Quaker Oats Company
Parent PepsiCo | | |
Subsidiaries | Gatorade | |
---|---|---|
Website | quakeroats.com |
The Quaker Oats Company (
In 1911, the company acquired the Great Western Cereal Company. The iconic cylindrical package was introduced in 1915. Although Quaker Oats Company claims that the "Quaker man" is not meant to resemble or represent an actual person, the company identified the Quaker man as William Penn in advertising dating back to 1909.
In 1983, Quaker acquired Stokely-Van Camp, Inc., the maker of Van Camp's and Gatorade. In 2001, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats for $14 billion, primarily to acquire the Gatorade brand.[1]
History
Precursor miller companies
In the 1850s,
According to some accounts, Quaker Mill partner Henry Seymour came up with the brand name after discovering an encyclopedia article about Quakers. He stated that the qualities describing Quakers, such as integrity, honesty, and purity, were traits that he wanted customers to associate with the company's product. According to the company, William Heston also claimed to have selected the name.[2] Quaker Mill Company held the trademark on the Quaker name. In Ravenna, Ohio, on September 4, 1877, Henry Seymour of the Quaker Mill Company applied for the first trademark for a breakfast cereal[3]—"a figure of a man in 'Quaker garb'".[4][2]
In 1879, John Stuart and his son Robert joined with George Douglas to form Imperial Mill and set up their operation in
In 1888, the American Cereal Company was formed by the merger of seven major oat millers. Ferdinand Schumacher became president, Henry Crowell the general manager, and John Stuart the secretary-treasurer. In 1889, the American Cereal Company introduced the half-ounce trial size and, as a promotion, distributed one to every home in Portland, Oregon, via boys on bicycles. Later, this promotion was extended to other cities. A second promotion involved placing dinner plates within the then-regular (not round) boxes of oats.
Quaker Oats Company
In 1901, the Quaker Oats Company was founded in
In 1908, Quaker Oats introduced the first in a series of cookie recipes on the box. In 1911, Quaker Oats purchased the Great Western Cereal Company. The iconic cylindrical package made its first appearance in 1915. Later that year, Quaker offered the first cereal box premium to buyers. By sending in one dollar and the cutout picture of the "Quaker Man" customers received a double boiler for the cooking of oatmeal.
In the 1920s, Quaker introduced "Quaker Quick Oats", an early
During World War II, the company, through its subsidiary the Q. O. Ordnance Company, operated the Cornhusker Ordnance Plant (six miles west of Grand Island) as a government-owned, contractor-operated 11,960-acre site.[9] Construction began in March 1942 and production ended in August 1945.[10] It manufactured millions of pieces of various artillery munitions (41 warehouses and 219 magazines of a total of 280,800 ft² were built).[11]
In 1946, artist Jim Nash was commissioned to produce a head portrait of the Quaker Man, which became the basis for Haddon Sundblom's famous version of 1957. In 1972, John Mills designed the current logo.
In 1968, a plant was built in
In 1969, Quaker acquired Fisher-Price, a toy company. In 1991, Quaker Oats spun off its Fisher-Price division.
In 1971, the company financed the making of the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, based on the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. In return the company obtained a license to use a number of the product names mentioned in the film for candy bars. The film was considered a box office disappointment at the time of release, and the film’s original distributor Paramount eventually sold the rights back to Quaker Oats, who then sold the rights to Warner Bros. because the company had no involvement in the film business. The film became extremely popular in the 1980s via repeated television airings and home video sales.[12]
In 1972, Quaker Oats purchased Louis Marx and Company, a company that created one quarter of all toys and trains manufactured in the mid-1950s. It sold the business after four years.[13]
In 1982, Quaker Oats purchased
In 1983, Quaker bought Stokely-Van Camp, Inc., makers of Van Camp's and Gatorade.[16]
Quaker bought
In 1996, Quaker spun off its frozen food business, selling it to Aurora Foods (which was bought by Pinnacle Foods in 2004).
In August 2001, Quaker Oats was acquired by PepsiCo for $14 billion,[19] primarily for the Gatorade brand.
Starting in 1987 through the 1990s, actor Wilford Brimley appeared in television commercials for Quaker. In the commercials, he extolled the virtues and healthfulness of oat consumption, sometimes to a young child. "It's the right thing to do" was a common slogan during the commercials.[20]
Major facility
The major Canadian production facility for Quaker Oats is located in Peterborough, Ontario. The factory was first established as the American Cereal Company[21] in 1902 on the shores of the Otonabee River during that city's period of industrialization. At the time, the city was known as "The Electric City" due to its hydropower resources,[22] attracting many companies to the site to take advantage of this source. The Trent–Severn Waterway also promised to provide an alternate shipping route from inland areas around the city, although it appears this was never used in practice. On December 11, 1916, the factory all but completely burned to the ground. When the smoke had settled, 23 people had died and Quaker was left with $2,000,000 in damages. Quaker went on to rebuild the facility, incorporating the few areas of the structure that were not destroyed by fire.
When
Until 2022, Quaker Oats had a major R&D facility located in Barrington, Illinois. After numerous acquisitions the site was renamed, but retained its research and development focus.[23]
Land giveaways in cereal boxes
Starting in 1902, the company's oatmeal boxes came with a coupon redeemable for the legal deed to a tiny lot in
In 1955, Quaker Oats again
2023-2024 Product Recall
In 2023, concentrations of chlormequat, a pesticide known to cause reproductive and developmental issues in animals, in oat-based foods, including popular brands like Cheerios and Quaker Oats, were notably higher in 2023 compared to previous years. Quaker Oats Company issued numerous recalls of over 60 products starting from December 15 due to potential contamination with salmonella bacteria, affecting various cereals such as Cap’n Crunch and Oatmeal Squares, as well as Gatorade protein bars and batches of Quaker Chewy granola bars and Quaker granola cereals. The latest recall, involving the Quaker Chewy Dipps Llama Rama bars, was announced on January 31.[25][26]
Logo
Starting in 1877, the Quaker Oats logo had a figure of a Quaker man depicted full-length, sometimes holding a scroll with the word "Pure" written across it, resembling the classic woodcuts of William Penn (founder of the Province of Pennsylvania), the 17th-century philosopher and early Quaker.[27] Quaker Oats advertising dating back to 1909 did, indeed, identify the "Quaker man" as William Penn, and referred to him as "standard bearer of the Quakers and of Quaker Oats".[28]
In 1946, graphic designer Jim Nash created a black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of the smiling Quaker Man, and Haddon Sundblom's now-familiar color head-and-shoulders portrait (using fellow Coca-Cola artist Harold W. McCauley as the model) debuted in 1957. The monochromatic 1969 Quaker Oats Company logo, modeled after the Sundblom illustration, was created by Saul Bass, a graphic designer known for his motion picture title sequences and corporate logos. In 2012, the company enlisted the firm of Hornall Anderson to give the "Quaker man" a slimmer, somewhat younger look.[29][30] The man is now sometimes referred to as "Larry" by insiders at Quaker Oats.[31] And in 1965, a new advertising slogan was introduced: "Nothing is better for thee, than me".
The company states that its current "Quaker man" logo "does not represent an actual person. His image is that of a man dressed in Quaker garb, including a
The company has never had any ties with the
Members of the Religious Society of Friends have occasionally expressed frustration at being confused with the Quaker Oats representation.[34][35] Friends have twice protested the Quaker name being used for advertising campaigns seen as promoting violence. In 1990, some Quakers started a letter-writing campaign after a Quaker Oats advertisement depicted Popeye as a Quaker who used violence against aliens, sharks, and Bluto.[36] Later in that decade, more letters were sparked by Power Rangers toys included in Cap'n Crunch cereal.[37]
Controversy
Research on children
From 1946 to 1953, researchers from Quaker Oats Company,
Trans fat content and litigation
In 2010, two
US brands
As of 2005[update], these are the product brands marketed under the Quaker Oats name in the US:
Breakfast cereals
- Cap'n Crunch
- Life cereal
- Quisp
- Mother's Natural Foods
- Quaker 100% Natural Granola
- Kretschmer Wheat Germ
- Mr. T Cereal
- Muffets ("The round shredded wheat")
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- Quaker Toasted Oatmeal
- Quaker Oh's (sold to Postin 2014)
- Quaker Corn Bran
- Quaker Oat Bran
- Quaker Grits
- Quaker Oatmeal
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal
- Quaker Puffed Rice
- Quaker Puffed Wheat
- Quaker Oatmeal with Dinosaur Eggs
- Graham Bumpers
- Coco Bumpers
- King Vitaman
Other breakfast foods
- Quaker Oatmeal To Go (re-branded from Breakfast Squares in 2006)
- Pearl Milling Company (re-branded from Aunt Jemima in 2021)
- Quaker Breakfast Cookies
Snacks
- Quaker Crispy Minis (Rice Chips and Rice Cakes) (known as Snack-a-Jacks in the UK)
- Quakes Rice Snacks
- Quaker Soy Crisps
- Quaker Snack Bars
- Chewy Granola Bars
- Quaker Mini Delights
- Yogurt bars
- Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
- Greek Yogurt
Mixes
- Quaker Tortilla Mix
- Rice-A-Roni
- Pasta Roni
- Near East
Drinks
- Milk Chillers
- Tropicana fruit Juices
- Sunbolt (defunct)
UK brands
As of 2008[update], these are the product brands marketed under the Quaker Oats name in the UK:[47]
Breakfast cereals
- t/a Honey Monster Foods)[48]
Hot cereals
- Quaker Oats
- Oatso Simple (various flavours)
- Quaker Oats Super Goodness Porridge
- Quaker Oats Protein Porridge
- Scott's Porage Oats
- Scott's So Easy
- (the Scott's brand, previously a rival, is now also owned by Quaker)
Ready to eat cereal
- Harvest Crunch
- Quaker Wholesome Granola
- Quaker Oat Granola
- Quaker Oat Muesli
- Quaker Oat Crisp
Cereal bars
- Harvest Bar
- Oat Bars (Original with golden syrup or Mixed berry flavors)
Snacks
- New Quaker Fruit & Oat Squeeze
- New Quaker Porridge to Go
- Snack-a-Jacks
The Netherlands brands
These are the product brands marketed under the Quaker Oats name in the Netherlands:[49]
Hot cereals
- Quaker Oats
- Quaker Oats Express
Ready to eat cereal
- Quaker Cruesli
- Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar
- Quaker Cruesli Colours
- Quaker Granola & Muesli
Cereal bars
- Oat Bars (Original with golden syrup or chocolate flavors)
The Philippines brands
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal
- Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
- Quaker Instant Oats Caldo
References
- ^ Matthew Herper and Betsy Schiffman (2 August 2001). "Pepsi Bought Quaker. Now What?". Forbes. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ^ a b c "Our Oat Origins". quakeroats.com. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Adams, Cecil. Is the guy on the Quaker Oats box John Penn? The Straight Dope Accessed 28 July 2006.
- ^ "Why is Quaker Oats named after the Quakers?". Angola Transparency. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Adams, Cecil. "The Strait Dope Mailbag – Is the guy on the Quaker Oats Box John Penn?". Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- ^ Quaker Oats Radio Receiving Set, (radiomuseum.org)
- ^ Wood, Shelley (20 March 2019). "The Story of the Dionne Quintuplets Is a Cautionary Tale for the Age of 'Kidfluencers'". Time. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Search Results: "Quaker Oats" : Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (Library of Congress)". Loc.gov. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Bombs for Hitler, Hirohito loaded at Grand Island". The Great Plains During World War II. Plains Humanities Alliance. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Danny M. (LTC USA Ret). "Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant". UXO Info. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ Wit, Tracy Lynn (1990). "The Social and Economic Impact of World War II Munitions Manufacture on Grand Island, Nebraska" (PDF). Nebraska History. 71: 151–163. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Mel Stuart on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – Failure magazine". 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Matzke 1989, p. 10.
- ^ Company, Quaker Oats. "Country Pure Foods to Acquire The Quaker Oats Company's Ardmore Farms Business". Prnewswire.com.
- ^ "History of The Quaker Oats Company – FundingUniverse". Fundinguniverse.com.
- ^ "The Quaker Oats Company – Company History". Fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- ^ "Quaker Oats Sells Snapple At A $1". Morevalue.com. 28 March 1997. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- ^ Brian Graney (18 September 2000). "Triarc Sells Snapple to Cadbury Schweppes [Breakfast With the Fool] September 18, 2000". Fool.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- ^ Dobbyn, Tim (2 August 2001). "Pepsi Gets to Buy Quaker". The Los Angeles Times. Reuters. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Grimes, William (1 August 2020). "Wilford Brimley, 'Cocoon' Star and Quaker Oats Pitchman, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "American Cereal Company". Ohio Historical Society.
- ^ "Peterborough Travel Guide: Peterborough, Ontario (ON) - WORLDWEB.COM". Peterborough-on.worldweb.com.
- ^ "PepsiCo closing Barrington research site, laying off 78 workers". Chicago Tribune. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ a b Juliano, Frank, "Oatmeal lots gave officials indigestion", pp 1, A12, 3 October 2010, Connecticut Post
- ^ "Recalls have been issued for power adapters, cinnamon, frozen dumplings and more — see the latest list". NBC News. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Genovese, Daniella (19 February 2024). "Chemical found in Cheerios, Quaker Oats, other oat-based foods linked to potential health issues: study". FOXBusiness. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Quaker Oats box label, circa 1920s". Crystalradio.net. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "If it walks like William Penn, talks like William Penn and looks like William Penn . . ". 18 March 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ "The Quaker Oats Guy Gets a Slimmer New Look". Time. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ "Identity Evolution – Quaker Oats, USA". Dianhasan.wordpress.com. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Nassauer, Sarah (29 March 2012). "'Larry,' Quaker of Oatmeal Fame, Gets a Makeover". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
- ^ "Quaker Oats Company Web Site – Quaker FAQ". Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
- ^ Adams, Cecil. "The Strait Dope Mailbag – Is the guy on the Quaker Oats Box John Penn?". Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- ^ Mendoza, A.J. (August 2014). "Beyond the Oatmeal Box".
- ^ Satterthwaite, Taylor Mary (August 2014). "Quaker Problems".
- ^ "Tough on Quaker Oats", Friends Journal, p. 37, May 1990
- ^ Deming, Victor (June 1995), "Mightier than a Megazord", Friends Journal, p. 2
- PMID 13278403.
- ^ "Chapter 7: The Studies at Fernald School". ACHRE Report. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
It is clear that the doses involved were low and that it is extremely unlikely that any of the children who were used as subjects were harmed as a consequence.
- ^ "MIT and Quaker settle cereal suit". Sun Journal. 1 January 1998. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ^ Hussain, Zareena (7 January 1998). "MIT to pay $1.85 million in Fernald radiation settlement". The Tech. 11 (65). Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
- ^ "Complaint Against Quaker Oats" (PDF). PacerMonitor. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- New England Journal of Medicine, 2006.
- PMID 11556298.
- PMID 18390841.
- ^ "Quaker settles trans fat labeling suit". Foodbusinessnews.net. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Quaker: UK Trade Site. Quaker. Archived from the original on 15 November 2006. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
- ^ admin (2 August 2006). "UK: Quaker sells Sugar Puffs, Harvest brands". Just Food. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ Quaker: The Netherlands Trade Site. Quaker. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- Matzke, Eric (1989). Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains. Vol. I. Greenberg Publishing. ISBN 0-89778-131-7.
General references
- D'Antonio, Michael. The State Boys Rebellion. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
- Page, Walter Hines; Page, Arthur Wilson (April 1901). "Advertisement: Quaker Oats". The World's Work: A History of Our Time. I: 676. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
External links
- Media related to Quaker Oats Company at Wikimedia Commons
- Works related to Portal:Quaker Oats Company at Wikisource
- Official website
- Quaker Oats Company from the Summit Memory Project
- Story about the radioactivity experiments