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Libby's

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Libby's
IndustryFoods
Founded1869
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois
ProductsCanned food
WebsiteLibbys.com
ConAgra
NTC Marketing
Nestlé
Seneca Foods
Tequesta Foods
1898 advertisement showing the trapezoidal can of Libby, McNeill & Libby's canned corned beef

Libby's is a U.S.-based food company known for its canned food.

History

The company was founded as Libby, McNeill & Libby in Chicago, Illinois, by Archibald McNeill and the brothers Arthur and Charles Libby. The business began with a canned meat product, beef in brine, or corned beef. It became well-known when it began to package the meat in a trapezoid-shaped can starting in 1875.[1]

By 1880, it had 1,500 employees in Chicago,[2] and by the turn of the century there were about 2,000 employed,[3] by which time it had expanded to the canning of fruits and vegetables. Libby's came under the control of Swift & Company in the 1920s but later became independent again. One of the best known executives of Libby's was Charles Scott Bridges who in 1947 was made a director of the company and in 1953 became Libby's president and chief executive officer. Libby's expanded and modernized during his presidency, including extensive production of frozen foods.

By 1960 Libby's had 9,000 employees and annual revenues of $296 million, and ranked 154th in size among U.S. corporations.

In the 1970s, Libby's had a successful television advertising campaign featuring their jingle, "When it says Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label, label, label, you will like it, like it, like it, on your table, table, table.". [4]

Acquisition

Libby, McNeill & Libby was acquired by Nestlé in 1976.[5]

In 1982, Libby's canned vegetable business was acquired by S.S. Pierce (now Seneca Foods) and its canned fruits business was acquired by California Canners and Growers; Seneca later acquired the canned fruit business[6][7] Niagara Trading Company acquired a license for the Libby's name on canned pineapple in 1983.[8][9] ConAgra acquired the canned meats division in 1998. Libby's nectars was acquired by Tequesta Foods in 2010. Corlib Brand Holding is the current owner of the Libby's trademark.[10]

NTC Marketing acquired the Libby's licenses for pineapple & tropical fruits in 1983 and juices in 2009. NTC Marketing is based in Buffalo, NY. [11]

Before and after World War II, Libby's had canning operations outside the United States in Belgium and France, at Leer in northern Germany, and in the UnIted Kingdom.

Libby's UK operations were based in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, a decision mainly driven by the significant dairy farming community in the South Lakes area, who supplied Libby's with milk, the basic ingredient of evaporated milk that was the mainstay of the factory's operations. The factory went on to make tinned rice pudding, tomato ketchup and fruit juice, both canned and bottled. The Milnthorpe factory had its own R&D labs and eventually the plant produced Libby's Orange 'c', a best seller even though it was berated by a national newspaper for its high water content. Orange 'c' is still on sale today under the Libby's brand. The Milnthorpe operation gradually declined, following acquisition by Nestlé, who moved production to various other Nestlé plants in the UK, prior to closure of the Milnthorpe factory.

Libby's in the United Kingdom does not sell canned foods. They instead sell fruit juice.

Libby's trademark in Canary Islands, Spain and Portugal is owned by Establecimientos Industriales Archipiélago S.A.[12] just for Canary Islands, they sell fruit juices, catsup sauce and apple soda.

Libby's also owned Juicy Juice; they sold it to Nestlé in the 2000s.

2009 Canned Pumpkin Shortage

In November 2009, Libby's announced that due to poor weather in the Midwestern United States (where it grows its pumpkins) and a depleted back stock, a canned pumpkin shortage was likely as Thanksgiving approached.[13]

References

  1. ^ http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/brand_info.jsp?cookietest=true&page=libbys ConAgra history
  2. ^ http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2751.html Encyclopedia of Chigago history
  3. ^ http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/exhibits/panam/food/libbys1.html 1901 promotional material
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ Nestle and Unit In U.S. Set Deal To Acquire Libby
  6. ^ Libby to Sell Canning Business
  7. ^ Libby To Sell Fruit, Vegetable Businesses In US
  8. ^ Niagara Trading
  9. ^ Seneca's History
  10. ^ http://www.babymilkaction.org/press/press19april06.html
  11. ^ http://www.ilovelibbys.com/about-us/
  12. ^ LIBBYS. zumo, vitaplus, nectar, naranja, piña, melocoton, platano, zanahoria, tomate, catchup. ketchup, canarias, guayaba, fresa, manzana, sin azucar, fruta, dieta, canarias, tenerife, las palmas, leche, salud, multifruta, mango, albaricoque, tropica...
  13. ^ Severson, Kim (November 17, 2009). "Libby's Warns of a Canned Pumpkin Shortage". NYTimes.com.
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