General Mills Inc.

History

Year	Detail
1866	Cadwallader Washburn built his first mill in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which would become the foundation of General Mills.
1928	On June 20, 1928, then Washburn-Crosby President James Ford Bell merged the flour mill with four other mills, and General Mills was born.
1931	The company launched Bisquick, a pre-mixed baking product that became an essential staple in many American households. General Mills developed Bisquick to simplify the process of preparing baked goods.
1953	General Mills collaborated with the University of Minnesota to develop an early version of what is now known as the Black Box for airplanes. This device was formally called a flight data recorder.
1970	The company first moved into the restaurant industry by purchasing Red Lobster, a seafood restaurant chain. Under the company's ownership, Red Lobster expanded rapidly, becoming a nationwide chain known for its casual dining atmosphere and focus on seafood.
1977	General Mills acquired the U.S. licensing rights to produce and market Yoplait, a yogurt brand. With this acquisition, the company introduced Yoplait to the American market.
2001	The company acquired the Pillsbury Company from Diageo, a British multinational beverage company. This landmark deal significantly expanded the company's portfolio of brands and products.
2018	General Mills acquired Blue Buffalo, a premium pet food company, for approximately $8 million. This acquisition marked General Mills' entry into the pet food market and was a strategic move to diversify its portfolio.
2021	To expand its portfolio in the pet food business, General Mills acquired Tyson Foods’ pet treats business for $1.2 billion in cash. It also acquired a manufacturing facility in Independence, Iowa.
2021	General Mills completely acquired the European Yoplait operations as part of the transaction with Sodiaal. It also acquired the full ownership of the Canadian Yoplait business.
2022	The company acquired TNT Crust, a manufacturer of high-quality frozen pizza crusts for regional and national pizza chains, food service distributors, and retail outlets, to expand its portfolio in the frozen baked goods category.
2023	The company acquired Fera Pets, Inc., a vet-founded pet supplement company, bringing new health-focused offerings to General Mills’ pet portfolio.
2024	The company sold its North American Yogurt business to Lactalis and Sodiaal, two leading French dairy companies, in cash transactions valued at $2.1 billion.
2024	The company has entered into an agreement to acquire Whitebridge Pet Brands’ North American premium Cat feeding and Pet treating business from NXMH in a transaction valued at $1.45 billion.