Van Camp's facts for kids
A logo from c. 1900
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Stokely-Van Camp Industrial Complex, in Trenton, New Jersey
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| Founders | Gilbert Van Camp, Calvin Fletcher, Martin Williams |
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| Products | Baked beans |
| Parent | ConAgra Foods |
Van Camp's is a well-known American brand that makes canned bean products. You might have seen their cans of beans in the grocery store! These products usually have beans cooked in a tasty sauce. For a long time, Van Camp's has been one of the top-selling brands of baked beans in the United States, often competing with Bush's Baked Beans.
How Van Camp's Started
The story of Van Camp's began in Indianapolis in 1861. A man named Gilbert Van Camp, along with his friends Calvin Fletcher and Martin Williams, built a special warehouse. This was the first successful commercial cold storage warehouse in the country. It was designed to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for longer.
Gilbert Van Camp quickly started trying out new ways to preserve food by canning it. By 1862, he was canning fruits and vegetables during the summer so people could eat them in the winter. Soon after, Van Camp got an important contract to supply food to soldiers during the American Civil War. His pork and beans quickly became a popular food for the troops.
After the war ended, many people wanted to buy canned food because they had gotten used to it. In 1882, the Van Camp Packing Company was officially founded. They started selling catsup in 1888. In 1894, Gilbert's son, Frank Van Camp, created the famous recipe for pork and beans in tomato sauce that we know today. By 1898, the company was making six million cans of food each year! By 1909, Indiana became the leading state for producing canned baked beans, thanks a lot to the Van Camp family's company. Frank Van Camp later went on to start Van Camp Seafood.
Company Journey Through the Years
Van Camp's was seen as a leader in the canned-foods world. In 1933, the company was bought by James and John Stokely. They ran a canned tomato company in Newport, Tennessee. When they joined forces, they created Stokely-Van Camp, Inc., with their main office in Indianapolis.
In the 1940s, the company built two large storage buildings in Bellingham, Washington. By the 1970s, Stokely-Van Camp made a deal to produce and sell a new drink called Gatorade. This was the very first sports drink ever! Over time, Gatorade became incredibly popular and actually sold more than all of Stokely-Van Camp's other products combined.
Who Owns Van Camp's Now
In 1983, the Van Camp's brand was sold to the Quaker Oats Company. Quaker Oats then sold Van Camp's to ConAgra in 1995. The Stokely part of the company was sold to Seneca Foods in 1985 and still makes canned beans and other vegetables today.
Over the years, Van Camp's has sold many different foods, including a pasta product called Tenderoni. However, as of 2005[update], the brand mainly sells canned cooked beans. These include their classic pork and beans, baked beans, kidney beans, and a special vegetarian version of their pork and bean recipe. They also make Chili and "Beanee Weenee"—which is a mix of beans with slices of hot dogs made from beef and chicken, all in a tomato sauce.
