General Mills

General Mills {{NYSE|GIS}} is a corporation, mainly concerned with food products, that is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets such brands as Betty Crocker, Nestlé, Yoplait, and Pillsbury, as well as numerous well-known breakfast cereals (see below).

History

The company can trace its history to the Minneapolis Milling Company, an organization founded in 1856 by Cadwallader C. Washburn which leased power rights to mills operating along Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. His brother William D. Washburn also assisted in the company's development. In 1866, the Washburns got into the business themselves, building the Washburn "B" Mill at the falls. At the time, the building was considered to be so large and output so vast that it could not possibly sustain itself. However, the company succeeded and in 1874 he built the even bigger Washburn "A" Mill.

Related Topics:
1856 - Cadwallader C. Washburn - Mill - Saint Anthony Falls - Mississippi River - William D. Washburn - 1866 - 1874 - Washburn "A" Mill

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In 1877, the mill entered a partnership with John Crosby to form the Washburn-Crosby Company. A year later, the "A" mill exploded, killing 17 workers and also demolishing several nearby buildings. The mill was rebuilt and continued to operate for several decades. In the 1920s, the company stepped in to take over a failing Twin Cities radio station, renaming it WCCO.

Related Topics:
1877 - John Crosby - 1920s - Twin Cities - Radio station - WCCO

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General Mills was created in 1928 when Washburn-Crosby President James Ford Bell directed his company to merge with 26 other mills.

Related Topics:
1928 - James Ford Bell

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In 1970, General Mills acquired a five-unit restaurant company called Red Lobster and expanded it nationwide. Soon, a division of General Mills titled General Mills Restaurants developed to take charge of the Red Lobster Chain. In 1982, General Mills Restaurants founded a new Italian themed restaurant chain called Olive Garden. General Mills spun off its Restaurant division in 1995 into Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Related Topics:
1970 - Red Lobster - 1982 - Olive Garden - 1995 - Darden

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In 1988, General Mills sold General Mills Specialty Retail Group, which was the parent company of both Eddie Bauer (sold to Spiegel, Inc.) and Talbots.

Related Topics:
1988 - Eddie Bauer - Spiegel, Inc. - Talbots

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In 1990, General Mills and Nestlé started a 50/50 joint venture called Cereal Partners Worldwide to market breakfast cereals for both the United States and Europe. CPW distributes cereals manufactured by both companies under the Nestlé brand name.

Related Topics:
1990 - Cereal Partners Worldwide - United States - Europe - Nestlé

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The company merged with Pillsbury in 2001. While many of the Pillsbury-branded products are still manufactured by General Mills, some products had to be sold off to allow the merger since the new company would have held a very strong monopoly position. Products such as cake mixes, are still sold by General Mills under the Pillsbury label. However the Diageo group of companies still stands strong without Pillsbury.

Related Topics:
2001 - Monopoly - Cake - Pillsbury - Diageo

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In October of 2004, the General Mills monster-themed triple pack breakfast cereals were introduced in supermarkets and wholesale retail stores, featuring Boo Berry (blueberry-flavoured), Count Chocula (chocolate-flavoured), and Franken Berry (strawberry-flavoured).

Related Topics:
October - 2004 - Monster - Breakfast cereals - Boo Berry - Blueberry - Count Chocula - Chocolate - Franken Berry - Strawberry

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In late 2004, the company transitioned its entire breakfast cereal line to whole grain. This was partially due to the low-carbohydrate diet craze that had been sweeping the United States in the early 2000s decade, but was also influenced by research indicating that highly-refined grains can have detrimental health effects. Also, in 2004, General Mills was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mothers magazine.

Related Topics:
2004 - Whole grain - Low-carbohydrate diet - United States - 2000s - Grain - Health effects

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