Food

Mars Corporate Office

Frank C. Mars opened The Mars Candy Factory in 1911 with his second wife, Ethel Mars, in Tacoma, Washington. The factory produced fresh candy which the company sold wholesale. This venture failed.

In 1920 Frank, now back in his home state of Minnesota, founded Mar-O-Bar Co., which is the earliest incarnation of the present company.

Frank’s son, Forrest Mars, introduced the Milky Way bar, which became the company’s best-selling candy bar.

In 1929 Frank moved the company to Chicago.

In 1932 Forrest expanded to the United Kingdom. The same year, Mars launched the Mars bar.

Today Mars continues to be a family business, now owned by fourth-generation Mars family members. The company is now run by non-family members.

Mars, Inc. is an American global manufacturer whose global brands include M&M’s, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Mars bar, Dove, Milky Way, Skittles, and Twix. The company also makes Uncle Ben’s rice, pet food made under the Pedigree, Sheba, and Whiskas labels, Seeds of Change organic food, Klix and Flavia beverage systems, and owns the world’s largest chewing gum maker, Wm. Wrigley Company.

Mars, Inc. is #3 on the Forbes list of America’s Largest Private Companies. Mars has 80,000 employees and had $35 billion in revenue in 2017.

Mars, Inc.

Frank C. Mars opened The Mars Candy Factory in 1911 with his second wife, Ethel Mars, in Tacoma, Washington. The factory produced fresh candy which the company sold wholesale. This venture failed.

In 1920 Frank, now back in his home state of Minnesota, founded Mar-O-Bar Co., which is the earliest incarnation of the present company.

History

Frank’s son, Forrest Mars, introduced the Milky Way bar, which became the company’s best-selling candy bar.

In 1929 Frank moved the company to Chicago.

In 1932 Forrest expanded to the United Kingdom. The same year, Mars launched the Mars bar.

Today Mars continues to be a family business, now owned by fourth-generation Mars family members. The company is now run by non-family members.

Mars, Inc. is #3 on the Forbes list of America’s Largest Private Companies. Mars has 80,000 employees and had $35 billion in revenue in 2017.

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Corporate Office

Tom and Judy Love spent $5,000 to lease an abandoned gas station in Watonga, Oklahoma in 1964 under the name Musket Corporation. Over the next 8 years Musket opened a further 40 gas stations.

During the 1973 oil crisis Tom Love diversified the gas stations to include convenience stores. The move was a success and he quickly converted all of his locations to include Mini Stop stores.

The company changed its name to Love’s Country Stores in 1973.

In 1978 the company had 60 locations, and in 1981, 100 locations.

In 1993 Love’s teamed up with Taco Bell. The move was a success and in 1995 Love’s opened its first triple-branded location with Subway, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. In subsequent years Love’s teamed up with Arby’s, Godfather’s Pizza, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., Chester’s Chicken, and Baskin-Robbins.

Today Love’s has 300 travel stops and 160 truck tire care centers in 39 states. Each travel stop contains a convenience store, fast-food restaurant, and gas outlets. The travel stops also offer services for truckers such as shower rooms, laundry facilities, game rooms, and mail drops.

Love’s is owned and operated by CEO and founder Tom Love. The company has 8,000 employees and had $24.40 billion in revenue in 2011.

Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores

Tom and Judy Love spent $5,000 to lease an abandoned gas station in Watonga, Oklahoma in 1964 under the name Musket Corporation. Over the next 8 years Musket opened a further 40 gas stations.

During the 1973 oil crisis Tom Love diversified the gas stations to include convenience stores. The move was a success and he quickly converted all of his locations to include Mini Stop stores.

The company changed its name to Love’s Country Stores in 1973.

History

In 1978 the company had 60 locations, and in 1981, 100 locations.

Love’s is owned and operated by CEO and founder Tom Love. The company has 8,000 employees and had $24.40 billion in revenue in 2011.

C&S Wholesale Grocers Corporate Office

Israel Cohen and and Abraham Siegel founded C&S Wholesale Grocers in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1918. Three years later Cohen bought out Siegel’s share of the business.

C&S distinguished itself from its numerous competitors by increasing the speed of delivery through efficient warehouse procedures and putting the needs of customers as a first priority.

After WWII, Israel’s son Lester returned home from the war and began to sell to military commissaries.

In 1955 Lester became CEO of C&S. For the next twenty years Lester grew the company, focusing on wholesale and by 1974 annual sales had reached $14 million.

In 1993 annual sales reached $1 billion.

By 2003 C&S was the third-largest wholesaler in the United States and the largest in New England.

Today C&S delivers over 100,000 food and non-food items to 3,900 independent supermarkets, regional and national chains, and military bases from 50 distribution centers. Its customers include Safeway, Target, A&P, Stop & Shop, and Foodtown.

C&S has 17,000 employees and had $20.40 billion in revenue in 2011.

C&S Wholesale Grocers

Israel Cohen and and Abraham Siegel founded C&S Wholesale Grocers in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1918. Three years later Cohen bought out Siegel’s share of the business.

C&S distinguished itself from its numerous competitors by increasing the speed of delivery through efficient warehouse procedures and putting the needs of customers as a first priority.

After WWII, Israel’s son Lester returned home from the war and began to sell to military commissaries.

History

In 1955 Lester became CEO of C&S. For the next twenty years Lester grew the company, focusing on wholesale and by 1974 annual sales had reached $14 million.

In 1993 annual sales reached $1 billion.

By 2003 C&S was the third-largest wholesaler in the United States and the largest in New England.

C&S has 17,000 employees and had $20.40 billion in revenue in 2011.

US Foods Corporate Office

Many of the entities that make up US Foods have their roots in the 19th century: Monarch Foods was founded in 1853, John Sexton & Company began as a retail tea and coffee merchant in 1883, L.H. Parke Company began in 1889 and S.E. Rykoff & Co. was founded in 1911.

All of these companies were food distributors in the 20th century.

S.E. Rykoff & Co. bought John Sexton & Company in 1983 for $84.5 million, creating the new company, Rykoff-Sexton. This merged company was fourth among foodservice distributors and had $800 million in sales.

In 1989 PYA/Monarch’s management created a new holding company, JPF Holdings, Inc., and bought JP Foodservice Distributors from parent company Sara Lee. The new company passed $1 billion in sales the first year.

US Foodservice Inc. was formed in March 1992 and was comprised of five operating segments: White Swan, Bevaco Food Service, Kings Foodservice, Roanoke Restaurant Service, and Bigger Brothers Inc.

In the late 1990’s Rykoff-Sexton bought US Foodservice, then merged with JP Foodservice, changing its name to U.S. Foodservice in 1998.

In 2007 the company was bought out by investors and made a private company.

Today US Foods offers more than 350,000 national brand products as well as its own private-label products. The company provides food and related products to 250,000 customers such as restaurants, health care facilities, and government and educational facilities. US Foods has 25,000 employees and had $18.86 billion in revenue in 2011.

US Foods

All of these companies were food distributors in the 20th century.

History

US Foodservice Inc. was formed in March 1992 and was comprised of five operating segments: White Swan, Bevaco Food Service, Kings Foodservice, Roanoke Restaurant Service, and Bigger Brothers Inc.

In the late 1990’s Rykoff-Sexton bought US Foodservice, then merged with JP Foodservice, changing its name to U.S. Foodservice in 1998.

In 2007 the company was bought out by investors and made a private company.

Reyes Holdings Corporate Office

Reyes Holdings, LLC has its roots in the 1976 purchase of of Dixie Systems, a small Spartanburg, South Carolina beer distributor.

Reyes Holdings has three operating segments: The Martin-Bower Company, LLC, the largest supplier worldwide of distribution services to McDonald’s, Reinhart Foodservice, LLC, one of the largest broadline foodservice distributors in the United States, and Reyes Beverage Group, which distributes over 100 million cases of beer annually. Reyes Beverage Group is comprised of eleven beer distributors from all over the United States.

Today Reyes Holdings is a wholesale food and beverage distributor in North and South America. The company is #16 on the Forbes list of America’s Largest Private Companies, has more than 17,000 employees, and had $14 billion in revenue in 2011.