Dole Food Company

Dole is the world’s largest producer and seller of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers and markets a growing line of packaged foods.

In 1901, James Drummond Dole, a Harvard graduate, founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. Dole, who would be remembered as the ‘Pineapple King’ established his first pineapple plantation on the island of Oahu.

In 1932, Castle & Cooke purchased a 21% interest in the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. The Castle & Cooke had been involved in Hawaiian agribusiness scone 1851. In the 1960s, Castle & Cooke acquired the remainder of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and the Standard Fruit Company.

In 1991, Castle & Cooke’s shareholders chose to rebrand its corporate name to Dole Food Company, Inc. Commensurate with this change, the company reorganized, placing all fruit and vegetable operations under the name of Dole Food Company.

In 1995, Dole Company was split up. This time, the Dole Food Company would operate the food production and distribution parts of the corporation, while Castle & Cooke would take the real estate development and residential and commercial building segments.

Early in 2003, CEO David Murdock paid $2.5 billion to purchase all of Dole Food Company Inc.’s stock, making him its sole owner of the company.
Dole Food Company