Company History Timeline

1861

Van Camp's® Pork and Beans feed America.

• Indianapolis grocer Gilbert C. Van Camp creates a new canned food product—pork and beans. Gilbert's son, Frank, discovers that pork and beans taste better when mixed with tomatoes and served hot. By 1909, Van Camp is the #1-selling pork and bean brand in the United States.

1867

State Central Flouring Mill is formed.

• Nebraska becomes a state, with flour milling as its leading industry. Henry Koenig and Frederick Wiebe build the first steam-powered grain mill in Grand Island and form State Central Flouring Mill. The business is later sold to Henry Glade and renamed Henry Glade Milling Company.

1890

Hunt Brothers Fruit Packing Company is incorporated.

• Joseph and William Hunt incorporate as Hunt Brothers Fruit Packing Company in Santa Rosa, California. Today, Hunt's® products are best-sellers. No wonder they say: "Only the best tomatoes grow up to be Hunt's."

1899

David Wesson revolutionizes the cooking oil industry.

• Chemist David Wesson introduces a new method for processing cottonseed oil. His vacuum and high-temperature process revolutionizes the cooking-oil industry. Today, Wesson® is one of America's most trusted all-natural cooking-oil brands.

1905

Hebrew National® helps make NYC delis famous.

• The Hebrew National Kosher Sausage Factory, located in a six-story walk-up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, begins processing kosher meats for New York delis. Over the years, Hebrew National has become synonymous with high-quality kosher products, premium ingredients, and premium taste. Its slogan—"We answer to a higher authority"—has been recognized by Advertising Week as one of the top brand slogans.

1919

Nebraska Consolidated Mills forms.

• Four Nebraska flour mills (Henry Glade Milling Co., Ravenna Mills, Hastings Mills, and Blackburn-Furry Mill) consolidate and incorporate as Nebraska Consolidated Mills (NCM), headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska.

1920

The Knotts open their first farm stand.

• Walter and Cordelia Knott open their first farm stand in Southern California selling berries and preserves. In 1946, they launch their first production facility. Today, Knott's Berry Farm® is known for its premium preserves, jellies, and syrups.

La Choy® is born.

• University of Michigan alums Ilhan New and Wally Smith sell canned bean sprouts at a Detroit grocery. Today, La Choy is the top-selling Asian shelf-stable brand.

Peter Pan® peanut butter begins production.

• Peter Pan peanut butter is launched. Today, Peter Pan is one of the top-selling peanut butter brands in the U.S. Kids love it, and parents feel good about serving it.

1926

David Der Herbedian begins roasting sunflower seeds.

• David Der Herbedian roasts sunflower seeds in his Fresno, California, grocery and sells them in bundles for a nickel. Today, DAVID Seeds® is the #1 sunflower seed brand in the U.S. and a choice snack for Major League Baseball players, such as Derek Jeter, formerly of the New York Yankees.

1929

Chef Boyardee® is born.

• Hector Boiardi, an Italian immigrant and chef at a restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, is repeatedly asked by customers for jars of his pasta sauce to take home. Boiardi obliges, and later adds pasta and other ingredients to complete his trademark dish. Today, Chef Boyardee is the #1-selling canned pasta. (And, yes, that's Hector on the label.)

1937

Parkay® margarine hits the stands.

• Parkay margarine is introduced in 1937. In 1973, Parkay launches what will become the famous TV ads featuring the talking package. ("The label says 'Parkay,' the flavor says butter.")

1941

NCM expands.

• In the first NCM expansion outside Nebraska, a new flour mill is built in Decatur, Alabama.

1948

A St. Louis inventor creates Reddi-wip®.

• Aaron "Bunny" Lapin, a St. Louis inventor, develops a special aerosol valve and creates Reddi-wip real whipped cream. Originally distributed by St. Louis milkmen, Reddi-wip becomes an overnight success. The brand goes national in 1954. In 1998, Reddi-wip makes Time magazine's list of the 100 greatest consumer products.

The Callenders deliver homemade pies.

• Marie Callender and her family deliver homemade pies to local restaurants from a little shop in Long Beach, California. Eventually, Marie opens her own restaurants and launches the Marie Callender's® frozen food line.

1955

Banquet® frozen dinners hit store shelves.

• For 50 years, Banquet has made the familiar foods families love. In the 1970s, Banquet introduced several fried chicken offerings. Most recently, Banquet launched Homestyle Bakes and Dessert Bakes. In 2004, Banquet revolutionized convenient, family-style cooking with the introduction of Banquet Crock-Pot Classics®.

1957

NCM's first overseas expansion.

• The first expansion of NCM outside the continental U.S. begins with the construction of the Molinos de Puerto Rico feed, flour, and corn-milling complex.

1960

Gil Lamb changes the potato industry with a water gun innovation.

• Gil Lamb invents and patents the Lamb Water Gun Knife, which is now the industry norm in today's global potato industry.

1965

NCM begins a joint venture in Spain.

• NCM begins a joint venture feed mill in La Coruña, Spain, to mark its first entry into Europe.

1966

The debut of Crunch 'n Munch®.

• Crunch 'n Munch is introduced in 1966 and is still crunchin' today. In fact, if you stacked all the boxes of Crunch 'n Munch that have been consumed to date, they would be the height of 18,162 Empire State Buildings.

1969

NCM operations span the U.S.

• NCM establishes a national presence.
• With the purchase of Montana Flour Mills Company, NCM flour-milling operations span the U.S.

NCM turns 50.

• Flour is still king and provides 40 percent of total sales. Feed and poultry account for 24 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

1970

Orville Redenbacher launches his company.

• Orville Redenbacher launches his company, which will sell the lighter, fluffier popcorn kernel he developed in 1965.

1971

ConAgra® is born: NCM becomes ConAgra, Inc.

• Nebraska Consolidated Mills changes its name to ConAgra, Inc. The company is 4,105 employees strong, with locations in 13 states, Puerto Rico, and Spain.

1974

Mike Harper becomes the first CEO of ConAgra.

• Throughout his career at ConAgra, Charles M. "Mike" Harper serves as president, CEO, and chairman of the board. Through acquisitions such as Banquet Frozen Foods and Armour® Foods, Harper creates one of the largest food companies in the country.

1980

ConAgra acquires Banquet.

• ConAgra begins its entry into the frozen food business with the acquisition of Banquet Foods Company from RCA.

1982

ConAgra acquires the Peavey Company.

• ConAgra acquires the Peavey Company and becomes the largest publicly held grain merchandiser.

1983

Lamb Weston® shapes and expands the industry with new cuts.

• Lamb Weston expands the french fry category by innovating new cuts—Twister Fries® and CrissCut Fries®—now popular the world over.

Lamb Weston improves quality in potato processing.

• Lamb Weston engineers improve high-speed potato processing quality with a patented Automatic Defect Removal System.

1988

ConAgra invests in the future.

• ConAgra announces plans to build a state-of-the-art product-development laboratory and a new headquarters campus in Omaha, Nebraska. The company also teams up with Golden Valley Microwave Foods to acquire Lamb Weston, the leading U.S. frozen potato processor.

Healthy Choice® hits the stands.

• When CEO Mike Harper, a self-described hot-fudge-sundae lover, suffers a mild heart attack while traveling on business in California, he realizes he needs to change his diet. So Harper begins a search for foods that satisfy his taste and his health needs. His search leads to the development of Healthy Choice.

1989

ConAgra headquarters relocates from St. Louis to Omaha.

• The new ConAgra headquarters campus opens in Omaha. ConAgra Frozen Foods moves from St. Louis into the first completed building.

1990

ConAgra acquires Beatrice Foods, its largest acquisition.

• ConAgra purchases Beatrice Foods, bringing to the company such brand favorites as Hunt's, La Choy, Orville Redenbacher's®, Wesson, and Swiss Miss®.

1991

Golden Valley Microwave Foods merges with ConAgra.

• Golden Valley Microwave Foods merges with ConAgra and brings with it ACT II®, America's best-selling microwave popcorn.

1992

Lamb Weston introduces Stealth Fries®.

• Lamb Weston introduces Stealth Fries, which hold their great taste and crispy texture longer, for greater restaurant and customer satisfaction.

1993

ConAgra acquires Hebrew National® Foods.

• ConAgra is pleased to welcome Hebrew National Foods, a century-old brand, to its family of products. With a workforce of 500 people in the United States, Hebrew National remains one of the leading kosher meat processors in the world. Best known for its beef franks, the brand also processes and distributes other premium-quality products.

Phil Fletcher is named chairman and CEO.

• Phil Fletcher follows legendary CEO Mike Harper and is humbled by the comparison: "There's no way I'm going to be another Mike Harper," he says. "He's a size 14. I'm a 12." Modesty aside, Phil Fletcher becomes a well-respected leader and innovator in his own right.

1994

ConAgra acquires Marie Callender's.

• ConAgra acquires the Marie Callender's brand of frozen meals and pot pies. The Marie Callender's frozen food line offers an array of home-style meals: complete dinners, one-dish classics, pot pies, family-serve meals, and fruit cobblers.

ConAgra is 75 and going strong!

• ConAgra celebrates its 75th anniversary.

1995

ConAgra acquires Knott's Berry Farm Foods.

• ConAgra is proud to welcome Knott's Berry Farm Foods into its family of products. For 85 years, Knott's Berry Farm has been known for quality fruit products.

ConAgra acquires Van Camp's.

• ConAgra acquires Van Camp's canned beans and Wolf® chili.

1996

ConAgra names a new CEO.

• Bruce Rohde is named vice chairman of the board, CEO, and president.

1998

ConAgra acquires Fernando's Foods Corporation.

• ConAgra acquires Fleischmann's®, Parkay, Blue Bonnet®, Egg Beaters®, Slim Jim®, and Pemmican®.

2000

ConAgra launches Feeding Children Better.

• ConAgra partners with America's Second Harvest® in the largest corporate initiative dedicated solely to solving the problem of childhood hunger in the U.S.

ConAgra acquires International Home Foods.

• ConAgra acquires Chef Boyardee, PAM® cooking spray, and Gulden's® mustard, among other beloved brands. The company also acquires Lightlife™, a company that specializes in soy-based food products.

ConAgra, Inc. becomes ConAgra Foods, Inc.

2001

ConAgra Foods integrates R&D assets.

• ConAgra Foods establishes a new Product Quality and Development organization and begins to align and integrate the R&D assets of the company. The process culminates in the consolidation of R&D units in 2005.

Lamb Weston gives sweet potatoes a new twist.

• Lamb Weston debuts Sweet Things® sweet potato fries.

2002

ConAgra Foods improves customer service.

• ConAgra Foods opens its new Customer Service Center in Omaha, Nebraska, realigning all company customer-care assets and improving customer service.

2003

Lamb Weston is first to market with zero-grams-trans-fat products.

• Lamb Weston becomes the first frozen-potato processor to offer products with zero grams trans fat.

2004

ConAgra Foods launches Nucleus/SAP.

• ConAgra Foods launches its Nucleus/SAP order-to-cash system late in the year, integrating the company's customer-facing business processes with systems managing customer transactions. All three business channels are now headquartered in Omaha.

Banquet Crock-Pot Classics® is launched.

• ConAgra Foods introduces Banquet Crock-Pot Classics—the first complete meal designed and created for Crock-Pot® slow-cooking. Banquet Crock-Pot Classics contain all of the high-quality ingredients needed for a slow-cooked meal, such as tender meats, fresh vegetables, hearty potatoes, and perfectly seasoned sauces. Plus, they're ready to cook with less than five minutes of preparation.

ConAgra Food Ingredients™ launches Ultragrain®.

• ConAgra Food Ingredients launches Ultragrain, an all-natural whole-wheat flour that combines the nutritional benefits of whole grains with a taste and texture similar to traditional refined white-flour products. Now consumers can enjoy a sweeter, milder taste—previously available only with refined white-flour products—in whole-wheat products.

2005

ConAgra Foods R&D assets are consolidated.

• ConAgra Foods research and product development groups consolidate into a single, state-of-the-art Center for Research, Quality, & Innovation on the company's campus in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.

Ultragrain picks up momentum.

• Ultragrain is included in ConAgra Foods products for school lunches, including The Max® pizzas and El Extremo® burritos. It's also added to some Kid Cuisine® and Chef Boyardee products, and other companies purchase Ultragrain for inclusion in their products.

ConAgra Food Ingredients introduces Gilroy Foods products.

• ConAgra Food Ingredients introduces Gilroy Foods ready-to-eat, fire-roasted, and grilled moisture-controlled vegetables.

ConAgra Foods Foundation sponsors its 200th Kids Cafe®.

• ConAgra Foods Foundation sponsors its 200th Kids Cafe in collaboration with America's Second Harvest to help combat childhood hunger in America.

Gary Rodkin is named CEO.

• Gary Rodkin is the current CEO and president of ConAgra Foods. Rodkin served as the CEO of the North America division of PepsiCo from 1995 to 2005. He is a well-known and respected figure in the food and beverage industry.

2006

ConAgra Foods refocuses strategy.

• ConAgra Foods refocuses its portfolio of brands and businesses to produce strong long-term results. Meat, seafood, and cheese businesses such as Butterball®, Armour, Eckrich®, Swissrose®, and Louis Kemp® are divested.
• The new company vision is introduced at the ConAgra Foods first all-employee vision and strategy meeting. Part of the vision includes ConAgra Foods first enterprisewide supply chain. This new organization encompasses procurement, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and customer service.
• Another strategy for growth is the Gold Store initiative, which focuses on driving growth by optimizing in-store conditions in three fundamental areas: distribution, shelving, and placement next to companion products.

Lamb Weston launches My Fries®.

• Under the Lamb Weston brand, ConAgra Foods offers the most extensive and innovative line of quality french fries in the industry. My Fries contain 25 percent less fat than conventional fries, and zero grams of trans fat.

Lamb Weston launches great-tasting, better-for-you My Fries!

• Health-conscious adults with busy lifestyles (and other fry lovers) now have a choice in restaurant fries. My Fries deliver 100 percent on the taste and satisfaction consumers expect in their french fries, but contain 25 percent less fat* on average and zero grams of trans fat.
• My Fries are now available in six different cuts to make it easy for restaurants to offer customers a better-for-you french fry option, in addition to its conventional fries.
  * Average reduction in fat versus conventional specialty cut fry following recommended refry and handling direction.

2007

Healthy Choice Café Steamers™ are launched.

• The new product line, Healthy Choice Café Steamers, is the first line of complete frozen meals that incorporates microwave steaming technology. Designed to maximize the individual components of an entire meal, this microwave steaming technology preserves the flavor, texture, and color of each ingredient.
  The Healthy Choice Café Steamers line utilizes a one-of-a-kind microwavable SteamCooker™ that circulates steam throughout the meal during cooking.

ConAgra Foods acquires Lincoln Snacks.

• ConAgra Foods acquires Chicago-based Lincoln Snacks, a privately held popcorn snacks manufacturer. Lincoln Snacks priority brands include Poppycock® and Fiddle Faddle® and various retailers' private-label products. These brands align with ConAgra Foods' strategy of optimizing its portfolio to continue sustainable, profitable growth.

Orville Redenbacher's launches its new Natural line.

• The new Natural varieties will deliver big flavor in a mini bag, giving consumers just the right amount of indulgence. The flavors add a new flair to popcorn, partnering tempting combinations of butter and garlic (Buttery Garlic), and butter, salt, and cracked pepper (Buttery Salt & Cracked Pepper). In addition, the salt-only (Natural Simply Salted) and reduced-fat varieties (Natural Simply Salted 50% Less Fat) allow Orville Redenbacher's gourmet popcorn flavor to shine.

ConAgra Foods acquires Alexia® Foods, Inc.

• ConAgra Foods acquires New York-based Alexia Foods Inc., a privately held natural food company. Alexia Foods represents the leading natural frozen potato brand and markets all-natural and organic appetizers and artisan breads. Alexia Foods' premium brands align with ConAgra Foods' strategy of optimizing its portfolio and delivering innovative products that support sustainable, profitable growth.

2008

Start Making Choices™ is launched.

• Start Making Choices is a free program designed to help consumers achieve balance in their lives. It focuses on three universal components of a balanced life™—nutrition, activity, and well-being. The online resources and tools were developed exclusively by ConAgra Foods and Dr. James Rippe, M.D., a Harvard-trained cardiologist, author, and pioneer in lifestyle medicine.
• At StartMakingChoices.com, consumers can design a free, personalized plan for a balanced life that's easy to use! To help them keep their plan on track, consumers can download podcasts, register for newsletters, get recipe makeovers, and more.
  Visit www.startmakingchoices.com for more information.

ConAgra Foods provides unprecedented nutrition labeling.

• Simple and unique packaging enhancements were designed to help consumers make better-informed food choices to improve their diet and health. The new nutrition guide, designed by ConAgra Foods, will be featured on the packages of such popular brands as Healthy Choice, Chef Boyardee, and Orville Redenbacher's.
  The bold package graphics, which can be read and understood at a glance, are based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) MyPyramid. By following this clear and simple guide, consumers can learn how each product helps them satisfy the government's dietary recommendations.

ConAgra Foods acquires Watts Brothers.

• ConAgra Foods acquires Kennewick, Washington-based Watts Brothers, a privately held vegetable processing and agricultural company, to further grow and strengthen its core potato business operating under the Lamb Weston brand.

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers™ is launched.

• With Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, everything's in one compact container: sauce, pasta or rice, and strainer. So you can make it fresh from your desk, with no refrigeration or freezing necessary. You can find these delicious meals in the pasta or soup aisle at the grocery store.

2009

Healthy Choice brand reinvents itself.

• Healthy Choice, the brand that created convenient, healthful eating, is completely reinvented—focusing on what people want from their food today and raising the standard for the frozen entrée category. After 20 years of delivering nutritious frozen meals, the iconic ConAgra Foods brand has been revitalized with contemporary, great-tasting recipes, including Healthy Choice All Natural Entrées.

ConAgra Foods Foundation donates $10 million to Feeding America®.

• ConAgra Foods Foundation's $10 million commitment to Feeding America is the largest donation ever made to fight child hunger with Feeding America and will help the organization meet the needs of the more than 12 million children in America—one in six—who are at risk of hunger across the country. The $10 million grant supports new Feeding America child hunger initiatives that provide children with the nourishment needed to succeed in school and life.

ConAgra Foods reveals new branding.

• Consumers are being let in on a secret: ConAgra Foods is the face behind the brands they've had on their shopping lists for years. The company revealed a new brand identity that highlights the tremendous appeal of its products to consumers—the brand behind the food people love. The new identity was created after research with multiple stakeholder groups, including customers, revealed a lack of association between ConAgra Foods and its popular brands. The logo itself features a new, more contemporary color palette along with a "spoon in plate" icon designed to reinforce the company's position as a leading food company. The tagline, "Food You Love," reinforces the individual company brands that consumers love.

Lamb Weston announces a state-of-the-art processing plant.

• Lamb Weston announces plans to build a new, state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly processing plant near Delhi, LA., designed primarily to process high-quality sweet potatoes from the region into fries and related products. The new plant is scheduled to open in November 2010. Sweet potatoes are one of today's hottest food trends, with per capita consumption up 21 percent in the past five years according to the USDA. A 2007 Technomic survey showed that 85 percent of the general population is favorably inclined toward sweet potatoes.

Marie Callender's Home-Style Creations™ is launched.

• Marie Callender's is stepping out of the freezer case and onto the shelf to bring consumers the taste of a special, home-cooked meal at work with the launch of Marie Callender's Home-Style Creations. The meals utilize the same patented tray-in-tray steaming technology that is found in Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, which creates fresh-tasting flavors and textures by separating ingredients during preparation—key to maintaining a homemade taste. These microwavable meals can be found in the pasta or soup aisle at grocery stores nationwide and require no refrigeration or freezing, making them a great workday lunch option.

ConAgra Foods pledges portfolio-wide sodium reduction.

• ConAgra Foods pledges to reduce salt across its portfolio of food products by 20 percent by 2015. Since 2006, the company has already removed more than 2 million pounds of salt from its products. The pledge adds 8 million pounds of salt to the equation, with the company ultimately removing 10 million pounds of salt from American diets each year. The company's commitment builds on ConAgra Foods' legacy as a leader in helping consumers reduce and control sodium intake.

2010

ConAgra Foods announces five sustainability goals.

• As part of a plan for increased environmental awareness, ConAgra Foods announces five aggressive sustainability goals to be achieved by 2015—and for the first time, these goals will be implemented company-wide. The goals build on the company's sustainability accomplishments, which began in 1992 with the ConAgra Foods Sustainable Development Awards program.

ConAgra Foods acquires Elan Nutrition.

• In a strategic move to expand its snacking offerings, ConAgra Foods acquires Elan Nutrition, a privately held formulator and manufacturer of snack and nutrition bars. The acquisition of the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company allows ConAgra Foods to grow its private-label bar business through new product development capabilities and manufacturing capacity.

Hunt's ketchup removes high fructose corn syrup.

• Hunt's removes high fructose corn syrup from every bottle of its ketchup products. Hunt's 100% natural ketchup brings forth the naturally rich tomato flavor of Hunt's tomatoes and contains only five simple ingredients: tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, salt, and other seasonings—with no high fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients, or preservatives.

ConAgra Foods sells Gilroy Foods and Flavors™.

• As part of the company's ongoing strategy of divesting non-core operations, ConAgra Foods sells its Gilroy Foods and Flavors dehydrated and vegetable product operations to Olam International. Divestitures such as this enable ConAgra Foods to continually improve focus on the resources behind the company's highest opportunity areas.

ConAgra Foods acquires American Pie, LLC.

• ConAgra Foods acquires American Pie, LLC, a manufacturer of frozen dinners, desserts, and more. American Pie, LLC manufactures frozen fruit pies, thaw-and-serve pies, fruit cobblers, and piecrusts under the licensed Marie Callender's and Claim Jumper names, as well as frozen dinners, pot pies, and appetizers under the Claim Jumper trade name.

Brands introduce new products and expanded varieties.

• ConAgra Foods is pleased to announce more reasons to feel good about enjoying the Food You Love. Enjoy delicious new line additions to your favorite brands, as well as recipe upgrades.
  • Healthy Choice launches a brand-new group of steaming entrées: Cafe Steamers™, All Natural Entrées, and Select Entrées product lines.
  • Healthy Choice introduces three varieties of All Natural soups with just 390 milligrams of sodium per one-cup serving.
  • Healthy Choice reduces sodium by 15 percent on its top two existing soup varieties: Chicken Noodle and Chicken with Rice.
  • Banquet launches all-new single-serve, microwavable fruit pie desserts as well as six new varieties of frozen entrées.
  • Chef Boyardee creates three varieties of whole-grain pasta.
  • Lightlife™ creates new Smart Cutlets® and Smart Wings®.
  • Orville Redenbacher's introduces Cheddar and Nacho Cheese varieties.
  • Marie Callender's launches new Fresh Flavor Steamer™ entrées, plus a new line of multi-serve meals that put a contemporary twist on comfort food.
  • Manwich introduces its first new flavor in nearly a decade: Manwich Thick & Chunky variety.
  • Snack Pack introduces three new pudding flavors.
  • Van Camp's baked beans creates two new flavors of baked beans.
  • Wolf Brand Chili creates a new Homestyle variety.