in New Iberia, Louisiana, is one of the largest, privately-owned specialty food…
Bruce Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
Bruce Foods Corporation, headquartered in New Iberia, Louisiana, is one of the largest, privately-owned specialty food…
Groupe Danone →
Active · founded 1966 · France
Known until 1994 as BSN Groupe S.A., Groupe Danone is one of the largest food companies in the world.
Groupe Danone →
Active · founded 1966 · France
Known until 1994 as BSN Groupe S.A., Groupe Danone is one of the largest food companies in the world.
Spectrum Organic Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Spectrum Organic Products, Inc., comprises three major business segments: natural and organic foods under the Spectrum…
Spectrum Organic Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Spectrum Organic Products, Inc., comprises three major business segments: natural and organic foods under the Spectrum…
Relìv International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Relìv International, Inc.
Relìv International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Relìv International, Inc.
Annie's Homegrown, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Annie's Homegrown sponsored many programs in keeping with its various commitments to social causes.
Annie's Homegrown, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Annie's Homegrown sponsored many programs in keeping with its various commitments to social causes.
B & G Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Established in 1996 by a coalition of New York investment firms, B & G Foods, Inc.
B & G Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Established in 1996 by a coalition of New York investment firms, B & G Foods, Inc.
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