Campbell's facts for kids
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Entrance to Campbell's headquarters in Camden
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Trade name
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Campbell's |
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Formerly
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| Public | |
| Traded as | NYSE: CPB (until 2024) |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1869 |
| Founder | Joseph A. Campbell |
| Headquarters | Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Key people
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Mick Beekhuizen (president & CEO) |
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| Revenue |  US$9.357 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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US$1.107 billion (2020) |
| US$1.628 billion (2020) |
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| Total assets |  US$12.372 billion (2020) |
| Total equity | US$2.569 billion (2020) |
| Owner | Mary Alice Dorrance Malone (15%) |
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Number of employees
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19,000 (2020) |
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The Campbell's Company, known as Campbell's, is an American company famous for its canned soups. The classic red-and-white can design is an American symbol. It was even used in pop art by artist Andy Warhol in his Campbell's Soup Cans prints.
Campbell's has grown into one of the biggest food companies in the United States. It offers many products under its own name and other brands. These include Pepperidge Farm, Snyder's of Hanover, V8, and Swanson. Campbell's makes soups, canned foods, baked goods, drinks, and snacks. Its main office is in Camden, New Jersey.
Contents
History of Campbell's
How Campbell's Started
The company began in 1869. It was started by Joseph A. Campbell, a fruit seller, and Abraham Anderson, who made iceboxes. They made canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, and minced meats.
In 1876, Anderson left the company. It then became the "Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company."
In 1894, Joseph Campbell retired. Arthur Dorrance became the company president. In 1897, John T. Dorrance, Arthur's nephew, joined the company. He was a chemist. He found a way to make soup "condensed" by removing half its water. This made soup easier to ship and store. He later became president of the company from 1914 to 1930.
In 1898, a Campbell's executive named Herberton Williams suggested the red and white colors. He liked the red uniforms of the Cornell University football team. The design of the can, with its red and white colors and a bronze medal from the 1900 Paris Exhibition, has stayed almost the same.
Growing Under New Leaders
Campbell Soup became a huge food company under William Beverly Murphy. He was president and CEO from 1953 to 1972. During his time, Campbell's became a public company. It also added new brands like Pepperidge Farm (breads, cookies), Franco-American (gravies, pastas), V8 vegetable juices, Swanson broths, and Godiva chocolates.
Campbell Soup has always spent a lot on advertising. Many old ads are now valuable collector's items. The "Campbell's Kids" were famous characters designed by Grace Drayton. Ronald Reagan was a spokesperson for V8 when Campbell's bought the brand in 1948.
Campbell's also sponsored radio shows. One famous show was The Campbell Playhouse. It took over from The Mercury Theatre on the Air in 1938.
Factory Closures
In 1989, Campbell's announced it would close its first plant in Camden, New Jersey. The plant officially closed in 1991. Other plants in Maryland and Tennessee also closed.
Plant No. 2, which processed tomatoes, closed in 1980. It used to make about 35% of all Campbell's products. These included pork and beans, tomato juice, V8 juice, Franco-American spaghetti, and many soups.
These closures led to 2,800 job losses. About 1,000 of these were from the Camden plant. Production moved to plants in Napoleon, Ohio, Paris, Texas, and Maxton, North Carolina.
Recent Company News
In 2007, Campbell's sold Godiva chocolates.
In 2008, Campbell's soup in the UK and Ireland changed names. This happened because the company that bought Campbell's UK business could only use the Campbell name until 2008.
Campbell's is still a big part of Camden, New Jersey. It often helps with charity events there. In 2009, Campbell's built a new, larger headquarters in the city.
In 2010, Campbell's Canada started selling halal soups. These soups are prepared according to Islamic law.
In 2011, Campbell's soup returned to the UK. New types of soups were sold in packets and boxes, not just cans. Later, the canned soups also came back.
In 2012, Campbell's bought Bolthouse Farms. This company makes juices, salad dressings, and baby carrots. This was a move to reach younger customers.
Since 2012, Campbell Soup has been updating its image. It uses digital marketing to connect with younger people.
In 2013, Campbell's bought Kelsen Group, a Danish baked goods company. This helped Campbell's grow in China and other Asian markets.
In 2015, Campbell Soup bought Garden Fresh Gourmet, a salsa maker. This helped them expand into fresh and organic foods.
In 2016, Campbell's announced it would use 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.
In 2017, Campbell's bought Pacific Foods of Oregon. It also announced plans to buy the snack company Snyder's-Lance. This was the biggest deal in the company's history.
In 2018, Campbell's closed its only Canadian factory in Toronto. Production moved to three US factories, and 380 jobs were lost.
Denise Morrison was the company's president and CEO from 2011 to 2018. Mark Clouse became CEO in 2019.
Campbell's got a trademark for "Chunky" in 2019. This was after selling over $450 million worth of Chunky Soup each year from 2004 to 2017.
In 2019, Campbell's sold its share in the Kelsen Group. It also sold Arnott's Biscuits.
In August 2023, Campbell's bought Sovos Brands, a food maker, for $2.7 billion.
On August 1, 2024, Campbell's announced it would move its stock listing. It moved from the NYSE to the Nasdaq Global Select Market on August 16, 2024. Trading on Nasdaq started on August 19, 2024.
On August 26, 2024, Campbell's sold its Pop Secret popcorn business. It was sold to Our Home, a snack company.
On September 11, 2024, Campbell's changed its name to The Campbell's Company. This change was approved on November 19, 2024. Mark Clouse retired as CEO. Mick Beekhuizen took over as CEO on February 1, 2025.
Campbell's in Pop Art
Campbell's Soup Cans In 1962, artist Andy Warhol used the famous Campbell's soup can in his pop art silkscreens. He made a series of 32 canvases. At first, the cans looked exactly like real Campbell's cans. Later, he made them more artistic, using different colors and styles. These silkscreens became very famous pop art pieces. One of them, Small Torn Campbell Soup Can (Pepper Pot) (1962), sold for $11.8 million in 2006.
Famous Slogans
Campbell's has used many slogans over the years:
- Mmm Mmm Good (since 1935)
- Give Me The Campbell Life (1969–1975)
- Soup Is Good Food (1975–around 1982)
- Never underestimate the power of soup! (1990s)
- Possibilities (2005–2009)
- So Many Many Reasons It's So Mmm Mmm Good (2009–2010)
- It's Amazing What Soup Can Do! (since 2010)
- Made for real, Real life (since 2015)
Health Information
Many canned soups, including Campbell's, have a lot of sodium (salt). This is not good for people on low-sodium diets. However, Campbell's Chunky, Healthy Request, and other soups, plus their V-8 and Tomato juices, have less sodium.
In 2007, Campbell's received an award for lowering sodium levels. By 2009, Campbell's said it had lowered the salt in half of its soups.
In 2011, the company increased the salt content in its products again. This was because sales were going down.
In 2009, Consumer Reports found that some canned foods, including Campbell's, had high levels of bisphenol A (BPA). This chemical can be found in the lining of cans.
GMO Labeling
In 2012, Campbell's gave money to a group that was against a law in California. This law would have required labels on foods with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).
However, in January 2016, the company changed its mind. It decided to support mandatory labeling. Campbell's announced it would label its products that contained GMO additives.
Campbell's Brands
Campbell's owns many brands sold worldwide. Here are some of them:
Campbell's Products
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This is the company's main brand. The Campbell's name is used for soups, sauces, and canned meals. Products include:
- Soups that need water or milk added:
- Campbell's Condensed Soups
- Campbell's Healthy Request
- Ready-to-eat soups:
- Campbell's Chunky Soups
- Campbell's Chunky Maxx
- Campbell's Home Style
- Campbell's Soup on the Go
- Campbell's Slow Kettle Style
- Campbell's Well Yes
- Other products:
- Campbell's Pork and Beans
- Campbell's Spaghetti
- Campbell's SpaghettiOs
- Campbell's Ready Meals
- Campbell's Sauces
- Campbell's tomato juice
- V8 vegetable juice
Pepperidge Farm
This American baked-goods company started in 1937. Campbell's bought it in 1961. Pepperidge Farm products include:
- Breads:
- Sandwich breads
- Swirl breads
- Buns and rolls
- Farmhouse breads
- Bagels
- Stuffing
- Crackers:
- Goldfish crackers
- Harvest Wheat
- Classic Water
- Golden Butter
- Cookies:
- Milano
- Farmhouse
- Chunk
- Distinctive
- Pirouette
- Sausalito
- Desserts:
- Puff pastry
- Layer cakes
- Turnovers
Pace Foods
Pace is an American salsa company founded in 1947. Campbell's bought it in 1995. Pace sells salsas and picante sauce.
Swanson
- Broth
- TV dinners and frozen meals
- Canned chicken
Prego
- Pasta sauces
Snyder's-Lance
- Lance crackers and cookies
- Snyder's of Hanover pretzels
- Cape Cod Potato Chips
- Kettle potato chips
- Snack Factory pretzel chips
- Archway Cookies
Late July Snacks
Late July Snacks is part of the Campbell Soup Company. It was acquired when Campbell's bought Snyder's-Lance in 2018.
Campbell's Factories
In the United States
- Camden, New Jersey: World headquarters (no manufacturing)
- Maxton, North Carolina
- Napoleon, Ohio
- Ashland, Ohio: Archway Cookies bakery
- Willard, Ohio
- Paris, Texas
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Everett, Washington
- West Sacramento, California
- Tualatin, Oregon
- East Rancho Dominguez, California
- Dixon, California
- Rancho Cucamonga, California
Around the World
- Toronto, Canada: Opened 1930 (closed in 2018)
- Lemnos, Victoria, Australia
- Lübeck, Germany: Sold in 2013
- Selangor state, Malaysia
- King's Lynn, United Kingdom: Opened 1959, closed 2007
- Bekasi, Indonesia (as PT. Arnotts Indonesia) until 2019
- Ribe, Denmark until 2013
- Nørre Snede, Denmark until 2013
Product Recalls
2010 Recall
On June 22, 2010, Campbell's "SpaghettiOs and Meatballs" was recalled. This happened because there might have been underprocessed meat in the product.
See also
In Spanish: Campbell Soup Company para niños
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Green bean casserole
- List of food companies
