Domino Foods history

Yet by 1816, the Havemeyer Company had expanded its operations to such an extent that it was able to produce nearly nine million pounds of sugar annually.

The Havemeyers open their own refinery, which is passed on to their sons in 1828.

In the mid 1850’s Frederick C. Havemeyer Jr. and William F. Havemeyer (who would later become a three-time mayor of New York City), opened a refinery on this site, eventually growing it to a size and scale unmatched by any other facility in the world.

1854 John Redpath celebrates the opening of the “Canada Sugar Refinery” in Montreal, where 100 employees produced 15 tons of refined “loaf” sugar per day.

In 1859 the business moved to the waterfront in Williamsburg, and changed its name to the Havemeyer, Townsend & Co.

By 1864, the refinery was the most modern of its time.

1878 The Thames Refinery in London’s East End begins operations, specializing in cube sugar.

When the facility burned to the ground in 1882, a new expanded factory was built on the same site.

In 1887, Frederick Jr.’s son, H.O. Havemeyer, established the Sugar Refineries Company, commonly known as the Sugar Trust.

After the Sugar Trust was ruled illegal in 1891, Henry Osborne Havemeyer and Theodore A. Havemeyer were elected as chairman and president, respectively, of the American Sugar Refining Company.

In May 1896, American Sugar became one of the original 12 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Since 1901, Domino® Sugar has maintained a commitment to quality, a passion for craftsmanship and a dedication to sweetening the lives of countless bakers.

1906 Domino® Sugar receives a United States trademark.

Proof of the brand name visibility and popularity of Domino sugar was evident when, in spite of being sued by the United States government for monopolistic practices within the sugar industry in 1907, the company's sugar products continued to sell best with American consumers.

1909 The Chalmette Refinery opens in Louisiana.

1912 Redpath introduces product innovations, such as prepackaged cartons of granulated sugar, “Paris Lumps” (sugar cubes) and “Golden Syrup.”

In 1916, Domino introduced individually wrapped sugar tablets.

1921 Henry Tate & Sons and Abram Lyle & Sons merge to form Tate & Lyle, refining about 50% of the United Kingdom’s sugar.

1922 The Baltimore Refinery opens in Maryland.

The smokestack—one of the most iconic features of the refinery—was only added in 1936.

The company's fortunes grew even worse in 1942, when the United States government imposed sugar rationing.

From that time onward, until the end of the war in 1945, the American Sugar Refining Company barely made enough money to keep its administrative office and a few of its refineries in operation.

1950 Ingenio San Nicolás is founded in Veracruz, Mexico.

1951 The “Domino Sugars” sign goes up at the Baltimore Refinery

1959 Redpath opens a state-of-the-art refinery in Toronto, Canada, on the shores of Lake Ontario.

1960 The Fanjul family reestablishes its sugar business in South Florida.

In 1970, the board of directors at the company decided to change its name from the American Sugar Refining Company to Amstar Sugar Corporation in order to reflect the growing diversification of the firm into activities other than refining.

Amstar was acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 1983; KKR sold Amstar to Merrill Lynch three years later.

Domino Sugar was acquired by British company Tate & Lyle in 1988.

1989 Sores is purchased and merged with Sidul.

As an operating subsidiary of Tate & Lyle, the firm renamed itself Domino Sugar Corporation in 1991, and began to reap the rewards of its rich parent company.

By 1995, the company had received approval for 18 food applications for its non-sweet sugar, including use in low-oil salad dressings.

1998 Florida Crystals and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida partner to acquire the Yonkers Refinery in New York state, beginning to create the world’s most innovative sugar company: American Sugar Refining (ASR).

In 2001, Domino Sugar officially changed its name to Domino Foods, Inc.

Closing its doors in 2004, the Domino Sugar Refinery was the last major active industrial operation on Brooklyn’s once bustling East River waterfront.

2005 American Sugar Refining, Inc. acquires C&H Sugar, the leading brand on the United States West Coast.

2006 C&H Sugar celebrates its centennial.

2007 Sugar Stix is acquired, marking the Company's entrance into the specialty tabletop business.

2009 The Chalmette Refinery celebrates its centennial.

2010 Company acquires Tate & Lyle Sugars, owner of two refineries with sugar marketed under leading brands in the UK and Portugal.

2012 Streamline Foods is acquired

2013 The Company expands into the Italian market by acquiring 50% ownership of SRB S.p.A. with a cane sugar refinery in southern Italy.

Kara Walker, an artist who had a temporary installation in the Raw Sugar Warehouse in 2014, described finding a thick layer of molasses coating the walls and puddles of decades-old sugar-water throughout the factory.

2018 American Sugar Refining, Inc. acquires US Sugar Company, a processor and packager of granulated, brown, and powdered sugar in Buffalo, New York.

Cohn, Meredith. “Baltimore’s Domino Sugar plant is working overtime at a historic pace, after a year of harsh weather and bad harvests.” Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD), January 23, 2020.