The Garland Landmark Museum helped the Garland Kraft Plant celebrate its 75th anniversary Friday, July 12. The museum also debuted a new Kraft exhibit that shares the plant’s history and contains some unique and interesting items.
Interested Garland residents, along with a few relatives of past Kraft employees, attended the celebration. Several city employees were also in attendance as well as Mayor Scott LeMay and Council Members Margaret Lucht, Kris Beard and B.J. Williams.
The following highlights of Kraft’s history were provided by the Landmark Museum:
James L. Kraft founded the company in 1903 when he began daily delivery of cheese to Chicago grocers. In 1909, the company incorporated as J.L. Kraft Brothers Company and began selling cheese in the Eastern U.S. Market. They also opened a New York office. In 1914, the first factory opened in Stockton, Illinois to manufacture bulk American cheese. Within 20 years, Kraft became the largest company of its kind in the world.
Kraft soon added additional types of cheese, and in 1928, the company expanded to the South and began manufacturing salad dressing and other items including cheese spreads and Miracle Whip.
From 1933-1949, the company had a popular radio variety show, and Bing Crosby hosted it for 10 of those years. The show, of course, served as an advertising medium for Kraft. From 1947-1958, the company also created a show called “Kraft Television Theatre.” The series included two-minute breaks during which various recipes were prepared. In 1958, the television program was revamped as a musical variety show hosted by Perry Como and ran for another 13 years.
In early 1949, Kraft moved its Southwestern Division headquarters from Denison to Garland. In April of the same year, the first food processing operations began in Garland. Many referred to the Kraft employees who worked at the new Garland plant in the first year as the “Forty-Niners.” By May, the plant had hired 275 Garland residents as plant personnel.
Present-day Kraft:
The company continues to have an important impact on Garland and its economy. According to Mayor LeMay, the current Kraft Heinz staff totals 1,592 full-time people with more than $94 million in annual payroll. They own a 635,000 square-foot facility on approximately 50 acres and lease a 300,000 square foot facility for cold storage, fulfillment and logistics.
Kraft’s future:
“They have wanted to beautify their property, and we are working with them in conjunction with our improvements to Forest Lane,” LeMay said.
Additionally, there is an upcoming expansion project that will add 200 new positions an increase the company’s payroll by $8 million, as well as increase utility usage.
“We are very excited about this, as Kraft continues its legacy in Garland,” LeMay said.
Click here to read a recent article on the Kraft expansion.
The mayor also encouraged everyone to check out the exhibit – Garland Landmark Museum, 393 North Sixth Street in downtown Garland.