Fremont Canning Company
Encyclopedia
Fremont Canning Company established the baby food
enterprise of Gerber Products Company
.
and his father in 1901 in Fremont, Michigan
. The canning
company began with a ten thousand dollar investment. The firm initially marketed canned peas, beans, fruits and other produce for local farmers. In its early years (from 1901 until 1908), the company struggled. In 1908, the United States economy in general recovered from a slump
; the company then became profitable.
years of 1914 and 1915, from seasonal to year-round production. Western Michigan and Fremont
were hit by a postwar slump in 1919 to 1920 which slow down the company's sales and growth. In the later 1920s growth and the profits resumed. Gerber's son Daniel
joined the company at this time.
, who required extra care. A pediatrician suggested they prepare special food for the infant. This food was prepared with special cooking and straining methods, requiring much labor on the part of Dorothy Gerber. She suggested to Dan that perhaps they could make baby food
at the canning company, since the only other way of obtaining this product was by prescription, which was very expensive. She thought that a market might exist for others in a similar situation. The canning company was already producing similar products for adults.
The company resaerched producing and selling baby food. They planned to sell the product for less than half the prescription price. One of the keys to the canning company’s successful marketing was an advertisement for baby food placed in Good Housekeeping
magazine. It got mothers of infant
s to participate directly in a coupon redemption program. The introductory offer was six cans of the canning company’s soup and strained vegetables for $1.00 in exchange for the name of a favorite grocer. They sought to generate enough responses that they could offer proof to grocers of the new demand for stocking their baby food on shelves. This campaign stressed the nutritional and time-saving value of its foods.
" symbol was initiated to reassure mothers and grocers that the concept was sound and to help identify the product. The sales in the first year was over a half million cans which produced gross revenues exceeding a third of a million dollars. During the Great Depression
of the 1930s the canning company expanded its baby food lines. Some of the techniques they employed to increase its production output were:
. Other plants were subsequently opened in New York
and Canada
. The company's timing was excellent in that it was best prepared to meet the post-World War II
baby boom
. The former Fremont Canning Company had became the basis for the burgeoning baby food industry. The company introduced its trademark slogan: "Babies are our business ... our only business." In later years, this slogan on packaging was shortened to only "Babies are our business". Additionally, in the 1970s and 1980s, this slogan was "Babies are our business ... and have been for over 50 years".
Baby food
Baby food is any food, other than breastmilk or infant formula, that is made specifically for infants, roughly between the ages of four to six months to 2 years. The food comes in multiple varieties and tastes, can be produced by many manufacturers, or may be table food that the rest of the family...
enterprise of Gerber Products Company
Gerber Products Company
Gerber Products Company is a purveyor of baby food and baby products. A former American-owned company, Gerber is now a subsidiary of Nestlé, and is currently located in Fremont, Michigan, USA.-History:...
.
Founders
The company was founded by Frank Daniel GerberFrank Daniel Gerber
Frank Daniel Gerber was an American manufacturer of baby food.- Early life :Gerber was born in the town of Douglas in Allegan County, Michigan in 1873. He graduated from Fremont High School of Western Michigan in 1887...
and his father in 1901 in Fremont, Michigan
Fremont, Michigan
Fremont is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,081 at the 2010 census.- History :The first inhabitants of the Fremont area were native Americans. A group of settlers led by Daniel Weaver first settled in the area in 1855. The Weaver homestead served as the...
. The canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
company began with a ten thousand dollar investment. The firm initially marketed canned peas, beans, fruits and other produce for local farmers. In its early years (from 1901 until 1908), the company struggled. In 1908, the United States economy in general recovered from a slump
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on...
; the company then became profitable.
Expansion
The firm expanded the plant in the pre-World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
years of 1914 and 1915, from seasonal to year-round production. Western Michigan and Fremont
Fremont, Michigan
Fremont is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,081 at the 2010 census.- History :The first inhabitants of the Fremont area were native Americans. A group of settlers led by Daniel Weaver first settled in the area in 1855. The Weaver homestead served as the...
were hit by a postwar slump in 1919 to 1920 which slow down the company's sales and growth. In the later 1920s growth and the profits resumed. Gerber's son Daniel
Daniel Frank Gerber
- Early life :Gerber, the subject of this article, went by the name "Dan" to his friends and relatives. He was born in Fremont of Newaygo County, Michigan, in 1898 – the son of Frank Daniel Gerber.- Mid life :...
joined the company at this time.
Product shift
The major change in the cannery company's direction came about around 1927 to 1928. Daniel suggested that they start making baby food; the idea originated with his wife, Dorothy. The couple had an ill baby daughter, SallySally Gerber
Sally Gerber is the daughter of Daniel Frank Gerber who established the baby food enterprise Gerber Products Company....
, who required extra care. A pediatrician suggested they prepare special food for the infant. This food was prepared with special cooking and straining methods, requiring much labor on the part of Dorothy Gerber. She suggested to Dan that perhaps they could make baby food
Baby food
Baby food is any food, other than breastmilk or infant formula, that is made specifically for infants, roughly between the ages of four to six months to 2 years. The food comes in multiple varieties and tastes, can be produced by many manufacturers, or may be table food that the rest of the family...
at the canning company, since the only other way of obtaining this product was by prescription, which was very expensive. She thought that a market might exist for others in a similar situation. The canning company was already producing similar products for adults.
The company resaerched producing and selling baby food. They planned to sell the product for less than half the prescription price. One of the keys to the canning company’s successful marketing was an advertisement for baby food placed in Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
magazine. It got mothers of infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
s to participate directly in a coupon redemption program. The introductory offer was six cans of the canning company’s soup and strained vegetables for $1.00 in exchange for the name of a favorite grocer. They sought to generate enough responses that they could offer proof to grocers of the new demand for stocking their baby food on shelves. This campaign stressed the nutritional and time-saving value of its foods.
Marketing
The canning company’s brokers were then able persuade grocers to stock their baby foods. The marketing idea was successful and within sixty days "Gerber Strained Foods" had gained national distribution to some extent. There was almost full national distribution within six months. It also became world known about this time. Fremont Canning Company had created the new U.S. industry of commercial baby food.The Gerber Baby
The "Gerber BabyGerber Baby
The Gerber Baby is the trademark logo of the Gerber Products Company.-History:Fremont Canning Company, owned and operated by Frank Daniel Gerber and his son Daniel Frank Gerber, were looking for a baby face for its new baby-food campaign that was to start in the later part of 1928...
" symbol was initiated to reassure mothers and grocers that the concept was sound and to help identify the product. The sales in the first year was over a half million cans which produced gross revenues exceeding a third of a million dollars. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s the canning company expanded its baby food lines. Some of the techniques they employed to increase its production output were:
- published child care pamphlets
- helping farmers improve their crops
- hiring of special scientists for food laboratory experiments
- issuing classroom guides for home economics and nutrition classes.
Gerber Products Company
In 1938 the canning company started dealing directly with the wholesaler. This proved beneficial and by 1941 baby foods exceeded adult foods in their production lines. The company then changed its name to the "Gerber Products Company" since it was devoting itself solely to baby foods. The consumer demand was for a million cans of baby food every week. The company dropped its adult foods altogether by 1943 and, soon thereafter, opened a second baby food plant in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. Other plants were subsequently opened in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The company's timing was excellent in that it was best prepared to meet the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
baby boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
. The former Fremont Canning Company had became the basis for the burgeoning baby food industry. The company introduced its trademark slogan: "Babies are our business ... our only business." In later years, this slogan on packaging was shortened to only "Babies are our business". Additionally, in the 1970s and 1980s, this slogan was "Babies are our business ... and have been for over 50 years".
Sources
- Avakian, Arlene Voski et al., From Betty Crocker to Feminist Food Studies, Liverpool University Press (2005), ISBN 1-5584951-1-8
- Belasco, Warren James et al., Food Nations, Routledge (2002), ISBN 0-4159307-7-4
- Ingham, John N., Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders: A-G, Greenwood Publishing Group (1983), ISBN 0-3132390-7-X
- Michigan Historical Commission (1987), Michigan History Magazine, Michigan Dept. of State, Michigan Bureau of History
- Shapiro, Eileen C., Fad Surfing in the Boardroom, Basic Books (1996), ISBN 0-2014419-5-0
- Sheth, Jagdish, The Rule of Three, Simon and Schuster (2002), ISBN 0-7432343-0-8
- Yale University Press (2006), The Yale Book of Quotations, ISBN 0-3001079-8-6
- Young, William H., The Great Depression in America, Greenwood Publishing Group (2007), ISBN 0-3133352-1-4