COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 311919

Potato Chips and Corn Chips/Snacks Manufacturer

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

48companies1890–1989founding years48still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedThe Procter & Gamble CompanyFoundedThe Procter & Gamble Company
1890
FoundedIAWS Group plc
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedMeiji Seika Kaisha Ltd.
1916
FoundedFlowers Industries, Inc.
1919
FoundedUtz Quality Foods, Inc.
1921
FoundedHanover Foods Corporation
1924
FoundedTom's Foods Inc.
1925
FoundedKeebler Foods Company
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedEmpresas Polar SA
1941
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedWalkers Snack Foods Ltd.
1948
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedBirds Eye Foods, Inc.FoundedParmalat Finanziaria SpA
1961
FoundedArcor S.A.I.C.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedPepsiCo, Inc.
1965
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedShearer's Foods, Inc.
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedKettle Foods Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedGoodman Fielder Ltd.
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.
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 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.
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…
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…
Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. →
Active · founded 1916 · Japan
Founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of biscuits and caramels, Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd.
Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. →
Active · founded 1916 · Japan
Founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of biscuits and caramels, Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd.
Flowers Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1919
Flowers Industries, Inc.
Flowers Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1919
Flowers Industries, Inc.
Utz Quality Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1921
1970s:The firm begins making pretzels and popcorn at a second Hanover plant.
Utz Quality Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1921
1970s:The firm begins making pretzels and popcorn at a second Hanover plant.
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,…
Hanover Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Hanover Foods Corporation is the largest fully-integrated and independent food processor in the United States.
Hanover Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Hanover Foods Corporation is the largest fully-integrated and independent food processor in the United States.
Tom's Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Tom's Foods Inc.
Tom's Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Tom's Foods Inc.
Keebler Foods Company →
Active · founded 1927
Keebler Foods Company, majority owned by Flowers Industries, Inc., is the second largest cookie and cracker…
Keebler Foods Company →
Active · founded 1927
Keebler Foods Company, majority owned by Flowers Industries, Inc., is the second largest cookie and cracker…
General Mills, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
General Mills, Inc.
General Mills, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
General Mills, Inc.
Empresas Polar SA →
Active · founded 1941 · Venezuela
Empresas Polar SA operates as Venezuela's largest private industrial conglomerate, manufacturing and distributing a…
Empresas Polar SA →
Active · founded 1941 · Venezuela
Empresas Polar SA operates as Venezuela's largest private industrial conglomerate, manufacturing and distributing a…
Walkers Snack Foods Ltd. →
Active · founded 1948 · United Kingdom
Walkers Snack Foods Ltd., a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., is the United Kingdom's leading manufacturer of crisps, or potato…
Walkers Snack Foods Ltd. →
Active · founded 1948 · United Kingdom
Walkers Snack Foods Ltd., a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., is the United Kingdom's leading manufacturer of crisps, or potato…
Birds Eye Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Birds Eye Foods, Inc., formerly Agrilink Foods, Inc., is the country's top producer of frozen vegetables.
Birds Eye Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Birds Eye Foods, Inc., formerly Agrilink Foods, Inc., is the country's top producer of frozen vegetables.
Frito-Lay Company →
Active · founded 1961
Frito-Lay Company is the world leader in the salty snack category, controlling more than 35 percent of the world market…
Frito-Lay Company →
Active · founded 1961
Frito-Lay Company is the world leader in the salty snack category, controlling more than 35 percent of the world market…
Parmalat Finanziaria SpA →
Active · founded 1961 · Italy
Parma, Italy, is not only the home of fine Italian cheese and ham, but also Parmalat Finanziaria SpA, a diversified,…
Parmalat Finanziaria SpA →
Active · founded 1961 · Italy
Parma, Italy, is not only the home of fine Italian cheese and ham, but also Parmalat Finanziaria SpA, a diversified,…
Arcor S.A.I.C. →
Active · founded 1962 · Argentina
Life is sweet for Arcor S.A.I.C., the privately held firm that has grown to become one of Argentina's two biggest food…
Arcor S.A.I.C. →
Active · founded 1962 · Argentina
Life is sweet for Arcor S.A.I.C., the privately held firm that has grown to become one of Argentina's two biggest food…
PepsiCo, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
PepsiCo, Inc.
PepsiCo, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
PepsiCo, Inc.
Gruma, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1971 · Mexico
Gruma, S.A.
Gruma, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1971 · Mexico
Gruma, S.A.
Shearer's Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
Shearer's Foods, Inc., is northeast Ohio's leading maker of potato chips and tortilla chips.
Shearer's Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
Shearer's Foods, Inc., is northeast Ohio's leading maker of potato chips and tortilla chips.
Kettle Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Kettle Foods Inc.
Kettle Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Kettle Foods Inc.
Goodman Fielder Ltd. →
Active · founded 1986 · Australia
Goodman Fielder Ltd.
Goodman Fielder Ltd. →
Active · founded 1986 · Australia
Goodman Fielder Ltd.
Kraft Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Kraft Foods Inc.
Kraft Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Kraft Foods Inc.
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