Rich Products History

Since 1945, Rich’s has been committed to developing food solutions that raise the bar on quality, convenience and efficiency for its customers.

In January 1946, to get national distribution for his frozen whip topping, Rich Products ran a quarter page ad in Quick Frozen Foods--the company's first ad for the product.

A huge national campaign was launched but recovery came only slowly; not until late 1948 had sales reached their first-year level.

The first lawsuit against the non-dairy product was in 1949 in California.

Coffee Rich was the second such liquid product to be sold in America; Presto Food Products in Kansas City, Missouri, had introduced a non-dairy coffee creamer named Mocha Mix (containing soy protein) in 1950, although Rich was not aware of it.

Rich's followed this lead and in about 1951 unveiled Chil-Zert, the world's first isolate-based commercial non-dairy frozen dessert having a registered trademark.

In 1952 came Sundi-whip in an 8-ounce pressurized can for soda fountains and over-the-counter trade.

In about 1953 appeared Rich's Green Label Whip Topping, which was developed for bakery and institutional use.

In 1954, the company introduced the first commercial line of frozen éclairs and crème puffs, which are still produced today.

1955, as part of a business agreement, Diamond sold, assigned, and transferred all rights, titles, and interests to all of his patents (3 issued and 1 applied for) to Bob Rich in return for $5,000.

In May 1956 Rich Products added a completely new formulation of Whip Topping to its line.

Following months of exhaustive research and development, Coffee Rich, the nation’s first frozen, non-dairy creamer, hits the supermarket shelves in 1959, making Rich’s a household name.

1961: Coffee Rich nondairy creamer is introduced.

In 1963 Rich Products introduced Coffee Rich, a frozen liquid coffee whitener.

1965: Rich Products Corporation is incorporated.

By 1967 Bob Rich had built Wilber Farms Dairy into the largest solely owned, independent milk company in America.

At about this time (in 1968) the group finally established the National Association for Advanced Foods, to defend the rights of non-dairy products and to be sure that no small companies went off half-cocked and lost precedent setting lawsuits.

In 1969 Bob Rich's oldest son, Robert Rich, Jr., started to work at the company's Buffalo headquarters as sales manager.

Starting in 1972, I.D. magazine picked Rich Products for 12 out of 13 years as the outstanding frozen foodservice packer in America.

In 1973, they bought the rights to renamed the Buffalo Bills stadium to Rich Stadium for $60,000 each year for 25 years ($1.5 million total).

By 1974 the number of cases and victories for Coffee Rich had grown to 40.

As late as 1975, however, about 71 percent of Rich's revenues were still coming from nondairy replacement products.

1976: Company expands into frozen seafood with the acquisition of SeaPak Corporation.

In November 1978 Rich Products launched an exciting new product and a revolutionary new process.

In 1980, Rich's introduced Freeze-Flo, a process that allows foods to remain soft while frozen.

By 1982 company sales were at $400 million, and sales of nondairy replacement products accounted for about half of those revenues.

By 1983 it held 39 patents and was bringing in $2.5 million a year in licensing to 50 companies, mostly overseas.

In 1984 Rich acquired a second baseball franchise, the Class AA Wichita (Kansas) Wranglers.

Rosenbaum, Rob, “Freeze Flo Success Grounded in Skills of Rich Researchers,” Business First of Buffalo, October 28, 1985.

In 1986 Rich entered into a joint venture with J.R. Wood Inc., of Atwater, California.

The company formed Rich Communications Corporation in 1987.

In 1988, Bob Rich Jr. charges Gisel with the task of extending Rich’s business into foreign markets and names him Vice President of the newly formed International Division.

In the spring of 1990, Rich built a $17 million research and development center.

Crispens, Jonna, “New Products Priority in Rich Project,” Supermarket News, February 25, 1991.

“Rich Products Opens Mexico City Office,” Nation’s Restaurant News, January 27, 1992.

International expansion continued in 1993 with the establishment of Rich Products of South Africa, which began making and distributing frozen dough products.

Also in 1994 Rich Products formed a third baseball franchise in Jamestown, New York, the Jamestown Jammers, which became a Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers playing in the New York-Penn League.

By 1995, the year the company celebrated its 50th year in business, sales had reached $1 billion.

In 1996, Bill Gisel assumes the post of Chief Operating Officer and President of Rich’s Food Group, positioning the company to double its size and annual revenues through organic growth, acquisitions and international expansion during the coming years.

Back home, Rich entered into an alliance with Sara Lee Corporation in 1997, whereby Rich began marketing Sara Lee frozen cake and dessert products to in-store bakeries.

During 1998 Rich expanded in China through the establishment of a wholly owned subsidiary that opened a new state-of-the-art nondairy facility in Suzhou, China.

William G. Gisel, Jr., was named to the new position of chief operating officer of Rich Products in 1999.

Since 2000, Rich's has acquired a number of companies to diversify its offerings.

Shortly thereafter in 2004, Rich’s Africa continued to expand with the establishment of a local non-dairy manufacturing facility.

In 2005, the company celebrated 60 years as a family-owned company with the "60 Delicious Years" worldwide birthday party on March 14.

In 2006, following the death of his father and company founder, Robert E. Rich Sr., Bob Rich Jr. takes the reins as Chairman of Rich Products Corporation with his wife, Melinda R. (Mindy) Rich as Vice Chairman, and Bob Rich Jr. appoints Bill Gisel President and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2007, the commencement and setup of an Export Division was established.

Rich Products Corporation kicks off 2011 with the acquisitions of Celebration Foods, a leading manufacturer and distributor of frozen desserts and ice cream cakes, and VSE International, the leading wholesale bakery manufacturing company in Sydney, Australia.

After years of work and preparation, Rich’s expands into the emerging Western Asia market with the addition of Rich’s Turkey during spring 2012.

On August 23, 2013, Rich's celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Fort Erie, Ontario plant.

The Innovation Center and Atrium @ Rich’s opens at the company’s world headquarters in Buffalo, NY (2014)

In 2017, Rich Products Corporation Africa concluded their first acquisition – Artisan Breads™ – an artisan bread manufacturing plant in Cape Town.

Soon thereafter, in early 2018, Rich Products Corporation Africa concluded their second acquisition, Panciera – a Johannesburg based dessert manufacturer – strengthening the company’s position within the dessert category and providing an opportunity to further expand into new and existing channels.