Nestlé Purina History

1875: The Nestlé Company was the brainchild of Swiss pharmacist Henri Nestlé, who developed and marketed the first alternative source of infant nutrition for mothers who were unable to breast feed. The company soon began manufacturing milk chocolate, and many other products followed.

1902: Meanwhile in St. Louis, an animal feed company called the Robinson-Danforth Commission was created. The name was eventually changed to Ralston Purina Company. Seeking a distinctive logo for his company, Ralston Purina founder and president William H. Danforth remembered a family from his childhood who dressed their children in red and white checkerboard clothing. This striking image was the inspiration for the Company's trademark checkerboard logo.

The 1920s saw Nestlé's first expansion beyond its traditional product line, as the manufacture of chocolate became the Company's second most important activity. New products appeared steadily, including Nescafe in 1938.

1956: Friskies dry cat food is offered for sale in the West by Carnation Company.

1973: Carnation introduces Mighty Dog® in a handy single serving can.

1985: Nestlé entered the pet care business by acquiring Carnation. Friskies®, Fancy Feast®, and Mighty Dog® brands became a part of the Nestlé brand portfolio with this acquisition.

1995: Ralston Purina Company acquires the Golden Cat Corporation, the manufacturer of the Tidy Cat® brand cat litter. In the same year, Nestlé acquires the Alpo® brand.

2001: The merger of Nestlé's Friskies products and Ralston Purina's products created a globally competitive leader in the pet care industry, and one of the largest pet food companies in the United States.