Newman's Own facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Key people
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| Products | Various food and pet food products |
Newman's Own is an American food company based in Connecticut. It was started in 1982 by famous actor Paul Newman and author A. E. Hotchner. What makes this company special is that it gives away all of its money earned after taxes to charity. This is done through the Newman's Own Foundation. This foundation is a private group that helps many programs, especially those focused on children.
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How Newman's Own Started
The idea for Newman's Own began in 1982. Paul Newman and A. E. Hotchner made their own salad dressing at home. They gave it to friends as gifts. Everyone loved the dressing so much that Newman and Hotchner decided to sell it. They each put in $20,000 to start the business.
After the salad dressing, they made other foods. These included spaghetti sauce, lemonade, popcorn, and fruit juices. They also made frozen pizza, salsa, and grape juice. In 2008, they even launched Newman's Own premium wines.
Fun Labels and Products
Each product label features a picture of Paul Newman. He is often dressed in a funny costume for each item. The company also added humor to its packaging. For example, their first salad dressing label said, "Fine Foods Since February." Many of the stories on the food labels were just for fun.
In 1993, Paul Newman's daughter, Nell Newman, started Newman's Own Organics. This part of the company focused on organic foods. It later became a separate company in 2001. Newman's Own Organics made things like chocolate, cookies, pretzels, and even pet food. Nell's father, Paul Newman, posed with her for the pictures on these labels. In 2014, Newman's Own Organics became part of Newman's Own again.
Paul Newman and A. E. Hotchner wrote a book together in 2003. It was about their company and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps. The book was called Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good. Paul Newman made sure that the company's profits would keep going to charity even after he passed away. This was done through the Newman's Own Foundation.
Changes in Leadership
After Paul Newman passed away in 2008, Robert Forrester became the CEO. He helped the company grow and offer more products. Later, in 2019, Robert Forrester left his role. Jennifer Smith Turner became the temporary president and CEO. In January 2020, Dr. Miriam Nelson took over these roles. As of April 2023, Alex Amouyel is the President and CEO of Newman's Own Foundation.
Giving Back to the Community
Newman's Own is famous for its charitable giving. The Newman's Own Foundation website states that over $600 million has been given to charity since 1982. For example, in 2016, the company donated $30 million in profits.
Who Benefits from Newman's Own?
Many different groups receive help from Newman's Own. One important beneficiary is the SeriousFun Children's Network. This network runs residential summer camps and programs for seriously ill children. Paul Newman helped start the first camp in 1988.
Today, the SeriousFun Children's Network has camps and programs all over the world. They have provided over 1.5 million camp experiences to children and families for free. While Newman's Own helped start the first camp, the network now gets money from many other sources too.
Newman's Own Foundation has also given money to other groups. These include The MINDS Foundation, which helps people in rural India. Other groups that have received support are The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, Safe Water Network, and Fisher House Foundation. They also support programs like the WILD Young Women Programme in New Zealand and Pilgrims Hospices in the UK.
