Chiquita facts for kids
Logo
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| Private | |
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Predecessor | United Brands |
| Founded | August 1984 (as Chiquita Brands International) |
| Headquarters | Étoy, Switzerland & Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States |
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Key people
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Carlos López Flores (president) |
| Products | Produce (primarily bananas) |
| Owner | Cutrale (50%) Safra (50%) |
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Number of employees
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~20,000 |
Chiquita Brands International S.à.r.l. is a company from Switzerland and the United States. It is famous for growing and selling bananas and other fresh foods. You probably know their main brand, Chiquita, and also Fresh Express salads. Chiquita is a top seller of bananas in the United States.
The company used to be called the United Fruit Company. It was once owned by an American businessman named Carl Lindner Jr.. In 2002, Chiquita went through a financial reorganization. Later, in 2003, Chiquita bought a German food distribution company called Atlanta AG. They also bought Fresh Express salads in 2005. Chiquita's main offices used to be in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In 2014, Chiquita and another company called Fyffes planned to join together. This would have made them the biggest banana company in the world. However, two Brazilian companies, Cutrale and Safra Group, made a different offer. Chiquita's shareholders decided to accept the offer from Cutrale and Safra instead of merging with Fyffes.
Contents
The Story of Chiquita
Chiquita Brands International's story started in 1870. A ship captain named Lorenzo Dow Baker bought 160 bunches of bananas in Jamaica. He then sold them in New Jersey just eleven days later. In 1873, a railroad builder named Minor C. Keith began growing bananas in Costa Rica. He planted them along a railroad track to help earn money for the railroad. In 1878, Baker and Andrew Preston created the Boston Fruit Company.
The United Fruit Company was formed in 1899. This happened when the Boston Fruit Company and other fruit companies joined together. In 1903, United Fruit Company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It was the first company to use refrigeration to keep fruit fresh during long sea trips. Around this time, the company faced criticism for its business methods in Central America.
In 1928, workers went on strike in Ciénaga, Colombia. They were protesting against low pay and poor working conditions. The Colombian government sent military forces to the town. This led to a tragic event for many plantation workers and their families. This sad event is known as the Masacre de las Bananeras (Banana massacre).
United Fruit used clever advertising to gain support. They had "The Great White Fleet," which were cruise ships that took American tourists to countries where United Fruit had businesses. These trips made the places seem exciting and fun. But these tours often hid the difficult conditions on the company's plantations. By 1930, the company had 95 ships.
In 1944, the company launched the "Chiquita Banana" advertising jingle. This catchy song, with a calypso beat, taught people about bananas. It started with "I'm Chiquita Banana, and I've come to say." The name Chiquita became a registered trademark in 1947.
In 1952, the government of Guatemala started taking unused United Fruit Company land. They wanted to give it to farmers who had no land. The company asked the U.S. government for help. This led to political changes in Guatemala in 1954.
By 1955, United Fruit Company was handling a huge amount of fruit, about 2.7 billion pounds (1.2 billion kilograms) each year. In 1966, the company started selling bananas in Europe. In 1970, the company merged with AMK Corporation and changed its name to United Brands Company. In 1980, Chiquita was a sponsor for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
In 1984, an investor named Carl Lindner Jr. became the main owner of United Brands.
In 1990, the company changed its name to Chiquita Brands International. They invested a lot in Costa Rica. However, their business in Honduras faced problems. Chiquita then had conflicts with a rival company, Fyffes, over banana supplies. This led to some difficult situations, including the destruction of some produce.
In 1993, new rules in Europe affected how Latin American bananas were imported. In 1994, some Chiquita farms were certified as environmentally friendly by the Rainforest Alliance. In 2001, the European Union changed its banana import rules, which helped end these disputes.
Company Changes
In November 2001, Chiquita had to reorganize its business. It finished this process in March 2002. This ended Carl H. Lindner Jr.'s control of the company. In 2002, Chiquita also joined the Ethical Trading Initiative. This group helps make sure companies treat workers fairly.
In 2003, Chiquita bought the German food distribution company, Atlanta AG. In 2004, all Chiquita farms met high labor standards. The company also won an award for being a good corporate citizen. In 2005, Fresh Express salads was bought from Performance Food Group.
New Owners
In March 2014, Chiquita Brands International and Fyffes announced plans to merge. This deal would have created the world's largest banana company. However, in August 2014, two Brazilian companies, Cutrale and Safra Group, offered to buy Chiquita. Chiquita's shareholders later voted against the merger with Fyffes. Instead, they accepted the offer from Cutrale and Safra.
How Chiquita Works
Chiquita Brands International works in 70 countries. As of 2018, about 20,000 people work for the company. Chiquita sells many fresh foods, like bananas, ready-made salads, and healthy snacks. Their Fresh Express brand sells about $1 billion worth of salads each year in the United States.
In 2011, Chiquita decided to move its main offices to Charlotte, North Carolina. The company said the growing airport was a reason for the move. By 2019, the company's main offices moved out of the United States and relocated to Switzerland.
The Chiquita Logo
The company's mascot, "Miss Chiquita," was created in 1944 by Dik Browne. He is famous for drawing the comic strips Hi and Lois and Hägar the Horrible. Miss Chiquita first appeared as a cartoon banana with a dress and legs. Different singers gave her a voice in commercials. The banana character wore a fruit hat. In 1987, the banana was changed into a woman. A new Miss Chiquita design was shown in 1998.
Small peel-off stickers with the Chiquita logo started being placed on bananas in 1963. These stickers are still put on by hand today. This helps to avoid bruising the fruit. Early commercials often used Latin American themes to show where the bananas came from.
See also
In Spanish: Chiquita Brands International para niños
- Grand Nain
- United Fruit Company
- 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état
