| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cereal |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founder(s) | John S. Campbell |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |
| Key people | Chris Neugent CEO John A. Gappa CFO Gene Pagel CIO |
| Products | Hot and cold cereals |
| Revenue | US $548 Million[1] |
| Employees | 1,400[1] |
| Website | www.maltomeal.com |
The Malt-O-Meal Company is a privately owned American corporation that produces breakfast cereals. Its corporate headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It employs 1,400 people and had estimated sales in 2008 of $548 million.[1]
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The company was founded in 1919, as the Campbell Cereal Company by John Campbell, a miller in Owatonna, Minnesota. He invented a combination of malted and farina wheat[2] hot breakfast cereal he called Malt-O-Meal. Campbell intended to compete with Cream of Wheat.
In 1927, the company moved production of its cereal to the Ames Mill in Northfield, Minnesota. Nine years later, corporate headquarters were moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in 1953, owners changed the company name to Malt-O-Meal Company.
Attempts in the 1940s to market Campbell's Corn Flakes, and in the 1960s to sell State Fair brand Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice, were abandoned in the face of competition.[3]
In the 1970s, the Malt-O-Meal Company once again began making cold cereals which replicated popular brands. These cereals are packaged under Malt-O-Meal's brands and private labels for Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Shop 'n Save (Pittsburgh) and Wal Mart.
The Malt-O-Meal Company is the fifth largest cereal manufacturer in the United States, marketing its cereals in more than 70% of the nation's grocery stores.[1]
It operates three manufacturing plants in Northfield, Minnesota, one in Tremonton, Utah, and one in Asheboro, North Carolina, as well as distribution centers in Grove City, Ohio; Coppell, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
The company sponsors "Make it with Malt-O-Meal" State Fair Recipe Contests at the Oregon and Arizona State Fairs.[4][5]
In 2002, Malt-O-Meal acquired the bagged cereal business from the Quaker Oats Company.
In 2007, Malt-O-Meal took part in the "reverse product placement" marketing campaign for The Simpsons Movie and packaged one of their cereals, Tootie Frooties, [6] as "Krusty-O's". The cereal was sold in 7-Eleven stores across North America along with other The Simpsons Movie related products. [7]
In December 2009, Malt-O-Meal acquired the Farina brand of hot cereal from U.S. Mills. Farina was started by Pillsbury in 1898.
The company is a fourth generation, family-owned business based in Minneapolis.
As listed on Malt-O-Meal's site[8] Most are available regionally or through specific chains. All listed mention their use of natural ingredients, reduced packaging, and/or renewable energy