Food Company General Mills Inc.

The company was founded by Cadwallader C. Washburn in 1856 as the Minneapolis Milling Company and had brewed a rivalry with Charles Pillsbury, another miller that was working in the same region during the time. Despite their differences, they came together to create an association for the Midwest to help improve the overall quality of their wheat, which eventually became the finest wheat in the United States.

Minneapolis Milling Company began with a single flour mill built in 1866 on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota and by 1874 had opened a second flour mill.

Cadwallader C. Washburn teamed up with John Crosby in 1877 to form the Washburn-Crosby Company. In 1880, the Washburn Crosby Company had created award-winning flour products named Gold Medal flour.

Washburn Crosby Company also created various brands and products throughout the early 1900s, including Betty Crocker and Bisquick.

In 1928, the Washburn-Crosby Company merged with 28 other mills to become General Mills. General Mills incorporated in 1928 and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in November of that year.

General Mills introduced its first ready-to-eat cereal, Whole Wheat Flakes, in 1921. It was renamed Wheaties in 1924. Since then, GM expanded their cereal brands to include Chex, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fiber One, Kix, and Total among others.

General Mills launched Cheerioats whole grain oats cereal in 1941. It was renamed Cheerios in 1945. In 2001, General Mills bought Pillsbury, finally uniting Minnesota’s two largest flour manufacturers. By 2010, GM was second only to Kellogg’s in market share, holding 14 percent of the market.
Food Company General Mills Inc.