Rich Products
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food & Drink |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | Robert E. Rich, Sr. |
| Headquarters | Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
|
Key people
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| Services |
|
| Revenue |
 US$ 3.3 billion (2014) |
|
Number of employees
|
9,200 (2014) |
| Website | richs.com |
Rich Products Corporation (also known as Rich's) is a privately held, multinational food products corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr., after his development of a non-dairy whipped topping based on soybean oil. Since then, the company has expanded its non-dairy frozen food offerings, and also supplies products to retailers, in-store bakeries, and foodservice providers.
Rich's employs 9,200 associates worldwide, with manufacturing facilities in Brazil, Canada, India, China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The company sells more than 2,000 products in 112 countries. Rich's currently ranks number 140 on Forbes list of America's Largest Private Companies.
Rich's began in 1945, when Robert E. Rich, Sr., sought a replacement for dairy-based whip cream due to milk shortages during World War II. Through the use of soybeans, Rich created a cream that was less expensive than dairy-based whipped cream, yet lasted longer in the refrigerator and could "remain frozen for more than a year without degrading."
In 1954, the company introduced the first commercial line of frozen éclairs and crème puffs, which are still produced today.
During the 1960s, Rich‘s expanded further, introducing CoffeeRich, a non-dairy frozen creamer in 1961. The company also constructed a manufacturing plant in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada the following year. This facility is now known as Rich Products of Canada, Ltd. The acquisition of Elm Tree Baking Co., in 1969, expanded Rich's offerings to include frozen baked goods.
The 1970s were also a decade of growth for Rich's, with the acquisition of nine new production facilities as well as SeaPak, a company based in St. Simons, Georgia, that produces frozen seafood specialties.
In 1980, Rich's introduced Freeze-Flo, a process that allows foods to remain soft while frozen. The company introduced another product, On Top, a non-dairy dessert topping, in 1986, which was notable for its packaging – a pastry bag with its own tip. Rich's also expanded its product line through the acquisition of Casa Di Bertacchi, a specialty meat and frozen pasta producer, in 1982, and Byron's, a barbecue and meat producer, in 1986.
During the 1990s, Rich's expanded internationally, opening facilities in Mexico, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Australia, among others.
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Wikipedia