Rank Hovis McDougall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rank Hovis McDougall

Former type	Public
Traded as	LSE: RHM
Industry	Food
Fate	Acquired
Successor	Premier Foods
Founded	1875
Defunct	2007
Headquarters	Marlow, United Kingdom
Key people	J. Arthur Rank (Chairman)

RHM plc, also known as Rank Hovis McDougall, was a big food company in the United Kingdom. It owned many popular food brands, especially for flour, which was how the company first started. RHM was a very important company, even listed on the London Stock Exchange. In March 2007, another company called Premier Foods bought RHM. Many of the food brands that RHM used to own are still made and sold today.

History of RHM

How Rank Hovis McDougall Started

The company was started by a man named Joseph Rank in 1875. He began with a small windmill to mill flour. At first, he didn't make much money.

To improve, Joseph built a new flour mill in Hull in 1885. This mill used machines and steel rollers instead of traditional mill stones. This new method was much faster, making six sacks of flour an hour instead of just one and a half.

Joseph kept working to make more flour even faster. He built more mills and set up ways to sell his flour all over England. In 1899, his business officially became a company called Joseph Rank Limited.

Growing the Business

In 1902, Joseph Rank traveled to the United States. He wanted to learn how to compete with American flour companies. After his trip, the company built more mills in big cities like London and Cardiff. In 1912, a mill was built in Birkenhead to serve Ireland and northwest England. Joseph then moved the company's main office from Yorkshire to London.

During World War II, the company had 3,000 workers. Many of these workers were women, helping out while men were away at war. Joseph Rank was honored in Hull in 1935 for helping "poor persons of good character" through a special fund he created.

In the 1920s, Rank's business grew into Scotland and Ireland. He also created the British Isles Transport Company Limited. This company helped move his products around the country more easily. The company's shares were first sold on the London Stock Exchange in 1933. After Joseph Rank passed away in 1943, his son, James Rank, became the chairman.

Rebuilding and Research

After World War II, many mills were destroyed by bombs. James Rank, with help from Cecil Loombe, worked to rebuild them. One important new mill was the Baltic Flour Mill in Gateshead, which opened in 1950.

In 1952, James Rank's brother, J. Arthur Rank, became the chairman. Arthur was very interested in making food quality better. He started RHM Technology and a research center in High Wycombe to study food production.

Becoming Rank Hovis McDougall

A big change happened in 1962. The company bought the Hovis-McDougall Company. This company was famous for its Hovis bread. After this, the company became known as Rank Hovis McDougall Limited.

In 1968, RHM bought the Cerebos food group. This added many more popular food brands to RHM's collection. It also gave RHM business in other countries like France, Australia, and the United States. In 1969, Joseph Rank's nephew, Joseph Rank, became the chairman.

Joseph Rank encouraged new research. This included studying crustacea farming, growing different types of cereals, and creating new kinds of wheat. He also helped develop ways to make protein from starch. In 1984, RHM teamed up with ICI to create Marlow Foods. This company later invented Quorn, a popular meat substitute product.

In 1979, RHM sold its business in Canada.

Later Years and Acquisition

In 1981, Sir Peter Reynolds became chairman. During the 1980s, RHM bought many other companies in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Far East. This included buying Avana Group in 1987, which was renamed Avana Bakeries Limited.

In 1992, a company called Tomkins plc bought RHM. Then, in 2000, RHM was sold to Doughty Hanson & Co. RHM sold off some parts of its business that were not central to its main goals, like the bakery chain Three Cooks. In July 2005, RHM's shares were again sold on the London Stock Exchange.

Finally, in March 2007, Premier Foods bought RHM for about £1.2 billion.

What RHM Did

Before it was bought, RHM had three main parts: Bread Bakeries, Culinary Brands, and Cakes & Customer Partnerships. Today, Premier Foods has brought most of these parts into its main business. However, the Bread Bakeries, which include the Rank Hovis milling business, remain a separate unit.

Popular Brands from RHM

RHM owned or made many well-known food brands. Here are some of them:

The "Rank" Name

Some people might think the "Rank" in the company's name comes from the Rank Organisation, another big company. This is a common misunderstanding. While there is a connection, the "Rank" in Rank Hovis McDougall refers to Joseph Rank, who started the flour milling business. He was the father of Lord Rank. Lord Rank simply inherited the business from his father. It was always run as a separate company.

See also

• Rank Hovis McDougall helped with fixing up the old Preston Mill in East Lothian, Scotland.