In our third instalment of the “First Offices” series, we’ll be taking a look at some of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies – where they started out, and where they are today.
Kellogg’s
The corporation we know as Kellogg’s was formed on 19 February 1906 as the “Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company” by two brothers – Will Keith Kellogg and Dr John Harvey Kellogg. As the name suggests, the company was located in Battle Creek, Michigan. Kellogg’s started out selling their iconic toasted corn flakes, but later branched out into other breakfast cereals, such as Bran Flakes in 1915 and Rice Crispies in 1937. In 1922, the rather long company name was changed to the simple “Kellogg Company”.
The First Kellogg’s cereal packaging, 1906
Today, Kellogg’s remain headquartered in Battle Creek, but have grown substantially over the past century – their products are now manufactured in 35 countries around the world, and sold in over 180. They also have the distinction of being one of the largest food manufacturing companies in the world.
The current Kellogg’s headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan.
PepsiCo Inc
Pepsico Inc was formed in 1965 through the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay. At the time of the formation, Pepsico Inc was incorporated in the state of Delaware and headquartered in New York City. However, in 1970, the company moved to its new headquarters in Purchase, New York, where it still operates today. Interestingly, their corporate headquarters was designed by architect Edward Durrell Stone. It was one of Stone’s last designs, and is a structure that consists of seven three storey buildings, connected to each other via a corner, and set in a 144-acre campus with a sculpture garden.
The PepsiCo headquarters in New York
Nestle
Nestlé’s origins date back to two competing companies. The Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company was established in 1866 in Cham, Switzerland by two American brothers, Charles and George Page. Meanwhile, in 1967, Henri Nestle, a German pharmacist living in Vevey, Switzerland, created his own milk formula consisting of cow’s milk, wheat flour and sugar, and established the Nestle brand. In 1905, after years of fierce competition, the two companies merged. Today, Nestle remains headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, with operations in 86 countries and over 450 factories.
Nestle’s headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland
Cadbury
British confectionary firm Cadbury was first established in 1924 by John Cadbury, who opened a grocer’s shop at 93 Bull Street, Birmingham. His most famous products included cocoa and drinking chocolate, which he made himself using a pestle and mortar. In 1831, the manufacturing side of the business was born, and their first Easter egg hit the shelves in 1875. Today, Cadbury’s is headquartered in the Cadbury House, Uxbridge, London, and is a subsidiary of Mondelez International.
The entrance to Cadbury World in Birmingham, England
Mars
Mars Inc is a global manufacturer of confectionary, beverages and other food products, but originally started out in 1911 as a candy factory, established by Frank C Mars. His first attempt at running a confectionary business failed, but he ended up re-launching his business in Minnesota in 1920 to great success. In 1929, the company relocated to Chicago, and launched the famous Mars Bar in the UK in 1932. Today, Mars is headquartered in McClean, Virginia, and operates in over 70 countries around the world.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this instalment of our “First Offices” series – which companies would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below.
