COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 311991

Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing

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

18companies1897–1998founding years18still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedIAWS Group plcFoundedIAWS Group plc
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedAjinomoto Co., Inc.FoundedAjinomoto Co., Inc.
1909
FoundedMars, IncorporatedFoundedMars, Incorporated
1911
FoundedMott's Inc.FoundedMott's Inc.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedThe Albert Fisher Group plcFoundedThe Albert Fisher Group plc
1920
FoundedMTR Foods Ltd.FoundedMTR Foods Ltd.
1924
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedGeest PlcFoundedGeest Plc
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedNorthern Foods plcFoundedNorthern Foods plc
1949
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
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.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
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.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedCHS Inc.FoundedCHS Inc.
1998
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

IAWS Group plc →
Active · founded 1897 · Ireland
From its late 19th-century origins in Ireland's cooperative movement, IAWS Group plc has grown into a leading food…
IAWS Group plc →
Active · founded 1897 · Ireland
From its late 19th-century origins in Ireland's cooperative movement, IAWS Group plc has grown into a leading food…
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1909 · Japan
Ajinomoto Co., Inc., the world's first and still-largest producer of monosodium glutamate (MSG), is one of Japan's…
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1909 · Japan
Ajinomoto Co., Inc., the world's first and still-largest producer of monosodium glutamate (MSG), is one of Japan's…
Mars, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1911
From its origins in candy and confectionary products, Mars, Incorporated has diversified to become a world leader in…
Mars, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1911
From its origins in candy and confectionary products, Mars, Incorporated has diversified to become a world leader in…
Mott's Inc. →
Active · founded 1914
Mott's Inc.
Mott's Inc. →
Active · founded 1914
Mott's Inc.
The Albert Fisher Group plc →
Active · founded 1920 · United Kingdom
The Albert Fisher Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading fresh, chilled, and frozen foods groups, operating…
The Albert Fisher Group plc →
Active · founded 1920 · United Kingdom
The Albert Fisher Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading fresh, chilled, and frozen foods groups, operating…
MTR Foods Ltd. →
Active · founded 1924 · India
MTR Foods Ltd.
MTR Foods Ltd. →
Active · founded 1924 · India
MTR Foods Ltd.
Geest Plc →
Active · founded 1935 · United Kingdom
1940s:Company begins produce imports.
Geest Plc →
Active · founded 1935 · United Kingdom
1940s:Company begins produce imports.
Northern Foods plc →
Active · founded 1949 · United Kingdom
Northern Foods plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading manufacturers of high-quality fresh foods, supplying the…
Northern Foods plc →
Active · founded 1949 · United Kingdom
Northern Foods plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading manufacturers of high-quality fresh foods, supplying the…
CHS Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
CHS Inc.
CHS Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
CHS Inc.
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