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

Castle & Cooke

Samuel Northrup Castle was a supervisor in charge of distributing goods to the mission in Hawaii; Amos Starr Cooke was a teacher.

In 1850, when financial problems forced the American Board of Mission to ask its missionaries to seek other means to support, may turned to merchandising.

It was under these conditions that Castle & Cooke was formed in 1851 as a commercial house, in Honolulu. Representing mainland firms, it sold sewing machines, farm tools, medicine, sugar, machinery and so on in Hawaii.

They would invest heavily in sugar plantations. By the 1890’s, Castle & Cooke would be one of Hawaii’s ‘Big Five’ companies. With vast land holdings – on the island of Lanai alone they would own ninety-five percent of the arable land. In 1961, Dole Food Company merged with Castle & Cooke.

Samuel Northrup Castle

In 1971, Castle & Cooke decided to launch national campaigns to promote the ‘Dole’ banana. It had all the earmarks of a major brand promotion campaign. Prior to that time, Castel & Cooke used ‘Cabana’ brand for it banana, introduced first in western North America in April of 1969.

From 1972 to 1992, Castel & Cooke made numerous acquisitions and divestures. The company increased its holding in shipping assets and containers.

In the 1960s, Castle & Cooke acquired the remainder of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and the Standard Fruit Company. In 1991, Castle & Cook changed it 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 Castel & Cooke would take the real estate development and residential and commercial buildings segments.
Castle & Cooke