Beatrice Foods
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| NYSE: BF (no longer trading) | |
| Industry | Consumer goods |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Founders | George Everett Haskell William W. Bosworth |
| Defunct | 1990 (in the U.S.) |
| Fate | Acquired by Conagra Brands |
| Successor | Conagra Brands |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California, U.S. Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S. Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Key people |
|
| Products | Food Chemical Consumer Products |
| Brands | |
| Revenue | US$4 billion (1975) |
| US$206 million (1976) | |
Number of employees | 64,000 (1975) |
Beatrice Foods Company was a major American conglomerate founded in 1894. One of the best-known food processing companies in the U.S., Beatrice owned many well-known brands such as Tropicana, Krispy Kreme, Jolly Rancher, Orville Redenbacher's, Swiss Miss, Peter Pan, Avis, Milk Duds, Samsonite, Playtex, La Choy and Dannon. It also owned several chemical and consumer goods companies until 1985 and 1987 respectively.
Beatrice was a Fortune 500 company, appearing on the list multiple times and establishing itself as a significant presence on the list during the mid-20th century.
In 1987, its international food operations were sold to Reginald Lewis, a corporate attorney, creating TLC Beatrice International, after which the majority of its domestic (U.S.) brands and assets were acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, with the bulk of its holdings sold off. By 1990, the remaining operations were ultimately acquired by ConAgra Foods.