Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Food & Drink |
Founded | 1945 |
Founder | Robert E. Rich, Sr. |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 20 plants (1997), sales in more than 85 countries (2006) [1] |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
Services |
|
Revenue | US$ 5 billion (2023) |
Number of employees | 11,000 (2017) |
Website | richs.com |
Rich Products Corporation (also known as Rich's) is a privately held multinational food products corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr., after his development of a non-dairy whipped topping based on soybean oil, 21 years before Cool Whip. [2] Since then, the company has expanded its non-dairy frozen food offerings and also supplies products to retailers, bakeries, and foodservice providers.
Rich's employs 11,000 employees worldwide, with manufacturing facilities in many countries. The company sells more than 2,000 products in 112 countries. It currently ranks number 116 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies.
In addition to Farm Rich, the company sells products under other brands it has acquired, such as SeaPak, French Meadow, Casa Di Bertacchi, Byron's Barbecue; Carvel, F'real and Jon Donaire. CoffeeRich is one of the company's few exceptions, with nearly all of its products not being sold under the Rich brand name.
Rich's began in 1945, when Robert E. Rich, Sr. created a cream less expensive than dairy-based whipped cream and lasted longer in the refrigerator, and could reportedly "remain frozen for more than a year without degrading." [3]
In 1954, the company introduced the first commercial line of frozen éclairs and crème puffs. [4]
Rich's expanded further, introducing CoffeeRich, a non-dairy frozen creamer in 1961. [4] The company also constructed a manufacturing plant in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, the following year. This facility is now known as Rich Products of Canada, Ltd. The acquisition of Elm Tree Baking Co., in 1969 expanded Rich's products to include frozen baked goods. [5]
Rich's acquired nine new production facilities, as well as SeaPak, a St. Simons, Georgia based company that produces frozen seafood specialties. In 1973, they bought the rights to rename the Buffalo Bills stadium to Rich Stadium for 25 years (a total cost of $1.5 million). [5] [6]
In 1980, Rich's introduced Freeze-Flo, a process allowing foods to remain soft while frozen. It also introduced another product, On Top, a non-dairy dessert topping, in 1986. Rich's also expanded its product line through the acquisition of Casa Di Bertacchi, a specialty meat and frozen pasta producer, in 1982, and Byron's, a barbecue and meat producer, in 1986. [5]
During the 1990s, Rich's expanded internationally, opening facilities in Mexico, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Australia, among others. [7]
In 1997 the company was described as a "20-plant, $1 billion global food-processing corporation." [8]
Since 2000, Rich's has acquired a number of companies, including frozen dessert and bakery mix producer JW Allen & Co., [9] Jon Donaire Desserts, [10] and donut producer Rolling Pin Manufacturing. [11] Rich's integration of French Meadow Bakery and acquisition of World Catch LLC (all-natural seafood) [12] and GLP Manufacturing (gluten-free baked goods) [13] entered the company into the health and wellness food sector. [5]
In 2005, the company celebrated 60 years as a family-owned company with the "60 Delicious Years" worldwide birthday party on March 14. As part of the celebration, Rich's renovated lunch and break rooms at all of its manufacturing sites and launched an employee recognition program. [14]
With over 2,000 products sold in "more than 85 countries," [1] 2005 sales worldwide was $2.5 billion.
On August 23, 2013, Rich's celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Fort Erie, Ontario plant. [15]
On June 24, 2014, Rich's unveiled its new Innovation Center and Atrium @ Rich's. [16] On 1 January, 2020, Richard Ferranti became the new CEO of Rich's. [17]
in January 2020, Rich's announced the acquisition of two manufacturing plants from TreeHouse Foods, followed by two other acquisitions in February; Rizzuto Foods, which manufactures pizza products, and Morey's Seafood International, a Minnesota-based seafood processing and distribution company. [18] [19]
In July 2021, Rich Products announced the acquisition of Signature Breads. [20] [ better source needed ]
Rich's offers a variety of products, including toppings and icings; sweet goods; finished desserts; appetizers; bread and rolls; pizza products; Italian specialties; barbecue; and shrimp and seafood. [21]
In addition to the Rich's brand (Farm Rich), the company mostly [22] sells products under other brands it has acquired, such as SeaPak; French Meadow, Casa Di Bertacchi; Byron's Barbecue; Carvel, f'real and Jon Donaire. [23] CoffeeRich [24] [8] [25] is one of the company's few exceptions; nearly all of its products are "sold not under the Rich brand name." [1] [26]
Dairy manufacturers filed multiple lawsuits against Rich's. [27] [28] [29] Some of the company's early-day advertising used the term "coffee whitener" rather than non-dairy to avoid pushback from dairy manufacturers. [30] [31]
Rich Products was sued in 36 states according to the founder's older son Robert E. Rich Jr. [32] Eventually, his father's "court victories played an important role in legitimizing nondairy products." [1]
Rich's is under scrutiny for alleged practices compromising animal welfare and food safety. Leading this charge is UK-based Equitas, launching a campaign to inform Rich's customers of these concerns. [33] Of particular concern is Rich's continued use of battery cage eggs, a practice criticized worldwide for its cruelty and food safety risks including in the EU Directive 1999/74/EC, as hens endure deplorable conditions, feces accumulate near the eggs, and deceased hens often decompose near those still laying eggs for human consumption. [34] Amid a global shift towards more humane practices in the food industry, Rich's faces increasing pressure to adopt a timeline for exclusively using cage-free eggs in all its operations.
In 1972, Rich Products signed a 25-year deal for the naming rights to the Buffalo Bills' new stadium, which was under construction in Orchard Park. [35] The Robert E. Rich family reportedly [36] at one point suggested calling the stadium Coffee Rich Park. [22]
From 1973 to 1998 this stadium was known as Rich Stadium. When the original deal expired in 1998 and Rich chose not to renew at a much higher rate, the stadium was renamed in honor of Ralph C. Wilson, the Bills' owner and founder (as of 2021, the stadium is now called Highmark Stadium). [37]
Rich's owns three minor league baseball teams, most notably the Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A International League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. [38] The other two teams are the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals), and the West Virginia Black Bears (formerly the Jamestown Jammers, the Single-A Short Season affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates). [39] [40] [41]
On November 4, 2010, Bob Rich announced that Rich Products would be the official kit sponsor of English Northern League Division One team Bedlington Terriers F.C. [42]
In 2013, Rich's Farm Rich brand became a sponsor for Front Row Motorsports' David Ragan in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Farm Rich also served as Ragan's sponsor at Richmond International Raceway in the 2013 Federated Auto Parts 400. [43] FarmRich came back on in 2014 to sponsor Ragan again for three races at Phoenix, Daytona, and Atlanta.
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators". In many countries, it is sold in several grades depending on the total butterfat content. It can be dried to a powder for shipment to distant markets, and contains high levels of saturated fat.
Pizza is an Italian dish typically consisting of a flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven.
Frozen yogurt is a frozen dessert made with yogurt and sometimes other dairy and non-dairy products. Frozen yogurt is a frozen product containing the same basic ingredients as ice cream, but contains live bacterial cultures.
The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major business units: consumer foods, pet foods, and coffee. Its flagship brand, Smucker's, produces fruit preserves, peanut butter, syrups, frozen crustless sandwiches, and ice cream toppings.
Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert from the Indian subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream". Kulfi originated in 16th-century Delhi during the Mughal era. It is part of the national cuisines of India and Pakistan. It is also popular in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East.
A rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake, rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the UK, the name also refers to a wheat-based food additive.
General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the United States by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895.
The Sara Lee Corporation was an American consumer-goods company based in Downers Grove, Illinois. On July 4, 2012, Sara Lee Corporation was split into two companies: one for North American operations renamed Hillshire Brands, the other for international beverage and bakery businesses named D.E Master Blenders 1753.
Cool Whip is an American brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It is used in North America as a topping for desserts, and in some no-bake pie recipes as a convenience food or ingredient that does not require physical whipping and can maintain its texture without melting over time.
Orkla ASA is a Norwegian conglomerate operating in Europe, Asia and the US. At present, Orkla operates in the branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions and financial investment sectors. Orkla ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and its head office is in Oslo, Norway. As of 31 December 2021, Orkla had 21,423 employees. The Group's turnover in 2021 totalled NOK 50.4 billion.
J&J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSFC) is an American manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of name brand snack foods and frozen beverages. Headquartered in Mt. Laurel, NJ, JJSF uses over 175 facilities for manufacturing, warehousing, and distributing located in 44 states, Mexico, and Canada. The company is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market as "JJSFC", and serves both national and international markets.
Robert E. Rich Sr. was a food processing pioneer and executive. During World War II, he invented the first non-dairy whipped topping made from soybeans that could be frozen.
Whipped cream, also known as Chantilly cream or crème Chantilly, is high-fat dairy cream that has been aerated by whisking until it becomes light, fluffy, and capable of holding its shape. This process incorporates air into the cream, creating a semi-solid colloid. It is commonly sweetened with white sugar and sometimes flavored with vanilla. Whipped cream is often served on desserts and hot beverages, and used as an ingredient in desserts.
A non-dairy creamer, commonly also called tea whitener or coffee whitener or else just creamer, is a liquid or granular product intended to substitute for milk or cream as an additive to coffee, tea, hot chocolate or other beverages. Most do not contain lactose and therefore are commonly described as being non-dairy products, although many contain casein, a milk-derived protein.
Tofutti Brands Inc. is a U.S. company based in Cranford, New Jersey, that makes a range of soy-based, dairy-free foods under the "Tofutti" brand that was founded by David Mintz. Tofutti sells an ice cream substitute for the lactose-intolerant, kosher parve, food allergy sensitive, vegetarian, and vegan markets.
Flowers Foods, headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, is a producer and marketer of packed bakery food. The company operates 47 bakeries producing bread, buns, rolls, snack cakes, pastries, and tortillas. Flowers Foods' products are sold regionally through a direct store delivery network that encompasses the East, South, Southwest, West, and the Northwest regions of the United States and are delivered nationwide to retailer's warehouses. It has made acquisitions of a number of bakeries and other food companies over the years, continuing through to the present day. As of February 2013, it had grown to be the "second-largest baking company in the United States".
Dream Whip is a brand of whipped topping mix that is mixed with milk and vanilla to make a whipped dessert topping, currently owned by the Kraft Heinz company.
José Sánchez Peñate, S.A. (JSP) is a corporation in the Canary Islands, Spain. It operates in the food sector, mainly in the preparation and packaging of dairy products, as well as other products such as coffees, infusions, meat products, and canned fruits. It operates two main dairy factories in Tenerife, and has other plants throughout the Canary Islands. Its headquarters are located in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.