Corporate Office

Birds Eye Corporate Office

In the early part of the 1900’s, Clarence Birdseye began conducting experiments on new ways to improve the freezing process of fish. In 1922 he formed the Birds Eye Seafood Company with his patent.

Birdseye made a new company for his fish freezing process called General Seafood Corporation. This was sold to Goldman Sachs in 1929 for $22 million.

General Seafood was later changed to General Foods, who created the Birdseye company, which Clarence oversaw. He continued to work for the company, researching on how to better freeze foods for the best flavor.

The company was sold several times over the years, most recently in 2010 to Pinnacle Foods.

Today, Birdseye is best known for frozen vegetables and frozen meal packages, such as frozen mixed vegetables, chicken and rice dinners, as well as frozen vegetables made to look and taste like pasta and rice. These low carb vegetable/pasta meals have become very popular in recent years, jumping on the Keto diet craze.

In July of 2018, Conagra purchased Pinnacle Foods, including the Birdseye group, for nearly $11 billion. It is unknown if Conagra will move company headquarters to another location.

At this time, Birdseye corporate office remains in Darien, Wisconsin.

Birds Eye

In the early part of the 1900’s, Clarence Birdseye began conducting experiments on new ways to improve the freezing process of fish. In 1922 he formed the Birds Eye Seafood Company with his patent.

Birdseye made a new company for his fish freezing process called General Seafood Corporation. This was sold to Goldman Sachs in 1929 for $22 million.

History

The company was sold several times over the years, most recently in 2010 to Pinnacle Foods.

In July of 2018, Conagra purchased Pinnacle Foods, including the Birdseye group, for nearly $11 billion. It is unknown if Conagra will move company headquarters to another location.

At this time, Birdseye corporate office remains in Darien, Wisconsin.

Nintendo Corporate Office

Nintendo’s beginnings started off very differently from the company we know today. Back in 1889, Fusajiro Yamauchi opened a playing card company he called Nintendo Playing Card Company. The handmade cards were so popular that they were soon being sold around the globe. The company does still produce playing cards, but they are sold only in Japan. The word Nintendo is roughly translated to “leave luck to heaven.”

In 1963, the company renamed themselves to just “Nintendo.” The company tried many other business ventures in the US in the 1960’s, everything from taxis to motels, instant rice to television networks, but none of them were successful.

After partnering with a toy and game company in the early 1970’s, business began to turn around. They created a light-activated shooting style arcade game that became very popular and the company’s direction took an entirely new turn.

The company’s first video game was made in 1977. In 1985, the company created what would become one of the most famous video game consoles, the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, and video game in the world, Mario Brothers.

Today, Nintendo is one of the world’s largest video game companies, creating some of the best-known consoles and games in the world, including Mario Brothers, Pokemon, and The Legend of Zelda.

Nintendo is Japan’s 3rd most valuable company, with a market value of more than $85 billion. Headquarters are located in Kyoto, Japan, with the American corporate office located in Redmond, Washington.

Nintendo

History

Today, Nintendo is one of the world’s largest video game companies, creating some of the best-known consoles and games in the world, including Mario Brothers, Pokemon, and The Legend of Zelda.

Winmark Corporate Office

In 1983, Martha Morris was operating a small used sporting goods store in Minneapolis, Minnesota, called Play It Again Sports. She was a client of a consulting firm run by Ron Olson and Jeffrey Dahlberg. When Morris told the pair that she wanted to make her company a franchise, they had their doubts, however, after a surprise visit to the store, Olson and Dahlberg found more than 10 people waiting in line before the store had even opened.

In 1988, Olson and Dahlberg acquired the store from Morris. Play It Again Sports was the first franchise operation for what would become the Winmark Corporation.

The company went public on the NASDAQ in 1993 and is now listed under the ticker symbol WINA. Winmark owns 5 franchised based companies, all of which sell used goods including Music Go Round, Play It Again Sports, Once Upon a Child, Style Encore, and Plato’s Closet. The company also owns Wirth Business Credit, a small business supply leasing company.

In February 2018, the company listed their year-end sales results for 2017 as $24.565 million and $5.66 per share.

Headquarters for the company are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company maintains a $1 billion market share in a $17 billion industry through its 1,170 franchised operations.

Winmark

In 1988, Olson and Dahlberg acquired the store from Morris. Play It Again Sports was the first franchise operation for what would become the Winmark Corporation.

History

In February 2018, the company listed their year-end sales results for 2017 as $24.565 million and $5.66 per share.

Headquarters for the company are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company maintains a $1 billion market share in a $17 billion industry through its 1,170 franchised operations.

Restaurant.Com Corporate Office

Restaurant.Com was founded in 1999 by Cary Chessick. The company partners with restaurants to offer significant savings on gift cards to increase business and clientele. (Note that this is not the same internet search company Restaurants.com)

The company states that it has partnered with 21,000 private and chain restaurants across the USA to offer “significant savings” on gift certificates. A typical discount would offer a $25 gift certificate for $10.

The company says that none of the money goes to the actual restaurant, but they instead offer free marketing and offer restaurants a chance to gain new customers.

Some restaurants have complained that they did not agree to these terms and gift cards are sold without their consent. The company states that some restaurants might not fully understand the terms of the deal or that they are failing to explain to their employees how to properly credit the gift cards.

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to customers that there appears to be a pattern with gift cards not being accepted at all businesses.

Restaurant.Com states that they have successfully sold more than 8 million gift cards in the past 3 years. The company has headquarters in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Restaurants.Com

History

The company says that none of the money goes to the actual restaurant, but they instead offer free marketing and offer restaurants a chance to gain new customers.

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to customers that there appears to be a pattern with gift cards not being accepted at all businesses.

Restaurant.Com states that they have successfully sold more than 8 million gift cards in the past 3 years. The company has headquarters in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

American Freight Furniture & Mattress Corporate Office

American Freight Furniture & Mattress, frequently called American Freight, was founded in Lima, Ohio, by current CEO Steve Belford.

The company operates a chain of 95 discount furniture and mattress stores in 18 states. There are no fancy showrooms, just warehouses full of new furniture at discount prices.

Customers have a wide variety of name brands to choose from without having to pay for a fancy showroom, which makes for lower prices.

In late 2014, the company was acquired by Resolute Fund III, a private equity company managed by Jordan Company III. The terms of the sale were not disclosed. Belford and most of the staff will remain in their positions. Jordan Company states that they hope to expand the company into all 50 states within 10 years.

In 2022, American Freight opened multiple locations in several states, including Minnesota, New York, Missouri, and Virginia.

At present time, company headquarters remain in Delaware, Ohio.

American Freight Furniture & Mattress

American Freight Furniture & Mattress, frequently called American Freight, was founded in Lima, Ohio, by current CEO Steve Belford.

The company operates a chain of 95 discount furniture and mattress stores in 18 states. There are no fancy showrooms, just warehouses full of new furniture at discount prices.

History

Customers have a wide variety of name brands to choose from without having to pay for a fancy showroom, which makes for lower prices.

In 2022, American Freight opened multiple locations in several states, including Minnesota, New York, Missouri, and Virginia.

At present time, company headquarters remain in Delaware, Ohio.