Del Monte Foods facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Headquarters | 205 North Wiget Lane Walnut Creek, California, United States |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Gregory Longstreet (CEO) |
| Products | Canned fruits, fruit cups, fruit juice, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, soup, broth, sauce, bubble tea |
| Owner | Del Monte Pacific Limited |
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Number of employees
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 7,000 (2022) |
| Parent | NutriAsia |
| Subsidiaries | College Inn Foods S&W Fine Foods, Inc. Contadina Foods Inc. DLM Foods, LLC Industrias Citricolas de Montemorelos S.A. de C.V |
Del Monte Foods Inc. is an American company that makes and sells food. It is known for its canned fruits, vegetables, and other food products. The company's main office is in Walnut Creek, California.
Del Monte Foods is one of the biggest companies that produces and sells packaged food in the U.S. market. They own popular brands like Del Monte, S&W, and Contadina. Greg Longstreet is the current CEO of Del Monte Foods. Many of their products are top sellers in their categories.
In 2014, Del Monte Foods Inc. was bought by Del Monte Pacific Limited, a company from the Philippines. This deal cost about $1.67 billion. The part of Del Monte Foods that made pet food was not included in this sale. It became a separate company called Big Heart Pet Brands. Later, in 2015, another company called The J.M. Smucker Company bought Big Heart Pet Brands.
On July 1, 2025, Del Monte Foods announced it had filed for bankruptcy protection. This meant the company was working to reorganize its finances and was looking for a buyer.
Contents
The Story of Del Monte Foods
How Del Monte Began
In the 1870s and 1880s, California became a big producer of fruits and vegetables. There was a famous resort hotel called the Hotel Del Monte on the Monterey Peninsula.
Around the 1880s, a food seller in Oakland, California started using the "Del Monte" name. They used it for a special blend of coffee made for the hotel.
By 1892, the company grew. They chose Del Monte as the brand name for their new line of canned peaches. In 1898, 18 canning companies from the West Coast joined together to form the California Fruit Canners Association (CFCA). The Del Monte brand was one of the brands this new company sold. The well-known Del Monte Shield logo was introduced in 1909.
Growing Bigger
In 1916, under the leadership of George Newell Armsby, CFCA added more companies. These included other canneries and a food brokerage house. The company then became known as California Packing Corporation, or Calpak. They started selling products under the Del Monte and Sunkist brands.
The new company grew very large. It operated over 60 canneries in states like Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. In 1917, they bought pineapple farms and a cannery in Hawaii. In the 1920s, they added more canneries in Florida and the Midwest, as well as in the Philippines. After World War II, they built or bought even more facilities overseas. Because they were operating all over the world, the name California Packing Corporation didn't fit anymore. So, in June 1967, the company changed its name to Del Monte Corporation.
New Ideas and Changes
In 1972, Del Monte was the first major U.S. food company to voluntarily put nutritional information on all its food products. This helped people know what was in their food.
Over the years, Del Monte went through many ownership changes. It was part of different large companies. In 1989, the main food processing parts of Del Monte were sold to new owners. During this time, some parts of the company, like the fresh fruit business and the European division, were sold off to other companies.
In 1997, a company called Texas Pacific Group bought Del Monte. Del Monte then bought back some brands it had sold, like Contadina. In 1999, Del Monte Foods became a publicly traded company again. This meant people could buy shares of the company.
In 2002, Del Monte Foods grew much larger by buying several brands from the food giant Heinz. This deal nearly tripled Del Monte Foods' size.
Expanding Products
In 2000, Del Monte gained the rights to the SunFresh brand, which sells premium citrus and tropical fruits. The next year, in 2001, they also got the worldwide rights to the S&W brand. S&W sells processed fruits, vegetables, and sauces.
In 2006, Del Monte became the second largest pet food company. They sold their baby food business and bought two big pet food brands: Meow Mix and Milk-Bone.
In 2008, Del Monte sold its seafood division, StarKist, to a company from South Korea. Del Monte said StarKist no longer fit with their main business. They wanted to focus more on pet food and higher-profit fruit and vegetable products.
In 2011, an investor group bought Del Monte, and its stock was no longer traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Then, in 2014, Del Monte Pacific Limited from the Philippines bought Del Monte's consumer food business. The remaining company, which was the pet food division, was renamed Big Heart Pet Brands.
In 2015, Del Monte Foods bought Sager Creek, which owned several canned vegetable brands. Later, in 2017, Del Monte Foods sold these brands to another company. Also in 2015, Del Monte Foods moved its main office to Walnut Creek, California.
On July 1, 2025, Del Monte Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This was part of an agreement with its lenders to reorganize its finances. The company was seeking funding to help it continue operations while looking for a buyer.
Del Monte Foods Around the World
Del Monte Foods sells packaged food products under the Del Monte brand mainly in the United States.
The Del Monte brand is used by different companies in other parts of the world. For example, a South Korean beverage company, Lotte Chilsung, partnered with Del Monte Juice Products in 1982. Japan-based Kikkoman acquired Del Monte Asia in 1989.
In Canada, the Del Monte brand was kept by Nabisco when the rest of the business was sold. Over time, the Canadian Del Monte brand was sold to different companies, and in 2018, Bonduelle acquired it.
Del Monte's operations in Central America and the Caribbean were sold to local investors in 1996. The European and African operations were also sold in 1990 and later acquired by Fresh Del Monte Produce.
In Mexico, Del Monte Mexico was sold in 1996. It later became part of ConAgra Foods.
In the Philippines, Del Monte sold parts of its business in 1991 and 1996. Eventually, Del Monte Pacific Limited became the parent company. In 2005, a Philippine company called NutriAsia bought controlling stakes in Del Monte Pacific Limited. Then, in 2014, Del Monte Pacific Limited bought Del Monte Foods in the U.S.
The Del Monte brand in South America was also kept by Nabisco for a while. Del Monte Foods bought it back from Nabisco in 1998.
Fresh Del Monte Produce is a separate company that was created in 1989. It focuses on fresh fruits.
Products You Might Know
Del Monte Foods makes many different products. Here are some of their consumer brands:
- Del Monte
- S&W (S&W Fine Foods)
- Contadina
- College Inn
- Kitchen Basics
- Joyba
- Take Root
- Quick 'n Easy
- Fit 'n Right
- Vinamilk
Images for kids
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Del Monte Lite Pear Halves
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A 1932 magazine advertisement for Del Monte canned fruit products.
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A Del Monte Foods plant.
See also
In Spanish: Del Monte Foods para niños
