Quaker Oats Company facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | September 4, 1877 (as Quaker Mill Company) Ravenna, Ohio, United States |
| Founder | Henry Parsons Crowell |
| Headquarters | 555 West Monroe Street,
,
US
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Robbert Rietbroek (Senior Vice President & General Manager) |
| Products |
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| Parent | PepsiCo |
| Subsidiaries | Gatorade |
The Quaker Oats Company, often called Quaker, is a big American food company based in Chicago, Illinois. It started as Quaker Mill Company in 1877 in Ravenna, Ohio. In 1881, Henry Crowell bought the company and began advertising Quaker Oats all over the country.
In 1911, the company bought Great Western Cereal Company. The famous round Quaker Oats package first appeared in 1915. Quaker Oats says their "Quaker man" logo isn't a real person. However, old ads from 1909 showed him as William Penn, a famous Quaker.
In 1983, Quaker bought Stokely-Van Camp, Inc., which made Van Camp's and Gatorade. Then, in 2001, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats for $14 billion. They mainly wanted to own the Gatorade brand.
Contents
History of Quaker Oats
Early Oat Companies
In the 1850s, two people named Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart started oat mills. Schumacher opened the German Mills American Oatmeal Company in Akron, Ohio. Stuart started the North Star Mills in Hearst, Ontario. In 1870, Schumacher placed the first known ad for cereal in a newspaper. In 1877, the Quaker Mill Company was founded in Ravenna, Ohio.
Some say that Henry Seymour, a partner at Quaker Mill, thought of the name "Quaker." He found an encyclopedia article about Quakers and liked that they were known for being honest and pure. He wanted customers to think of these qualities when they saw Quaker Oats products. Another person, William Heston, also said he picked the name. The Quaker Mill Company was the first to own the Quaker name as a trademark. On September 4, 1877, in Ravenna, Ohio, Henry Seymour applied for the first trademark for a breakfast cereal. It was "a figure of a man in 'Quaker garb'."
In 1879, John Stuart and his son Robert joined with George Douglas to create Imperial Mill in Chicago, Illinois. In 1881, Henry Parsons Crowell bought the Quaker Mill Company. The next year, he started the first national magazine ads for breakfast cereal. He also introduced a cereal box, so people could buy smaller amounts instead of just in bulk. Crowell was a key leader for the company from 1888 until 1943. He became known as a "cereal tycoon." He gave away more than 70% of his money to the Crowell Trust.
In 1888, seven big oat mill companies joined together to form the American Cereal Company. Ferdinand Schumacher became president, Henry Crowell was the general manager, and John Stuart was the secretary-treasurer. In 1889, the American Cereal Company gave away small, half-ounce boxes of cereal. They sent boys on bicycles to deliver one to every home in Portland, Oregon. Later, they did this in other cities too. Another promotion involved putting dinner plates inside the cereal boxes.
Quaker Oats Company Grows
In 1901, the Quaker Oats Company officially started in New Jersey, with its main office in Chicago. This happened when four oat mills joined together. These included the Quaker Mill Company (which owned the Quaker name), a mill in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the German Mills American Oatmeal Company, and The Rob Lewis & Co. American Oats and Barley Oatmeal Corporation. Henry Crowell bought the entire new company that same year.
In 1908, Quaker Oats started printing cookie recipes on their cereal boxes. In 1911, Quaker Oats bought the Great Western Cereal Company. The famous round package for Quaker Oats first appeared in 1915. Later that year, Quaker offered the first prize inside a cereal box. If customers sent in one dollar and the cutout picture of the "Quaker Man," they received a special pot for cooking oatmeal.
In the 1920s, Quaker introduced "Quaker Quick Oats," which was an early convenience food. They also offered a special radio set built inside the same round Quick Oats container. It cost US$1 plus two trademarks from Quaker Oats packages. In the 1930s, Quaker used the Dionne Quintuplets (five famous sisters) in their ads.
During World War II, Quaker Oats helped the US government. Their Q. O. Ordnance Company ran the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant in Nebraska. This plant made millions of artillery parts from 1942 to 1945.
In 1946, artist Jim Nash drew a picture of the Quaker Man's head, which was later used by Haddon Sundblom for his famous 1957 version. In 1972, John Mills designed the current logo.
In 1968, Quaker built a plant in Danville, Illinois. This factory now makes Pearl Milling Company pancake mixes, Oat Squares, Life Cereals, Quaker Oh's, and Chewy granola bars.
In 1969, Quaker bought Fisher-Price, a toy company. But in 1991, Quaker Oats sold Fisher-Price.
In 1971, the company helped pay for the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. This movie was based on the children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. In return, Quaker Oats could use some of the product names from the film for candy bars. The movie was not very popular at first. The company later sold the movie rights to Warner Bros.. The film became very popular in the 1980s when it was shown on TV and sold as home videos.
In 1972, Quaker Oats bought Louis Marx and Company, a toy and train company. They sold this business after four years.
In 1982, Quaker Oats bought US Games, a company that made games for the Atari 2600. This company closed after one year. That same year, Quaker Oats also bought Ardmore Farms, an orange juice plant in Florida. They sold it in 1998.
In 1983, Quaker bought Stokely-Van Camp, Inc., which made Van Camp's and Gatorade.
Quaker bought Snapple for $1.7 billion in 1994. They sold it in 1997 for $300 million.
In 1996, Quaker sold its frozen food business.
In August 2001, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats for $14 billion. They mainly wanted the Gatorade brand.
From 1987 through the 1990s, actor Wilford Brimley appeared in Quaker Oats TV commercials. He talked about how healthy oats were, sometimes to a young child. A common slogan in these ads was: "It's the right thing to do."
Main Factory in Canada
The main Quaker Oats factory in Canada is in Peterborough, Ontario. This factory started as the American Cereal Company in 1902. It was built by the Otonabee River because the city had a lot of hydropower (electricity from water). This attracted many companies. On December 11, 1916, most of the factory burned down. Twenty-three people died, and Quaker lost $2,000,000. Quaker rebuilt the factory, using the parts that were not destroyed.
When PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats in 2001, many brands were moved to the Peterborough factory. This factory now makes Quaker Oatmeal, Quaker Chewy bars, Cap'n Crunch cereal, Pearl Milling Company pancake mixes, Gatorade drinks, Tropicana juices, and various Frito-Lay snacks. The products made here are sold mostly in Canada and some are sent to the United States.
Land Giveaways in Cereal Boxes
Starting in 1902, some oatmeal boxes came with a coupon. This coupon could be traded for a legal paper (deed) to a tiny piece of land in Milford, Connecticut. These small plots, sometimes only 10 feet by 10 feet, were part of a subdivision that was never built. A few children (or their parents) got these free deeds and paid very small property taxes on the "oatmeal lots." The town later ended this program in the 1970s because it caused too much paperwork for very little tax money.
In 1955, Quaker Oats again gave away land as part of a promotion. This one was linked to the Sergeant Preston of the Yukon TV show. The company offered real deeds to land in the Klondike, Yukon, inside boxes of Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice cereal.
Product Recalls (2023-2024)
In 2023 and 2024, Quaker Oats Company had to recall many products. This was because some products might have had salmonella bacteria. Salmonella can make people sick. The recalls included cereals like Cap’n Crunch and Oatmeal Squares, as well as Gatorade protein bars and Quaker Chewy granola bars. The company announced the latest recall for Quaker Chewy Dipps Llama Rama bars on January 31, 2024.
Quaker Oats Logo
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Since 1877, the Quaker Oats logo has shown a Quaker man. He was sometimes shown holding a scroll that said "Pure." He looked like William Penn, who founded Province of Pennsylvania and was an early Quaker. Old Quaker Oats ads from 1909 did say the "Quaker man" was William Penn.
In 1946, Jim Nash drew a black-and-white picture of the Quaker Man's smiling head and shoulders. Then, in 1957, Haddon Sundblom created the colorful head-and-shoulders picture that many people know. In 2012, the company changed the "Quaker man" to look slimmer and a bit younger. Sometimes, people inside Quaker Oats call him "Larry." In 1965, a new advertising slogan was introduced: "Nothing is better for thee, than me."
The company says its current "Quaker man" logo "does not represent an actual person." They say his image is of a man dressed in Quaker clothes, including a Quaker hat. This was chosen because the Quaker faith stands for honesty, goodness, purity, and strength.
The Quaker Oats Company has never had any real connection to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). When the company was starting, Quaker business people were known for being very honest. The Quaker man was the first trademark for breakfast cereal in the United States. The character was registered on September 4, 1877.
Sometimes, members of the Religious Society of Friends have felt confused with the Quaker Oats company. They have protested twice when the Quaker name was used in ads that seemed to promote violence. In 1990, some Quakers wrote letters because a Quaker Oats ad showed Popeye as a Quaker who used violence. Later, more letters were sent when Power Rangers toys were included in Cap'n Crunch cereal.
US Brands
These are some of the products sold by Quaker Oats in the US:
Breakfast Cereals
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- Cap'n Crunch
- Life cereal
- Quisp
- Mother's Natural Foods
- Quaker 100% Natural Granola
- Kretschmer Wheat Germ
- Mr. T Cereal
- Muffets ("The round shredded wheat")
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- Quaker Toasted Oatmeal
- Quaker Oh's
- Quaker Corn Bran
- Quaker Oat Bran
- Quaker Grits
- Quaker Oatmeal
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal
- Quaker Puffed Rice
- Quaker Puffed Wheat
- Quaker Oatmeal with Dinosaur Eggs
- Graham Bumpers
- Coco Bumpers
- King Vitaman
Other Breakfast Foods
- Quaker Oatmeal To Go
- Pearl Milling Company (formerly Aunt Jemima)
- Quaker Breakfast Cookies
Snacks
- Quaker Crispy Minis (Rice Chips and Rice Cakes)
- Quakes Rice Snacks
- Quaker Soy Crisps
- Quaker Snack Bars
- Chewy Granola Bars
- Quaker Mini Delights
- Yogurt bars
- Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
- Greek Yogurt
Mixes
- Quaker Tortilla Mix
- Rice-A-Roni
- Pasta Roni
- Near East
Drinks
- Milk Chillers
- Tropicana fruit Juices
- Sunbolt (no longer made)
UK Brands
These are some of the products sold by Quaker Oats in the UK:
Breakfast Cereals
Hot Cereals
- Quaker Oats
- Oatso Simple (different flavors)
- Quaker Oats Super Goodness Porridge
- Quaker Oats Protein Porridge
- Scott's Porage Oats
- Scott's So Easy
Ready to Eat Cereal
- Harvest Crunch
- Quaker Wholesome Granola
- Quaker Oat Granola
- Quaker Oat Muesli
- Quaker Oat Crisp
Cereal Bars
- Harvest Bar
- Oat Bars (Original with golden syrup or Mixed berry flavors)
Snacks
- New Quaker Fruit & Oat Squeeze
- New Quaker Porridge to Go
- Snack-a-Jacks
The Netherlands Brands
These are some of the products sold by Quaker Oats in the Netherlands:
Hot Cereals
- Quaker Oats
- Quaker Oats Express
Ready to Eat Cereal
- Quaker Cruesli
- Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar
- Quaker Cruesli Colours
- Quaker Granola & Muesli
Cereal Bars
- Oat Bars (Original with golden syrup or chocolate flavors)
The Philippines Brands
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal
- Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
- Quaker Instant Oats Caldo
See also
In Spanish: Quaker Oats Company para niños
