When was conagra established

Unable to increase its share of the highly competitive cake mix market, NCM eventually decided to get out of prepared foods and use the money it raised to expand in basic commodities: grains and feeds. The new president of Nebraska Consolidated Mills, J.

Allan Mactier, used the proceeds from the sale to expand aggressively. Production at the plant did not compete with the parent company's already existing concerns; none of the flours and feeds produced there were exported to the mainland. Caribe's foothold on the island led to further Puerto Rican expansion in new areas.

A second subsidiary, Molinos de Puerto Rico, took over Caribe's animal feed business on the island while also developing Puerto Rico's virtually nonexistent beef industry as a market for its products. In Molinos' first five years of operation, consumption of animal feeds in Puerto Rico increased from , tons, of which , were imported, to , tons, of which only 46, were imported. The company also profited from an increased demand for meat and milk on the island.

Elsewhere, however, flour millers faced shrinking profits as demand leveled off in both domestic and foreign markets. European grain production had recovered from the disruption of World War II, and prosperity at home in the s and s allowed consumers to buy more expensive food items, leading to lower flour consumption. Large millers turned to diversification to offset declining profitability.

Industry leaders General Mills and Pillsbury developed their consumer foods lines and introduced new types of convenience foods, while the third of the "Big Three" in flour milling, International Milling Company, Inc. Nebraska Consolidated Mills, perhaps unwilling to compete again in packaged foods after its experience with Duncan Hines, also developed the animal feed end of its business.

Throughout the s and into the s, the company established mills and distribution centers for feed and flour in the Southeast and Northwest. NCM also turned to another basic commodity: chicken. It developed poultry growing and processing complexes in Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama during the s. In the company also began to expand into the European market by going into partnership with Bioter-Biona, S. By Nebraska Consolidated Mills had outgrown its early base in Nebraska as well as its name.

It chose a new name to reflect its new concerns: ConAgra, meaning "in partnership with the land. The new name, however, did not necessarily mean continuing success. The early s, in fact, brought the company to a low point. Many of its acquisitions during the expansion of the s and early s were only marginally profitable at best.

In the company posted net losses and suspended dividends. Heavy losses in commodity speculations brought ConAgra to the brink of bankruptcy in ConAgra's first high-profile leader, former Pillsbury executive Charles "Mike" Harper, was named president and CEO in with a mandate to turn the ailing company around.

Essential to Harper's turnaround plan were strict financial goals combined with a series of acquisitions that served to broaden ConAgra's sales base. To reduce debt, Harper first sold nonessential operations. He then began to buy agricultural businesses at the low end of their profit cycles and turn them around.

Harper originally intended to stick with ConAgra's emphasis on basic commodities rather than compete with the packaged-food giants. When he purchased Banquet Foods Company in , he said that the acquisition was a way to increase ConAgra's chicken capacity. ConAgra's chicken production did increase by a third, bringing the company from eighth to fifth place among chicken producers.

ConAgra expanded into fish as well as poultry in the s with investments in catfish aquaculture. Another of Harper's acquisitions put ConAgra back in the forefront of the flour market. In ConAgra bought the Peavey Company, a Minneapolis-based flour miller and grain trader, giving it Political barriers to U.

Harper also kept to a commodity-oriented approach by diversifying into agricultural chemicals. ConAgra expanded into fertilizers, and in acquired United Agri Products, a distributor of herbicides and pesticides. Higher grain prices, Harper reasoned, would mean increased demand for such chemicals. But, in an attempt to counter the cyclical profit pattern of basic agricultural commodities, Harper also entered areas that did not mesh well with the company's traditional orientation: pet accessories, a Mexican restaurant chain, and a fabrics and crafts chain, among others.

We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Home » ConAgra opens first plant in China. Taco Bell opens first restaurant in China. Tingyi-PepsiCo alliance opens beverage plant in China. Heinz opens infant cereal plant in China. I began pulling the pies out one by one and placing them on the cookie sheet.

I started with chicken, the last pie to be opened and place on the cookie sheet was the beef. Upon opening of the box I got a whiff of this nasty, unpleasant odor. This box was completely sealed upon purchase, therefore there would be no tampering in the package. When I pulled the rotten beef pie out of its container, it took all I had in me not to gag and lose it.

I am not sure what happened to insides of the pot pit. It was completely covered in green fury mold, and it did have some black color to it as well. As far as the smell WOW!!! It was utterly disgusting. I boxed the rotten pie up, put a rubber band around the box so that it would stay in the position it was in when I purchased it and I placed it back in the freezer.

When the chicken pies were done baking we ate them and they were delicious. For reference, I have several photos with descriptions so you know exactly when I am writing to you about.

I also took a photo of my Family Dollar receipt as proof for purchase. I can send them upon your request, as I am not able to send this through this site. I go online onto your site, getting ready to send this and I see the motto on the home page. It honestly makes me question if I would ever purchase a Banquet food every again. I have never in my life seen something molded like that upon buying it.

I do hope your company takes this incident very serious. I spend my hard earned money to buy your food products thinking I am feeding my family healthy. That is uncalled for. I do know that the Family Dollar stored it properly, which was in the freezer section in their store.

So, how can something like this even get out of the manufacture company? It is just sickening to be honest with you. I am just simply appalled really because I thought of Banquet to be a higher class than this. Keri Leach Stonewall, LA. I purchased 6 boxes of Banquet frozen chicken… first time trying this. We are a family of 5 and the 1st box that I opened had exactly 3 pieces in it and a crumb of crust.

One leg and one thigh and one breast. COMON guys you can do better than that. I am so disappointed in the amount in the boxes. I have not yet opened the other 4 boxes yet but I am very upset and I feel cheated out of my money I spent for these boxes. This is ridiculous. I would be more than happy to email you the pics.

I no longer have my receipt since i bout them last Thursday. I was not expecting this to happen. In hope you do the right thing and take note to my suggestion as to how to pack your chicken for the average family of 5.

I am really disappointed as I am a big fan of jiffy pop from my childhood. The code number on each of the three pans is 01 , best by date is Apr. Had jiffy pop plenty of times before and never had this issue once, let alone 3 times at once. Thank you for your time. Bought parkay margarine yesterday, and came in the room while Mt daughter was cooking and found out that the package was filled with Blue Bonnet instead.

May a literacy program would be in order.