Quaker Oats Company facts for kids
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Trade name
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Quaker |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Traded as | NYSE: OAT (until 2001) |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | September 4, 1877 (as Quaker Mill Company) Ravenna, Ohio, United States |
| Founder | Henry Parsons Crowell |
| Headquarters | 555 West Monroe Street,
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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. It is based in Chicago, Illinois. The company started as Quaker Mill Company in 1877 in Ravenna, Ohio. In 1881, Henry Crowell bought the company. He then started a big advertising campaign for Quaker Oats across the country.
In 1911, Quaker Oats bought the Great Western Cereal Company. The famous round package for oats was first used in 1915. The company says the "Quaker man" logo is not a real person. However, old ads from 1909 showed him as William Penn.
In 1983, Quaker bought Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. This company made Van Camp's and Gatorade. In 2001, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats for $14 billion. PepsiCo mainly wanted to own the Gatorade brand.
Contents
Quaker Oats Company History
Early Oat Companies
In the 1850s, two men, 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. This ad was in the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper. The Quaker Mill Company was founded in Ravenna, Ohio, in 1877.
Some stories say that Henry Seymour, a partner at Quaker Mill, chose the name "Quaker." He found an encyclopedia article about Quakers. He felt that qualities like honesty and purity, linked to Quakers, matched what he wanted for his product. The company says William Heston also claimed he picked the name. On September 4, 1877, Quaker Mill Company applied for the first trademark for a breakfast cereal. It was for "a figure of a man in 'Quaker garb'."
In 1879, John Stuart and his son Robert joined George Douglas. They formed Imperial Mill in Chicago, Illinois. In 1881, Henry Parsons Crowell bought the Quaker Mill Company. The next year, he launched the first national magazine ads for breakfast cereal. He also introduced a cereal box, so people could buy smaller amounts. Crowell led the company from 1888 until 1943. He became known as a "cereal tycoon." He gave over 70% of his money to the Crowell Trust.
In 1888, seven big oat millers merged to form the American Cereal Company. Ferdinand Schumacher became president. Henry Crowell was the general manager. John Stuart was the secretary-treasurer. In 1889, the company gave out small, half-ounce samples. Boys on bicycles delivered them to every home in Portland, Oregon. This idea later spread to other cities. Another promotion included dinner plates inside cereal boxes.
The Quaker Oats Company Forms
In 1901, the Quaker Oats Company was officially formed in New Jersey. Its main office was in Chicago. This happened when four oat mills merged. These included the Quaker Mill Company, which owned the Quaker name. Also joining were a mill in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, owned by John and Robert Stuart and George Douglas. The German Mills American Oatmeal Company from Akron, Ohio, also joined.
In 1908, Quaker Oats started printing cookie recipes on its boxes. In 1911, the company bought the Great Western Cereal Company. The famous round package for Quaker Oats first appeared in 1915. Later that year, Quaker offered its first cereal box prize. Customers could send in one dollar and a cutout of the "Quaker Man." In return, they received a special pot for cooking oatmeal.
In the 1920s, Quaker introduced "Quaker Quick Oats." This was an early convenience food. They also offered a crystal radio set. It came in the same round container as Quick Oats. It cost US$1 plus two trademarks from Quaker Oats packages. In the 1930s, Quaker used the Dionne Quintuplets in its ads.
During World War II, Quaker Oats helped the US war effort. Its Q. O. Ordnance Company ran the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant. This plant made millions of artillery shells.
In 1968, a new plant was built in Danville, Illinois. This plant now makes many Quaker products. These include pancake mixes, Oat Squares, Life Cereals, and Chewy granola bars.
In 1969, Quaker bought Fisher-Price, a toy company. Quaker Oats later sold Fisher-Price in 1991.
In 1971, the company helped fund the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. This film was based on a children's book. In return, Quaker could use some product names from the movie for candy bars. The movie later became very popular.
In 1983, Quaker bought Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. This company made Van Camp's and Gatorade.
Quaker bought Snapple in 1994 for $1.7 billion. They sold it in 1997 for $300 million.
In August 2001, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats for $14 billion. PepsiCo mainly wanted the Gatorade brand.
From 1987 through the 1990s, actor Wilford Brimley appeared in Quaker TV ads. He talked about how healthy oats were. A common slogan was "It's the right thing to do."
Major Production Facilities
The main Canadian factory for Quaker Oats is in Peterborough, Ontario. This factory started in 1902. It was built near the Otonabee River. The city was known for its hydropower, which attracted many companies.
When PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats in 2001, many brands moved to the Peterborough site. This location now makes Quaker Oatmeal, Chewy bars, and Cap'n Crunch cereal. It also produces Pearl Milling Company pancake mixes, Gatorade drinks, and Tropicana juices. The Peterborough factory supplies most of Canada. It also sends some products to the United States.
Land Giveaways in Cereal Boxes
Starting in 1902, Quaker oatmeal boxes had a coupon. This coupon could be traded for a deed to a small piece of land. These tiny lots were in Milford, Connecticut. Some were as small as 10 feet by 10 feet. A few children or their parents claimed these deeds. They then paid very small property taxes on these "oatmeal lots." The town later ended this program in the mid-1970s.
In 1955, Quaker Oats again gave away land. This was part of a promotion for the Sergeant Preston of the Yukon TV show. Cereal boxes of Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice offered real deeds to land in the Klondike.
Product Recalls (2023–2024)
In 2023 and 2024, Quaker Oats Company issued several product recalls. This was due to possible contamination with salmonella bacteria. Over 60 products were affected. These included cereals like Cap'n Crunch and Oatmeal Squares. Some Gatorade protein bars and Quaker Chewy granola bars were also recalled. The latest recall involved Quaker Chewy Dipps Llama Rama bars.
Quaker Oats Logo History
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Since 1877, the Quaker Oats logo has shown a Quaker man. He was sometimes shown holding a scroll with the word "Pure." He looked like William Penn, a 17th-century Quaker. Old Quaker Oats ads from 1909 did say the "Quaker man" was William Penn.
In 1946, Jim Nash created a black-and-white picture of the Quaker Man's head and shoulders. Then, in 1957, Haddon Sundblom created the famous color version. In 1965, a new slogan was used: "Nothing is better for thee, than me." In 2012, the company made the "Quaker man" look slimmer and a bit younger. Sometimes, people at Quaker Oats call him "Larry."
The company says its "Quaker man" logo is not a real person. It is an image of a man in Quaker clothes, including a Quaker hat. This image was chosen because the Quaker faith stands for honesty, integrity, purity, and strength.
The Quaker Oats Company has never been connected to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). When the company was starting, Quaker business people were known for being honest. The Quaker man was the first registered trademark for breakfast cereal in the United States. It was registered on September 4, 1877.
Members of the Religious Society of Friends have sometimes been confused with the Quaker Oats image. They have protested twice about the Quaker name being used in ads that seemed to promote violence. In 1990, some Quakers wrote letters about an ad. It showed Popeye as a Quaker using violence. Later, more letters were sent about Power Rangers toys in Cap'n Crunch cereal.
US Brands from Quaker Oats
As of 2005, 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 (now Honey Ohs!)
- 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 from Quaker Oats
As of 2008, these are some of the products sold by Quaker Oats in the UK:
Breakfast Cereals
- Sugar Puffs (sold in 2006)
Hot Cereals
- Quaker Oats
- Oatso Simple (various 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 from Quaker Oats
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 from Quaker Oats
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal
- Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
- Quaker Instant Oats Caldo
See also
In Spanish: Quaker Oats Company para niños
