Jel Sert facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Snack foods, beverages |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Headquarters | West Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Products | Flavor Aid, Fla-Vor-Ice, Pop-Ice, MONDO, Otter Pops, Wyler's drink mixes, Royal, My-T-Fine |
The Jel Sert Company is a private company located in West Chicago, Illinois, USA. It started way back in 1926. This company is famous for making many popular snack foods and beverages that you might have tried!
Contents
A Sweet History: The Jel Sert Company
The Jel Sert Company got its name from its very first product. This was a yummy gelatin dessert mix. They combined the words jelly and dessert to create "Jel Sert"!
Early Days and New Drinks
In 1929, Jel Sert made a new powdered drink mix called Flavor Aid. For many years, these two products, the gelatin dessert and Flavor Aid, were the main things Jel Sert sold.
Cool Treats and New Ideas
In the 1960s, Jel Sert bought the Pop-Ice company. This brought a new line of frozen ice pop desserts to Jel Sert. Later in that same decade, Jel Sert introduced Fla-Vor-Ice. These were another type of freezer pop. Fla-Vor-Ice quickly became the most popular freezer pop brand in the United States!
In 1991, the company launched a line of juice drinks called MONDO. They promoted these drinks by showing how their plastic containers could be recycled. This was a new idea compared to the usual juice boxes.
Expanding the Flavor Family
Jel Sert continued to grow by adding more popular brands.
- In 1996, they bought Otter Pops. These are similar to other Jel Sert freezer pops. Otter Pops are very popular on the West Coast of the United States. They even have fun characters for each flavor, like Lil' Orphan Orange and Sir Isaac Lime!
- In 1999, Jel Sert worked with General Mills' Honey Nut Cheerios to promote their freezer bars.
- In 2000, Jel Sert added three more well-known brands. They acquired Wyler's, which makes powdered drink mixes. They also bought the Royal and My-T-Fine brands. These brands make puddings, pie fillings, and flan.
- In 2001, they bought the gelatin, pudding, and baking powder businesses from Nabisco. This included Royal gelatin, which was a big competitor to Kraft Foods' Jell-O.
New Additions and Partnerships
Jel Sert has kept adding to its family of products:
- On July 9, 2012, Jel Sert acquired Super C, Pure Kick, and Zoic from Solis Brands.
- In January 2020, Jel Sert acquired All Sport, a sports drink brand.
- In February 2020, Jel Sert launched Sliq Spirited Ice.
- In April 2021, Jel Sert teamed up with Coca-Cola. Together, they launched Powerade freezer pops across the country.
Giving Back to the Community
The Jel Sert Company also cares about helping others. They have done charity work with groups like the American Childhood Cancer Organization, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and Operation Homefront.
