Citrus Products Company facts for kids

Citrus Products Company was an American company that made popular drinks and ice cream. It started way back in 1919. They were best known for their tasty orange soda called Kist. By 1923, the company was already getting national attention. This was because they used smart new ways to sell their products.

Kist Soda

Kist orange soda first came out in 1919. It was one of the very first orange sodas sold to people. Only another Chicago company, Crush, had an orange soda out before Kist. Citrus Products Company worked hard to get Kist sold everywhere. They were very good at marketing and creating a brand that people recognized.

In 1932, something cool happened. The company hired Eric Scudder, who used to work for Crush. He helped them start selling Kist in special glass bottles. These bottles were shaped like sliced oranges! Even though Crush first used this idea, it quickly became a famous part of the Kist brand. Around this time, Kist also started making many different flavors of soda.

For the next 30 years, Kist soda was made in Chicago. It also started being sold in other places, like Latin America. Kist even became popular in new vending machines. But in 1965, another company bought Citrus Products Company for $2 million. Over the years, the Kist brand became less well-known. It was finally stopped being made in 2008.

"Ella" Ice Cream

Citrus Products Company also had a short-lived ice cream business. They sold ice creams under the name "Ella." Some of the fun flavors included Limonella, Cherryella, Orangella, Limella, and Grapella. But by the mid-1920s, the "Ella" name was no longer used. Instead, these ice cream flavors were sold as "frozen Kist."