Everything we do is driven by our purpose: Pinnacle Foods Inc.

“We're driven by an entrepreneurial spirit that pushes us to challenge ourselves and conventional thinking. We stretch our creativity, ingenuity, and imaginations to continually reinvigorate our portfolio of iconic brands.”

Pinnacle Foods is at the top of its game and the key to its success is clear. Everything Pinnacle Foods does is driven by its purpose: unleashing brand potential, dynamically evolving and improving its already beloved products to bring more convenience, taste, nutrition, and joy to today's consumers.

The results are - Pinnacle Foods’ well-recognized products are found in 85% of American households and are leaders in their respective categories, holding the #1 or #2 market share position in 10 of the 14 categories in which it competes — and Pinnacle Foods is just getting started. The company is committed to adding value through strategic growth that synergizes its portfolio of "Leadership" and "Foundation" brands and plays to its strengths in R&D, consumer insights, and senior management experience.

Odyssey of Pinnacle Foods

Pinnacle's portfolio of iconic brands has touched the lives of consumers for more than 150 years. The admirable stories of the innovators behind each brand inspire us to continually renovate and innovate our products to keep them in sync with the needs of today's consumers. Here's how the great brands got their start.

The 1800s

After walking across the country in 1852 during the California Gold Rush, Philip Danforth Armour saved enough money to form Armour and Company in 1867. As the first company to produce canned meat, Armour became Chicago's most important business and helped make the city and its stockyards the center of the American meatpacking industry. Today, our Armour Star^® brand offers a variety of delicious products that are the perfect choice to enjoy on the run.

Two decades later, Minnesota grocer Patrick J. Towle introduced Log Cabin^® syrup in 1887. The syrup was named for President Lincoln's boyhood home. Today, Log Cabin^® syrups are available in original, light, and sugar-free — all with no High Fructose Corn Syrup.

What goes better with maple syrup than pancakes? Faced with a surplus amount of flour, the Pearl Milling Company created Aunt Jemima pancake mix in 1889 — America's first ready pancake mix. Today, Aunt Jemima^® frozen pancakes, waffles, and French toast are made with love, not preservatives, and are a favorite for families who want to serve a warm, wholesome breakfast just like they'd make at home.

The early to mid-1900s

In 1915, Theodore J. Van de Kamp and his family opened a small Los Angeles potato-chip stand that soon expanded to a chain of restaurants featuring baked goods and their trademark batter-fried halibut. The small business soon changed its focus to producing frozen foods, specializing in the Van de Kamp's^® seafood America loves today.

Across the country in a small Pennsylvania town, another family started a legendary business from potato chips. The Snyder family started cooking kettle chips in their home kitchen in Hanover, Pennsylvania in the 1920s, marking the introduction of the Snyder^® of Berlin brand.

Innovator Clarence Birdseye invented the "Quick Freeze Machine" in 1926, based on the principles of flash freezing he learned while traveling through the Arctic. Originally put to use on fish, it soon revolutionized the way Americans enjoyed fresh vegetables with the introduction of the Birds Eye^®frozen vegetable brand.

Breakfast foods continued to evolve as Harry Lender founded Lender's Bagels in New Haven, Connecticut in 1927. What started as a 6-person family business grew into a national success story when Lender's^® introduced frozen bagels. Lender's^® became the first packaged bagels sold in supermarkets, introducing the round, doughy "Jewish English Muffin" to a vast new audience.

"Mama Celeste" Lizio, an immigrant from Southern Italy, first began making pizzas in her Chicago pizzeria in the 1930s. Her pies were so popular she soon closed the restaurant to begin selling pizzas and pizza ingredients directly to pizzerias. Today, Celeste^® Pizzas continue to provide pizzeria-fresh taste at an affordable price.

Joe Vlasic began production of the first glass-packed, shelf-stable pickles in 1942. Over the next 20 years, Joe and his son Bob grew Vlasic^® Pickles into the number one pickle in America, a position we still hold today.

Duncan Hines, already a well-known food author and restaurant critic, put his name to a line of cake mixes and other packaged foods in 1948. Today, Duncan Hines^® products are one of America's leading brands of cake mixes, ready-to-serve frostings, and other baking mixes, including the #1 selling cake mix in the country, Classic Yellow Moist Deluxe Cake Mix.

Upon his return from World War II, Phillip Sollomi opened a restaurant in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri and named it "The Wish-Bone" after his signature chicken dish. To his surprise, it was the fragrant Italian salad dressing made from his Sicilian family recipe that became famous. Now, Wish-Bone^® is the number one Italian dressing nationwide.

The mid-1900s

In 1953, Open Pit^® Barbecue Sauce was created in Detroit as a classic tangy BBQ sauce to liven up family meals. Over the past few decades, Open Pit^® has expanded throughout the Midwest and become a family favorite for backyard BBQs.

Mrs. Butterworth's^® syrup launched in 1961 to a national audience in the distinctive motherly-shaped bottle American kids have grown up with for generations. The talking Mrs. Butterworth's^® bottle was named one of the most beloved American spokespeople by Forbes, and her syrup is a family favorite, known for its distinct thick, rich, buttery taste.

1970s-1980s

Hungry-Man^® Frozen Dinners were introduced in 1973, with larger, heartier portion sizes specifically targeted toward the hungry male consumer.

Glutino Food Group has been a trusted pioneer and leader in the gluten-free category since its founding in Quebec in 1983. Glutino^® offers a wide variety of great-tasting, gluten-free frozen meals, mixes and snack foods that consumers can trust.

In 1986, Tim Kennedy and his family began Tim's^® Cascade Style Potato Chips in a 15,000 square foot facility in Auburn, Washington. The brand was named "the best potato chip in Seattle" two short years later.

1990s-Present

In 1995, Udi Baron built a franchise of Udi’s Bakery Cafes in Colorado. In 2008, Udi’s^® baked its first loaf of gluten-free bread. Since then the brand has become the #1 gluten-free food brand in North America. From muffins to pizza crusts to granola, Udi’s^® is here to make gluten free great.

Bob Harris launched Smart Balance^® in 1996 with a patent license from Brandeis University for a naturally 0 gram trans fat oil blend. The brand became the first major spreads manufacturer to convert to all Non-GMO sourced ingredients.

Birds Eye^® Voila!^® was introduced in 1998, creating an entirely new bagged meal option in the frozen food aisle. The many varieties of meals in a bag allow consumers to serve a complete home cooked meal in minutes.

Earth Balance^® spreads were introduced to the natural channel in 1998 as an all-natural sidekick to Smart Balance^® products. The brand was the first natural buttery spread to hit the market and soon became the fastest selling and most popular all-natural butter alternative in the U.S.

EVOL^®, previously called Phil’s Fresh Foods, was founded by Avid Climber and Food Enthusiast, Phil Anson in 2002. EVOL^® products contain no artificial preservatives or fillers and have quickly gained momentum in mainstream channels. There’s a lot to LOVE about EVOL.

In 2003, Yves Potvin used the power of vegetables to create healthy food and founded gardein^TM. Award-winning gardein^TM (garden + protein) products are made from non-GMO soy and wheat, ancient grains and vegetables. Gardein^TM tastes good, is good for you and good for the planet.

In 2006, Birds Eye^® became the first brand to introduce steam-in-the bag technology with the launch of the Birds Eye^® Steamfresh^® brand. Steamfresh^® offers convenience that is perfect for kids' cooking, with no knives or hot stoves required.

Trailblazers at the Table

Pinnacle Foods’ "Leadership Brands" have great potential for growth and innovation. These brands constantly inspire its imagination and ingenuity, and the company takes immense pride in debuting category breakthroughs to customers and consumers. From inventing more convenient cooking processes like Birds Eye^®Steamfresh™ technology to new customized taste options such as Duncan Hines^® frosting creations™ proprietary custom frosting flavor system, Pinnacle Foods strive to be first to the table with new and better ways to serve the foods families love.

Pinnacle Foods is laser-focused on cultural and communication trends, and speak to consumers with brand messaging that is fresh, relevant, and engaging. In 2012, Birds Eye^® partnered with Nickelodeon's hit live-action series iCarly on a news-making multimedia campaign, "iCarly iCook with Birds Eye." The interactive contest called directly on kids to create and submit their own playful, silly, and delicious veggie recipes, fundamentally changing the conversation about vegetables.

The future sight: Renovating Favorites

While fueling its leading brands, Pinnacle Foods is continuously improved upon and renovate its stalwart "Foundation Brands," including Hungry-Man^®, Aunt Jemima^® Frozen Breakfast, Celeste^®, Open Pit^®, Duncan Hines^® Comstock^® and Wilderness^®, Lender's^® and many others. To us, this means adding even more value to the foods that families already know and trust. We're proud to offer Lender's^® Healthy Grain bagels which are high in dietary fiber and a great source of protein, and Aunt Jemima^® frozen pancakes and waffles made with real ingredients like eggs, milk, and flour and no preservatives, high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors. It goes without saying that we're always raising the bar in taste. Our new Open Pit^® Barbeque Sauce flavors Brown Sugar & Bourbon, Apple Whiskey, and Sweet Spiced Rum hit shelves in 2012.

Pinnacle Foods is creating its future through its innovative R&D, inspired marketing, passionate employees, and close ties to its customers and consumers.

Greet the Numero Uno

Mark A. Clouse, Chief Executive Officer:  Clouse was named Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Board in May 2016. Clouse joined Pinnacle from Mondelez International, Inc. where he most recently held the role of Chief Commercial Officer.  Before becoming Chief Commercial Officer, he worked as Chief Growth Officer for Mondelez, where he was responsible for the company’s growth strategy and oversaw key areas such as corporate strategy, global marketing, global sales, and research, development, and quality. Throughout his 20-year tenure at Kraft Foods Inc., including the subsequent spin-off of Mondelez, Clouse served in a range of leadership positions involving iconic food brands and entrepreneurial global businesses in emerging markets such as Brazil and China.

Prior to joining Kraft Foods Inc., Clouse served in the United States Army as a pilot and completed his service as a Captain. Clouse is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

“At Pinnacle Foods, we are committed to doing business in a way that reflects our shared values. We seek to make a difference in the communities where we live and work while reducing our environmental footprint.”