Welch's
Encyclopedia
Welch Foods Inc. is an American
company, headquartered in Concord, Massachusetts
. It is owned by the National Grape Cooperative Association, a co-op of grape growers.
Founded in Vineland, New Jersey
in 1869, by Thomas Bramwell Welch
, a Methodist, Welch's is the food processing and marketing arm of the National Grape Cooperative Association, which comprises 1,300 grape growers located in Michigan
, New York
, Ohio
, Pennsylvania
, Washington and Ontario
, Canada
. The oldest extant structure associated with the company is Welch Factory Building No. 1
, located at Westfield, New York
, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
Welch's is particularly known for its grape
juices, jams and jellies made from dark Concord grapes and its white Niagara grape juice. The company also manufactures and markets an array of other products, including refrigerated juices, frozen and shelf-stable concentrates, organic grape juice and dried fruit
. Welch's has also licensed its name for a line of grape-flavored soft drink
s since 1974. Welch's grape and strawberry
soda flavors are currently licensed to the Dr Pepper Snapple Group
. Other popular products that use the Welch's name are the fruit snack
s made by The Promotion In Motion Companies, Inc.
In the 1960s, Welch's was a major sponsor of the ABC
primetime animated comedy series The Flintstones
; its characters were prominently featured in Welch's TV commercials on that show, and on jars of Welch's grape jelly. In the early 1970s, The Archies
cartoon characters were on the jars.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company, headquartered in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. It is owned by the National Grape Cooperative Association, a co-op of grape growers.
Founded in Vineland, New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey
Vineland is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 60,724...
in 1869, by Thomas Bramwell Welch
Thomas Bramwell Welch
Thomas Bramwell Welch was the inventor of the pasteurization process to prevent the fermentation of grape juice.-Birth and emigration:...
, a Methodist, Welch's is the food processing and marketing arm of the National Grape Cooperative Association, which comprises 1,300 grape growers located in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 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...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Washington and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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 oldest extant structure associated with the company is Welch Factory Building No. 1
Welch Factory Building No. 1
Welch Factory Building No. 1 is a historic grape juice factory located at Westfield in Chautauqua County, New York. It was built in 1897 and expanded in 1899 and 1903, to be an 8-bay wide, 10-bay deep rectangular building. It is the oldest extant structure associated with the Welch's company.It was...
, located at Westfield, New York
Westfield (village), New York
Westfield is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. USA. The population was 3,481 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westfield lies within the Town of Westfield in the northern part of the county...
, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983.
Welch's is particularly known for its grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
juices, jams and jellies made from dark Concord grapes and its white Niagara grape juice. The company also manufactures and markets an array of other products, including refrigerated juices, frozen and shelf-stable concentrates, organic grape juice and dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
. Welch's has also licensed its name for a line of grape-flavored soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s since 1974. Welch's grape and strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
soda flavors are currently licensed to the Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. is an American soft drink company, based in Plano, Texas.It was spun off from Britain's Cadbury Schweppes, on May 5, 2008, with trading in its shares starting on May 7, 2008...
. Other popular products that use the Welch's name are the fruit snack
Fruit snack
A Fruit snack is processed fruit that eats like a traditional snack food. It can be deposited, freeze dried, or air dried and may be called Fruit Leather, Fruit YoYos, Fruit Bars, Freeze Dried Fruit, or most commonly, are simply known as "Fruit Snacks"....
s made by The Promotion In Motion Companies, Inc.
In the 1960s, Welch's was a major sponsor of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
primetime animated comedy series The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
; its characters were prominently featured in Welch's TV commercials on that show, and on jars of Welch's grape jelly. In the early 1970s, The Archies
The Archies
The Archies are a garage band founded by Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones, a group of adolescent fictional characters of the Archie universe, in the context of the animated TV series, The Archie Show...
cartoon characters were on the jars.