The Growth of Con AgraFounded in 1919 by Alva Kinney, who brought together the operations of four Nebraska grain mills under he name of Nebraska Consolidated Mills (NCM),Con Agra now operates in 35 countries, reflecting an acquisitive history that spans several decades.
In attempt to increase the demand for its flour, NCM created Duncan Hines cake mix in the 1950s.
Duncan Hines did not catch on as rapidly as had been hoped, so NCM sold the operation to Procter & Gamble in 1956, using the money to continue to expand its flour and feed production.
For next decade, NCM ignored the trend towards prepared foods and focused instead on the ingredient that made prepared foods possible.
In the 1960s, NCM expanded into animal feed and poultry production.
In 1971 the company changed its name from NCM to ConAgra, derived from the Latin meaning “with the land”.
In an especially busy decade beginning in 1980, ConAgra acquired Banquet Foods, Single Packaging, Peavey Company, the Imperial Foods poultry division, Armour Food Company, Del Monte frozen food (including Morton, Patio and Chan King), E.A Miller and Monfront of Colorado, Swift Independent Packing Company, Beatrice Company and Lamb-Weston.
By 1991, when it merged with Golden Valley Microwave Foods ConAgra had gone from a $1 billion company to a $20 billion company in just over a decade.
The Growth of Con Agra
