The founhder of the company, Godfrey Keebler, started with jus a small bakery in Philadelphia, PA in 1853. During the next two generations, local bakeries popped up around the country, including Strietmann, Hekman, Supreme and Bowman. With the introduction of cars and trucks (carrying the Keebler logo), bakery goods could be distributed beyond the neighborhood and regional distribution began. In 1927, United Biscuit Company of America was formed. By 1944, there were 16 bakeries in the network from Philadelphia to Salt Lake City and their cookies and crackers were marketed under a variety of brand names for the next 22 years. Due to tremendous growth and modern business practices in centralized management, product consistency and quality, efficient use of facilities, cost control and mass advertising, the company needed to operate under one name. In 1966, “Keebler” was judged to be the most sound and memorable. Over the years, Keebler has acquired several other producers of cookies and crackers (i.e., Bake-Line Products, Inc. – The nation’s leading producer of private-label cookies and crackers in 1993; merger in June 1996 with Sunshine Biscuit Company – now owned by Keebler Foods Corporation). Keebler/Sunshine merger brought together two of the oldest and most respected names in the U.S. biscuit industry. Keebler and products are sold in more than 75,000 retail outlets nationwide, including Puerto Rico and selected international markets. The Keebler company seems to have more than one target market. With variety of products they offer, the company appears to be targeting just about every segment of the population: + Parents of young children + Young adults + Older adults + People who enjoy snacking + People who enjoy sweets/deserts The market segmentation is largely homogenous in that the segmented groups: + Are generally young children or adults who are relatives of young children ++ Starting at the age of 3 years old, and going up + People who don’t have time to prepare foods all the time + Some brands target older people (i.e., Club Crackers, etc.) Keebler, in maintaining success in the market, emplys the 4P’s as follows: Product: The company produces a physical good – Cookies/Crackers. In doing this, the company became diversified by the use of several product lines, not just one line of cookie or cracker. Also, in acquiring other businesses, the company thought it best to keep the originating firm’s brand name vice-carrying its name on the new product (i.e., Sunshine company). In thins regard, Sunshine’s Cheeze-It cracker line would not risk losing customers who are accustomed to that logo on the product or the name being used in association with the product.
ConAgra’s Foods mission of "one company growing by nourishing lives and finding a better way today, one bite at a time (ConAgra Foods, 2010/29/07)," is dedicated to providing consumers with good quality food that tastes great and provides good nutrition at a reasonable cost. ConAgra was founded in 1919 by Frank Little and Alva Kinney, who consolidated four grain mills as Nebraska Consolidated Mills. ConAgra financed the development of the Duncan Hines brand of cake mixes in 1951 to make flour more profitable. But in 1956 they sold their assets in Duncan Hines to Procter & Gamble, and 15 years later in 1971 Nebraska Consolidated Mills changed its name to ConAgra. Several successful and lucrative investments resulted in ConAgra Foods being the largest processed foods business in America (ConAgra Foods, 2010/29/07). Along with the...
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, The Kroger Company is one of the largest supermarket retailers across the United States. Founded in 1883, Barney Kroger invested his life savings of $372 to open his first grocery store at 66 Pearl Street in downtown Cincinnati. (Kroger, 2011). Barney was quite proud. He was the first grocer ever to have a bakery, to sell meat, and to sell other groceries all in one store. From the start, Barney operated his business with a simple motto: “Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself.” (Kroger, 2011). Today, one hundred and twenty-eight years later, the Kroger Company is still following Barney’s motto.
Started in 1846 by Dr. Austin Church in Rochester, New York was the first American factory for the production of saleratus or sodium bicarbonate. Dr. Church felt he had a better and cheaper way to manufacture this popular additive in American rather than to continue importing it from Europe. His brother-in-law, John Dwight, an ambitious gentleman and convincing salesman traveled from grocer to market promoting the American made substance creating a substantial customer base. The company was re-named John Dwight & Company and they called their baking soda product, Cow Brand Baking Soda (Wikipedia, 2005). Soon after Dr. Church retired in 1867, his two sons began their own firm called Church & Co.
Harnischfeger’s corporate recovery plan was a four pronged approach that involved (1) changes in top management, (2) cost reductions to lower the break-even point, (3) reorientation of the company’s business and (4) debt restructuring and recapitalization. These changes at first glance appear to have allowed Harnischfeger to improve its financial performance from a net loss of $3.49 per share in 1983 to a net gain of $1.28 per share in 1984. In addition, Harnischfeger has appeared to have achieved a majority of its desired outcomes from each of its four changes as shown below.
There are about 50 dog food manufacturers and 350 dog food brands in the United States. Ralston Purina, Kal-Kan, Heinz, Nestlé USA, and Nabisco, together capture 83% of all supermarket sales...
Kroger was also an inventor, of food products. What was born in his mother’s kitchen, of just a tangy German sauerkraut has grown into over 30 facilities that manufacture the Kroger brand. Just another example this company meeting its objective to serve and please its customer base. Kroger understood from the very beginning, the value of the customer base, which according to the text Managing Customer Relationships is simply put, is to get, keep, and grow customers and is the very objective of the Kroger brand. Mr. Kroger was a natural born leader and servant and built this concept into the very framework of the company. Every step he took, focused on this premise, and soon he built a successful model that many other merchants fervently attempted to duplicate. The modern supermarket owes it roots to this early adventure in
The Famous Amos cookies sold $300,000 the first year in the business. The very next year he sold $1,000,000 in sales the following year afterward. By 1982 the cookies had earned at least 12 million dollars. The cookies were such a success they were eventually sold in supermarkets across the United States. They eventually went into places like TGI Fridays, Baskin-Robins, and Starbucks. Eventually all good business must come to an end because in 1985, Wally Amos sold the company to the Shansby Group. Though it wasn’t his company still, Wally still was a spokesperson for the company for a year before quitting because of frustration. The company was eventually sold to many companies including President Baker and Keebler. Even though his business didn’t fall through he still didn’t quit. Eventually Amos created another company called Chip and Cookie. The new cookies are slightly different from the Kellogg version or variation and is only ran by Wally himself.
In 1933, Vernon Rudolph and his uncle purchased a small doughnut shop in Paducah, Kentucky. This doughnut shop was owned by a French chef named Joe LeBeau. Chef LeBeau had a secret doughnut recipe that he included in the sale of the shop. This recipe that Vernon bought is used to make those wonderfully delicious glazed doughnuts that Krispy Kreme is known for world wide. In 1937, Vernon decided to settle down in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and on July 13, 1937, he opened the very first Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. At first, Vernon baked his doughnuts and sold them to local grocery stores, but soon people began lining up outside of his shop so they could purchase fresh, hot, glazed doughnuts from him directly. As the years progressed, more Krispy Kreme stores opened, but something was different among them. The problem was that consistency of the doughnuts from store to store was not the same. To fix this set back, Vernon decided to build his very own mix plant where he would make all of the dry dough. This dough was then shipped to every Krispy Kreme store, so that every doughnut would be exactly the same. Vernon also had Krispy Kreme build all of its own doughnut making and glazing machinery which helped to keep the doughnuts identical from store to store. As the years passed, Krispy Kreme started to grow and expand rapidly. By 1999, Krispy Kreme was a national corporation; they had stores from New York City to Los Angeles. In 2001, Krispy Kreme went international when they opened their first store in Canada. Currently in 2014, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has 748 stores in twenty-two different countries. Little did Rudolph Vernon know that his small investment in Paducah, Kentucky would one...
The H.J. Heinz company was founded in 1888, manufacturing mostly condiments, pickles, and other prepared foods. In the late 1800’s the typical American diet was seen as bland, so the Heinz company hoped to change that with their products. They found their niche in the U.S. market as the first in production of ketchup, pickles and mustard.
Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., the Vermont-based manufacturer of ice cream, frozen yoghurt and sorbet, was founded in 1978, with a $12,000 investment ($4,000 of which was borrowed). It soon became popular for its innovative flavours, made from fresh Vermont milk and cream. The company currently distributes ice cream, low fat ice cream, frozen yoghurt, sorbet and novelty products nationwide as well as in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, restaurants and other venues.
Franchise, it was until Ray Kroc seen that the key was in opening rapid expanision of the company. Today, there are over 70
During the 1950s, the company’s customer base expanded to include the leather, paint, sugar processing, agriculture, paint, coatings and plastics industries. During the 1960s, new manufacturing and sales companies were formed in Mexico and Belgium.
When developing the name of the company, there are many requirements to be met by entrepreneurs to achieve success with a trademark. Names like Coca-Cola, Google, Snickers, Nike, Yahoo, and many other worldwide known brands may serve an example for the future merchandisers that the coinage is the core ele...
Kellogg Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in the manufacture and marketing of ready-to-eat cereal and convenience food products on a worldwide basis. The principal products of the Company are ready-to-eat cereals and convenience food products, which are manufactured in 20 countries and distributed in more than 160 countries. The Company's products are generally marketed under the Kellogg's and Morningstar Farms names, and are sold principally to the grocery trade through direct sales forces for resale to consumers. The Company uses broker and distribution arrangements for certain products, as well as in less-developed market areas. In the United States, in addition to ready-to-eat cereals, the Company produces and distributes toaster pastries, frozen waffles, frozen pancakes, crispy marshmallow squares, cereal bars and meat alternatives. The Company also markets these and other convenience food products in various locations throughout the world.
Heinz is recognized as the premier ketchup maker in the world. The Heinz corporation has diversified themselves concentrically and horizontally. They make several different types of sauces and they have expanded to the prepared food and pet food markets as well. The Heinz corporation has expanded their business internationally. This has increases sales while at the same time proved to make the corporation less susceptible to economic conditions in any one country. Heinz has also committed their corporation to being involved in food associated markets. It cut its Weight Watchers segment because it did not follow the same structure as the other divisions.