Strauss Group facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as | TASE: STRS |
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Petah Tikva, Israel |
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Areas served
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Key people
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Ariel Chetrit, EVP/CFO Hila Mukevisius, SVP HR |
| Products | |
| Revenue |  ₪ 5.69 billion (2019) |
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Operating income
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₪ 878 million (2019) |
| ₪ 594 million (2019) |
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Number of employees
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15,000 |
| Subsidiaries |
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Strauss Group Ltd. is a big Israeli company that makes and sells many popular food products. You might know them from their dairy items, coffee, chocolate, snacks, or dips like hummus. It's one of the largest food companies in Israel.
Strauss Group is a public company. This means its shares can be bought and sold on a stock market, like the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Most of the company (57%) is still owned by the Strauss family.
The company has about 15,000 employees around the world. They sell their products in more than 20 countries. Strauss Coffee, one of their smaller companies, is a major coffee seller in places like Eastern Europe and Brazil.
Contents
How Strauss Group Started: A Look at Its History
The Strauss Group we know today was formed when two important Israeli food companies, Elite and Strauss, joined together. Let's learn about how each of them began.
Elite: From Candy to Coffee and Snacks
Elite was started by a man named Eliyahu Fromenchenko.
- 1918: Sweet Beginnings
- Eliyahu Fromenchenko began making candy in his home kitchen in Russia.
- He later moved to Latvia and joined a candy company called Laima in 1924.
- 1933: Moving to Palestine
- In 1933, Eliyahu sold his part of Laima and moved to what was then called Mandatory Palestine.
- He bought land in a city called Ramat Gan and opened his own factory, naming it Elite.
- 1934: First Products
- Elite started making products in the spring of 1934.
- Their first product was a chocolate bar called "Shokolad Para" (Cow Chocolate). It had a picture of a cow on the wrapper.
- Growing and Expanding
- As Elite grew, they opened more factories in cities like Safed and Nof HaGalil.
- In 1958, Elite became the first company in Israel to sell coffee.
- They bought out their main competitor, Lieber, in 1970.
- In 1982, Elite launched a very popular chocolate bar called "Pesek Zman".
- Entering the Snack Market
- Elite usually made sweets, while another company, Osem, made salty snacks.
- In 1991, Elite decided to make salty snacks too. They opened a new factory and made a snack called "Shush."
- Elite also started making popular Frito-Lay products in Israel, like "Tapuchips" (potato chips).
- Going International
- Elite began selling coffee outside Israel, especially in Europe and South America. This was a big step for the company.
Strauss: From Dairy Farm to Food Giant
The Strauss part of the company was started by Richard and Hilde Strauss.
- 1936: A New Start
- Richard and Hilde Strauss were a German Jewish couple.
- They moved to Nahariya in Mandatory Palestine in 1936.
- They started a small dairy farm with just two cows.
- Making Cheese
- Hilde Strauss began making cheese from the extra milk they had.
- Soon, making cheese became the main focus of their business.
- They also started making other dessert products.
- Ice Cream and Growth
- In the 1950s, Strauss began making ice cream.
- Their factory in Nahariya grew to have about 50 employees.
- Partnering with Danone
- In 1969, a French company called Groupe Danone bought a part of Strauss.
- This helped Strauss grow even more. They started making puddings and other dairy desserts.
- Two very popular products were "Dani" and "Milky."
- New Leadership
- In 1975, Michael Strauss, the son of the founders, became the CEO of the company.
- Expanding into Salads
- In 1995, Strauss started making prepared salads.
- Their hummus brand, "Achla," became very popular in Israel.
- Big Purchases
- In 1997, Strauss bought half of the Yotvata dairy company.
- In the same year, Strauss also bought Elite, the other big food company.
- This made Strauss a huge company with over 7,000 employees.
- More Changes in Leadership
- In 2001, Ofra Strauss, Michael's daughter, became the CEO.
- That same year, Strauss bought the Max Brenner chain of chocolate cafés.
Strauss Group Today: Mergers and Global Reach
- 2004: Strauss and Elite Become One
- Strauss and Elite officially merged in 2004. The new company was called Strauss–Elite.
- This made them an even stronger force in the food industry.
- Expanding to North America
- Coffee in Brazil
- Also in 2005, Strauss–Elite combined its coffee business with a company in Brazil.
- The new company became the second largest coffee maker in Brazil.
- 2007: A New Name and Logo
- In 2007, the company changed its name back to just Strauss, with a new company logo.
- Changes in Ice Cream
- Strauss Ice Cream became a separate company.
- Now, Unilever owns most of it (51%), and the Strauss family owns 49%.
- Strauss ice creams are sold under Unilever's Heartbrand in Israel and North America.
- Selling Max Brenner
- The Strauss Group sold the Max Brenner chocolate café brand in 2017.
Images for kids
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Richard and Hilde Strauss, who started the Strauss dairy business.
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Elite's factory in Ramat Gan.
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Strauss-Elite's factory in Nof HaGalil.
See also
- Economy of Israel
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Strauss Group Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.