Our History
When our friends discover Eagle Foods is less than 10 years old, they can’t believe it. It’s true, though. Some of our brands have delighted customers for more than century.
So how can that be? It’s a simple story.
Eagle Foods was founded in 2015 when our founders partnered with private equity firm Kelso & Company to acquire the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk business from The J.M. Smucker Company. This purchase included four beloved and iconic canned milk brands: Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk, Magnolia® Sweetened Condensed Milk, PET® Milk, and Milnot Evaporated Milk.
From those beginnings, Eagle Foods has continued to grow and expand. In 2017, the Popcorn Indiana and G.H. Cretors popcorn brands joined the Eagle Foods family expanding our presence into snacks. In 2022, we added the Helper and Suddenly Salad brands from General Mills, strengthening our portfolio in convenient meals and sides.
Today, Eagle Foods proudly serves consumers and retailers with trusted favorites across three core categories: snacks, baking, and meals and sides. With a foundation built on heritage brands and a spirit of innovation, we are shaping the next chapter of delicious, convenient food experiences.
Still curious how we’ve grown? Check out the timeline below.
Gail Borden introduces Eagle Brand evaporated milk
PET milk company debuts as the Helvatia Milk Condensing Company
Charles Cretors patents the process for popping corn and the machine to do it with
Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders are supplied with PET milk during the Spanish-American War
Milnut evaporated milk debuts
Milnut renamed Milnot Elsie the Borden Cow makes her debut
A brass floor marker in the Seneca, Mo., Milnot plant denotes the Missouri-Oklahoma border, on which the plant was built.
Hamburger Helper debuts nationally
Helper introduces Lefty, its spokes character
Hamburger Helper lands at No. 3 in Food Network’s Top 5 Food Fads of the 1970s
Popcorn Indiana brand popcorn is introduced in the U.S.
Eagle Foods is established, named after the Eagle Brand condensed milk created by Gail Borden
For Eagle Foods, 2017 was poppin’. The company acquired both the Popcorn Indiana and G.H. Cretors brands.
Eagle Foods acquires Helper and Suddenly Salad brands
