Minute Maid facts for kids
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| Industry | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1945 (as Florida Foods, Inc.) |
| Headquarters | Sugar Land Town Square First Colony, Sugar Land, Texas, U.S. |
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Key people
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J. Alexander M. Douglas Jr. (President of North America Group of Coca-Cola) |
| Products | Fruit juices, soft drinks |
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Number of employees
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1,900 |
| Parent | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Subsidiaries | Simply Beverages |
Minute Maid is a popular American brand of drinks. It is famous for its lemonade and orange juice, but it also makes many other kinds of soft drinks, including Hi-C. You might know Minute Maid by different names in other parts of the world. For example, it's called "Cappy" in Central Europe and "Моя Семья" (which means "My Family") in Russia.
Minute Maid was the first company to sell frozen orange juice concentrate. This made it possible to send orange juice all over the United States and enjoy it any time of year. Today, The Minute Maid Company is owned by The Coca-Cola Company, which is the world's biggest seller of fruit juices and drinks. The company's main office is in Sugar Land, Texas, in the United States.
Contents
The Story of Minute Maid
Minute Maid started in 1945 as a company called Florida Foods, Inc.. Later, its name changed to Vacuum Foods Corporation.
How Minute Maid Began
In 1945, a company called National Research Corporation (NRC) in Boston, Massachusetts, found a way to remove water from medical products. The U.S. Army wanted to use this method for food, so NRC created Florida Foods Corporation. This new company, led by John M. Fox, got a contract to make powdered orange juice for World War II.
However, the war ended before the factory was built, and the contract was canceled. But with some new money, the company decided to keep going with a new idea.
Instead of selling powdered juice, they decided to make frozen orange juice concentrate. This process removed 80 percent of the water from the orange juice. A marketing company in Boston came up with the name "Minute Maid." This name suggested that the juice was quick and easy to prepare.
Early Success and Growth
The first Minute Maid products were shipped in April 1946. In the same month, the company changed its name to Vacuum Foods Corporation. They didn't have much money for advertising, so John Fox himself went door-to-door, giving out free samples. People loved the juice, and demand quickly grew!
In 1948, famous entertainer Bing Crosby started promoting Minute Maid on his radio show. This helped the company become even more popular. People loved being able to buy fresh-tasting orange juice all year round, even if they lived far from where oranges were grown. This helped Minute Maid become a national success.
In October 1949, the company changed its name again to Minute Maid Corp.. A few years later, in 1954, Minute Maid bought another juice company called Snow Crop.
Joining The Coca-Cola Company
In 1960, The Coca-Cola Company bought Minute Maid. This was a big step for Minute Maid, as it became part of a much larger beverage company. In 1967, Minute Maid moved its offices to Houston, Texas.
Improving Conditions for Workers
In the 1970s, there were concerns about the working conditions for some Minute Maid farm laborers in Florida. The United Farm Workers group helped support these workers. News reports brought attention to the issue. Because of this public attention, Minute Maid started a program to make things better for its workers.
In 1973, Minute Maid released its first ready-to-drink, chilled orange juice in the United States. This started a friendly competition with another juice company called Tropicana.
In 1996, the company's name changed from Minute Maid Corp. to The Minute Maid Company. A year later, The Coca-Cola Company sold its Minute Maid orange groves in Florida.
In 2001, the Minute Maid part of Coca-Cola launched the Simply Orange brand. This juice is known for having a consistent taste all year, no matter where the oranges come from.
In 2002, Minute Maid bought the rights to name the Houston Astros baseball stadium. It was renamed Minute Maid Park. By 2003, Minute Maid fully joined with Coca-Cola North America.
Minute Maid Products Around the World
Minute Maid offers many different kinds of juices and drinks in countries all over the world. Here are just a few examples:
In Argentina
Minute Maid is sold as Cepita del Valle. You can find flavors like Apple, Orange, Peach, and Pineapple.
In Brazil
Minute Maid Mais - Del Valle offers flavors such as Apple, Grape, Mango, and Passion fruit.
In Canada
You can find many Minute Maid 100% Juices, including Pure Squeezed Orange Juice, Apple Juice, and Grapefruit Juice. They also have juice drinks like Fruit Punch and Lemonade.
In China
Minute Maid is known as 美汁源 (MěiZhīYuán). A very popular product is Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, which was the first Coca-Cola brand from China to earn over a billion dollars!
In France
Minute Maid offers 100% fruit juices like Orange and Apple. They also have juice drinks with added vitamins and calcium.
In India
Minute Maid Pulpy Orange Drink is very popular. Other flavors include Nimbu Drink (Lemon), Apple, Mango, and Mixed Fruit.
In Indonesia
Minute Maid Pulpy is a favorite, with orange pulp in the juice. They also have flavors like O'Mango (Orange and Mango) and Tropical.
In Japan
Minute Maid has a wide range of products, including Fruit Plus, Qoo (a popular juice drink), and various 100% juices like Orange and Grape. They even have jelly drinks!
In the United States
In the U.S., Minute Maid sells many types of Premium Orange Juice, Lemonades (like Pink Lemonade and Limeade), and Punches (like Fruit Punch and Berry Punch). They also have special juices like Minute Maid Active, which has added ingredients.
The Simply Beverages line, also part of Minute Maid, offers premium juices like Simply Orange, Simply Lemonade, and Simply Apple.
Other Popular Drinks
Minute Maid is also connected to other well-known drinks:
Minute Maid Headquarters
Minute Maid's first offices were in New York. Later, in 1957, the headquarters moved to Orlando, Florida.
In 1967, Minute Maid moved its main office to Houston, Texas. For many years, it was located in the 2000 St. James Place building.
Then, in 2009, Minute Maid moved its headquarters to a new building in Sugar Land Town Square in Sugar Land, Texas. The city of Sugar Land even offered a tax incentive to help the company move there.
In 2021, The Coca-Cola Company announced that Minute Maid's operations would join the company's main base in Atlanta, Georgia.
Images for kids
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Simply Lemonade
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Former logo used since 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Minute Maid para niños
