Sensient Colors history

Meadow Springs sold its first barrel of whiskey on July 5, 1883.

In 1886, August Bergenthal, William's brother, replaced Niemeier as vice-president of Meadow Springs.

In 1903 the company established a second manufacturing plant on the site of the recently purchased local DuPont Chemical Company facility.

In 1917 the government passed a measure outlawing the use of grains to make liquor, meaning that liquor could be sold but not manufactured.

John Wiedring, the company's laboratory chief, introduced a new process for making yeast by aeration in 1918.

The company grew rapidly through the remainder of the 1920s.

By 1921, Red Star was operating 50 branches throughout the eastern half of the United States.

In July 1922, new leadership was needed when Grau and Bergenthal died suddenly within a few weeks of each other.

The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 created a dilemma for Red Star.

Factors leading to this shift in direction included the bottoming out of the gin market in 1935, and a legal quarrel over the use of the National Distilling name waged against the National Distillers Products Corporation of New York.

In 1938, a policy disagreement led to Bergenthal's resignation.

Bergenthal stayed on as chairman of the board until his retirement in 1940.

Charles Wirth, Jr., died of a heart attack in 1950.

In 1951, Red Star opened a plant in New Orleans, enabling the company to better serve the southern market, as well as reduce the cost of transporting molasses from that region.

The vinegar works that operated there were sold to the Richter Vinegar Company, and, in 1957, the ten-acre plot of land on which it was built was sold to Milwaukee County.

The company went public in 1961, making stock available for the first time to people outside the small circle of founding families and their friends.

1963: Stella Cheese Corporation is acquired.

In 1965, Robert Foote became Universal's president, and Wirth became its chairperson.

The company entered the gourmet foods market with the 1972 acquisition of Lankor International Inc., and followed this up with the acquisitions of Rema Foods Inc. and Ramsey Imports, giving Universal a substantial foothold in the fancy processed foods market.

In 1976, John Murray was elected president of Universal Foods.

August K. Bergenthal, Bruno's son, was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment (he was paroled in 1981). It seemed that the younger Bergenthal harbored longstanding resentment regarding the events that led to his father's exit from the company's presidency.

In 1983, the company dismantled its snack food division, selling off its cookie and pretzel business.

1984: Universal swaps its soft-drink bottling business for Warner-Jenkinson Company, Inc., thereby gaining entry into the food color and flavor business.

Frozen potato products accounted for nearly 30 percent of the company's revenue for that year; the explosion in sales followed the 1987 introduction of a new curly-shaped, coated fry that proved very successful.

1990: Universal exits from the cheese business; British flavoring producer Felton International is acquired.

Also in 1991, Universal purchased the food, drug, and cosmetic color business of Morton International, Inc.

The color division made a particularly strong showing in 1992, emerging as the market leader among North American companies in that field.

1994: Universal's frozen food unit is sold to ConAgra, Inc.

By 1996 Universal Foods had elbowed its way onto the list of the top ten flavor and fragrance firms in the world.

Osborn continued as chairman only until April 1997 when Manning assumed that position as well.

Also during 1998, Universal sued two former employees for allegedly posting defamatory comments about the company on Internet message boards.

In the first month of 2000, Universal spent $49.4 million to complete two more acquisitions of color companies.

In 2000, Universal Foods changed its name to Sensient Technologies to reflect its expanded focus. It sold Red Star Yeast in 2001 as part of a strategy to divest itself of unprofitable commodity businesses.