A Historical Overview
Will Keith (W.K.) Kellogg, was born April 7, 1860. W.K., along with his
brother, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, was the co-inventor of flaked cereal. Although
W.K. lacked a formal education beyond the sixth grade, the cereal giant forever
changed the way we eat breakfast. In 1906, W.K. Kellogg entered the cereal business,
as American eating habits began shifting from heavy, fat-laden breakfasts to lighter,
more grain-based meals. W.K. discovered that a better flake was produced by using
only the corn grit or "sweet heart of the corn." To help consumers distinguish Kellogg's Corn Flakes® cereal from the products
of the 42 other cereal companies in Battle Creek, Michigan, W.K. put his signature
on each package, saying that these Corn Flakes are the "The Original." The company
succeeded because it believed the entire populace, not just those on special diets,
might be interested in wholesome cereal foods, and because it continually improved
its product line and packaging techniques to meet the needs of an ever-changing
and evolving consumer base.
With the advent of pasteurization of milk, the ready-to-eat cereal business expanded.
To keep up with a growing market, Kellogg Company developed new product, packaging
and marketing innovations to fit consumer needs. In 1914, Kellogg Company created
Waxtite® wrappers, a new concept in packaging technology. W.K. Kellogg believed
that if people tried a good product, they would keep buying it. To ensure that consumers
would continue to seek out his products, he distributed free samples of his Corn
Flakes, and then followed up with advertising in magazines and on billboards. Kellogg
also held a children's art contest, selecting the best entries for use in Kellogg
advertisements. The first Kellogg premium, the "Funny Jungleland Moving Picture
Book," was distributed to consumers in 1910. Kellogg's® Bran
Flakes and All Bran® cereals were introduced
in 1915 and 1916. After having success in the U.S. market, Kellogg opened its first
foreign cereal facility in 1914 in Canada.
Kellogg continued to expand into new markets, exporting cereal to England in the
early 1920s and later building a plant in Sydney, Australia. In the U.S., Kellogg
introduced ready-to-eat cereals in individual servings for use in hospitals, hotels
and rail dining cars. The 1920s also brought new marketing innovations. A mail-in
promotion made Battle Creek, Michigan a household word when millions of youngsters
clipped and mailed in Kellogg's® boxtops for "Stuff-Yourself
Nursery Rhyme Rag Dolls." Kellogg also established one of the first home economics
departments in the food industry in 1923, the same year that Kellogg's®
Pep wheat flakes was introduced. The famous Kellogg's®
Rice Krispies® began talking to consumers in 1927.
W.K. Kellogg made an unprecedented move as the United States sank into the Great
Depression. Instead of cutting back, he doubled his advertising spending - and Kellogg
cereal sales increased. In response to the hard times created by the Depression,
Mr. Kellogg reduced the hours of the three plant shifts and created a fourth shift,
spreading the payroll among more workers. Others earned their paychecks by developing
a 10-acre park on the Battle Creek plant grounds. Declaring "I'll invest my money
in people," in 1930, Mr. Kellogg founded the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. He also continued
to invest resources into developing the nutritional quality of Kellogg's products.
Kellogg expansion continued with a new plant in Manchester, England.
Kellogg's® Pep™, became the first cereal fortified with vitamins
through the "spray" method. Kellogg also brought new partnerships by sponsoring
"The Singing Lady - Irene Wicker," the nation's first radio network program for
children, and the "Howie Wing" radio show, based on the adventures of a young aviator.
Adm. Richard E. Byrd's expedition to the South Pole was equipped with a two-year
supply of Kellogg cereals.
In support of the American war effort during World War II, Kellogg provided packaged
K-rations for the U.S. armed forces and Kellogg engineering personnel used the company
machine shop to manufacture parts for the "Manhattan" atomic bomb project in 1945.
As a result of the company's many efforts during WWII, Kellogg was awarded the Army-Navy
"E" flag for excellence. Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® Marshmallow
Treats ® recipe, first advertised in 1940, became a popular food
for mailing to service people abroad. Despite the war, Kellogg launched new whole-grain
product lines like Kellogg's Raisin Bran® in 1942
and opened the company's second U.S. plant in Nebraska.
On October 6, 1951, Kellogg Company's legendary founder, W.K. Kellogg, died at the
age of 91. His body lay in state for three days in the main lobby of the company
office building so that hundreds of workers and Battle Creek residents could pay
their respects. Throughout the 1950s the company introduced some of today's most
beloved cereals including: Kellogg's® Corn Pops®, Kellogg's
Frosted Flakes®, Kellogg's® Honey Smacks, Kellogg's® Cocoa
Krispies and Kellogg's® Special K®,
which was the first high-protein breakfast cereal ever offered to consumers. Cereal
icon, Tony the Tiger® also made his first appearance
in the 1950s and became an instant hit as the spokescharacter for
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes®. In 1956, a Battle Creek tradition was
started when more than 32,000 people sat down together at "the world's longest breakfast
table" in Battle Creek, Michigan to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. Renowned
artist Norman Rockwell produced a series of illustrations for the company featuring
six children and Santa Claus. For Kellogg, the 1950s also meant national expansion
into California and Tennessee, as well as internationally into Mexico and New Zealand.
For Kellogg Company, the 1960s were marked by a wide range of new product introductions.
There were five new cereals: Kellogg's Froot Loops®, Kellogg's
Apple Jacks®, Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats®, Kellogg's Bran Buds®
and Kellogg's Product 19®, as well as
Kellogg's Pop-Tarts® toaster pastries and Kellogg's®
Croutettes croutons. Kellogg's Product 19®
was the first 100-percent fortified cereal created for consumers. Kellogg also enjoyed
extensive global expansion, opening facilities in South America, Canada, Scandinavia,
Europe and Asia. Kellogg even went into outer space, as part of the Apollo 11 space
crew's breakfast during their historic mission to the moon in 1969. A growing interest
in nutrition led to the expansion of the company's already broad consumer nutrition
Kellogg Company responded to America's renewed awareness of the importance of nutrition
and fitness. The company published its nutrition policy, outlining its fortification
practices and commitments to nutrition, responsible advertising and consumer education.
Kellogg became the first cereal company to voluntarily list the amount of sugar
in its cereals on the side panel of its packages. This was the strongest decade
of growth in the history of ready-to-eat cereal consumption. New cereals included
Kellogg's® Frosted Krispies® and
Cracklin' Oat Bran®. Kellogg entered the frozen foods business when
Fearn International and its line of Eggo® brand
frozen waffles joined the company. Kellogg also acquired Mrs. Smith's Pie Company
and Pure Packed Foods. Company expansion continued in Central America, Great Britain
New cereal products of the 1980s including Kellogg's® Squares
line, Kellogg's® Crispix® and
Kellogg's® Just Right®, would remain consumer favorites into
the next century. Science-based groups affirmed the importance of grain in the diet,
enabling Kellogg to make health claims, particularly for high-fiber cereals such
as Kellogg's® All-Bran®. The company built
advanced-technology cereal plants in Battle Creek and London, Ontario. It also opened
a new plant in South Korea and improved its manufacturing capabilities around the
world. In 1986, Kellogg Company's new headquarters opened in downtown Battle Creek.
True to its tradition of social responsibility, Kellogg strongly supported the United
Negro College Fund, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island renewal and the fight against
apartheid in South Africa.
In the 1990s, as consumers purchased "On the Go" foods like never before, convenience
foods grew as a percentage of Kellogg's sales. Kellogg's®
Rice Krispies Treats® squares and Kellogg's®
Nutri-Grain® bars won broad consumer acceptance. Kellogg's®
Pop-Tarts® toaster pastries became the company's top-selling
product. In the cereal category, the 1990s were the company's most difficult decade,
amid unprecedented branded and private-label competition in the U.S. and increased
competition overseas. Still, Kellogg remained the global cereal leader and opened
its first plants in India, China, Thailand and Latvia. A second Mexican plant was
added thanks to very strong growth in that market. In 1997, Kellogg made a significant
step forward in its food science research activities by opening the $75 million
W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Battle Creek. In 1999,
Kellogg acquired Worthington Foods, the top producer of soy-based meat alternatives.
Kellogg has generated strong upward momentum in the new century based on growing
the dollar - rather than volume - sales of its cereal products, expanding its convenience
foods businesses and pursuing profitable growth. In 2001, Kellogg completed the
largest acquisition in its history, the $4.56 billion purchase of Keebler Foods
Company, a leading producer of cookies and crackers. Cereal, once Kellogg Company's
only product line, now represented 53 percent of its worldwide sales, with 32 percent
coming from snacks and the remaining 15 percent from other grain-based foods. Kellogg
also has benefited from the acquisition of health foods leader Kashi Company, the
multi-country success of products such as Kellogg's® Special K Red Berries
cereal and a relentless focus on superior day-to-day execution of its product development
and marketing initiatives.
Kellogg Company celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, and looks forward to carrying
forward the legacy of the company's founder, W.K. Kellogg, by continuing to provide
consumers with great-tasting, high-quality foods and programs that help promote
health and well-being.
2007 kicked off two years of additions to Kellogg Company's portfolio. Kellogg purchased
Gardenburger, maker of a variety of vegetarian and vegan products and meat substitutes.
The acquisition of Bear Naked, maker of premium all-natural and organic granolas,
hot cereals and trail mixes, was an addition to the company's Kashi business. In
2008, the company announced the purchase of Russia's largest cracker, biscuit and
cereal producer - The United Bakers Group - marketed primarily under the Yantar
and Lyubyatovo brand names. In China, Kellogg acquired Zhenghang Food Company Ltd.
(Navigable Foods), which produces and markets cookies and crackers in the north
and northeastern regions of China. In the United States, Kellogg acquired the assets
of IndyBake Products LLC and Brownie Products Co., a privately held contract-manufacturing
business that produces cracker, cookie and frozen dough products. Kellogg also acquired
the trademarks and recipes of the Mother's Cake & Cookie Co., a regional brand in
the western United States.
During 2009, Kellogg Company released its first global Corporate Responsibility
Report. At the company's Annual Meeting of Shareowners, the company announced it
would make a then unprecedented donation of an entire day's worth of cereal to Feeding
America. The donation of 3.5 million pounds of cereal, worth approximately $10 million,
amounted to more than 55 million cereal servings. A dedication ceremony was held
for the expansion of the W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food and Nutrition Research,
the epicenter for Kellogg's global product development, research and innovation
was held. The $54 million, 157,000-square-foot pilot plant and office space expansion
demonstrates Kellogg Company's ongoing commitment to growth and building powerhouse
In 2010, United Way recognized Kellogg Company with the Spirit of America Award
- its highest honor for overall community efforts. Kellogg is the first Michigan-based
company to win the award, which recognizes the variety of ways Kellogg Company and
its employees and retirees continue to invest in the communities where they work
and live. President and CEO David Mackay joined First Lady Michelle Obama and the
Partnership for a Healthier America to announce a new industry-wide pledge to reduce
1.5 trillion calories by the end of 2015. The pledge was made by the Healthy Weight
Commitment Foundation, a coalition of more than 100 retailers, food and beverage
manufacturers, and nongovernmental, and other organizations and individuals committed
to help fight the obesity epidemic.