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The Walker Co history
The Walker Co company history timeline
Merger with Walkers Standard Brands merged with Nabisco of America in 1981.
Nabisco acquired Associated Biscuits in 1982, thus bringing Walkers and Smith’s under single control.
In 1982 Walkers opened the largest crisp production plant in the world in Leicester.
Brand Ambassador Gary Lineker, former Leicester City and England football star, was signed to the company in 1984.
Hanson Trust (who had acquired Imperial Tobacco) sold Golden Wonder to Dalgety for £87 million in 1986.
Acquisition by PepsiCo In 1988 Smith’s had sales of £145 million; Walkers had sales of £114 million.
PepsiCo, who produced Doritos and Lay’s crisps in the United States, acquired Walkers and Smith’s for $1.35 billion (around £900 million) in cash in 1989.
Walkers was bought by PepsiCo in 1989.
PepsiCo had attempted to introduce the Cheetos brand in the United Kingdom through an unsuccessful $8 million launch in 1990.
In 1991 PepsiCo reduced costs and complexity to fund investment in product quality gains, innovation and advertising, whilst maintaining prices.
A 1992 Euromonitor survey pegged Walkers with a 33.5 percent share of the £835 million British crisp market.
The acquisition of Walkers and Smiths made PepsiCo Europe's largest snack producer and allowed it to position its Frito-Lay brands for entry into the Common Market after 1992.
He had worked for Pedigree Petfoods before joining Walkers in 1992.
Foil packaging was brought out for Quavers, a brand acquired via Smiths, in 1993.
The combined entity was called Walkers Smiths Snack Foods until January 1994, when it was renamed Walkers Snack Foods.
By the end of 1994, Doritos had a 3 percent share of the United Kingdom's £1.8 billion snack market.
Private label still accounted for just 3.5 percent of profits in 1994, noted Marketing.
Walkers held 46 percent of the branded crisps market by 1995.
Walkers sold off its Planters Nuts business to management in 1996.
Martin Glenn was named president and CEO of Walkers in September 1998.
Walkers updated its crisps packaging in 1998, adding the logo of Frito-Lay, the PepsiCo unit that was Walkers' corporate parent.
Walkers entered the £120 million Irish snack market in 2000.
Walkers joined HJ Heinz in developing a co-branded, ketchup-flavored variety of crisps in 2001.
Walkers acquired the Wotsits brand from the struggling Golden Wonder for £150 million in 2002, following disappointing sales of its own similar Cheetos product.
2002: Sensations sub-brand is launched.
In 2003 Walkers partnered with Comic Relief, and the company donated more than £1million through its limited edition Baked Bean flavour crisps and celebrity partnerships.
Packaging and logo were redesigned in early 2004.
Golden Wonder entered into administration in 2006, a victim of the popularity of Walkers.
By 2006 the company had reduced salt in its crisps and snacks by 25%-55% and saturated fat by 70%
Walkers Oven Baked were put on sale in 2007.
In 2008-9 ‘Do us a flavour’ competition was launched.
In 2010 with the help of celebrities including Frank Lampard, Jenson Button and Al Murray, Walkers visited the town of Sandwich in Kent to show how any sandwich can be more exciting with Walkers.
The Walkers site in Leicester produced more than eleven million bags of crisps a day in 2011.
In 2011 Sunbites were launched.
^ HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
In 2015 Mixups were launched – a combination of some childhood favourites – Doritos, Monster Munch, Wotsits and French Fries - all in one bag.
In 2016 a range of crisps based on the nation’s favourite sandwiches was launched, including cheese toastie & Worcester Sauce, sausage & brown sauce, bacon & tomato ketchup, ham & mustard, roast chicken & mayonnaise and cheese, cucumber & salad cream.
^ Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
In 2021, Walker County’s form of government changed from a Sole Commissioner to a Board of Commissioners.
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The Walker Co competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henley Enterprises | 1987 | $63.4M | 1,572 | - |
| Holmes & Company PA | - | $8.2M | 5 | 40 |
| Harper International | 1989 | $18.0M | 300 | 30 |
| Santo Domingo | 1954 | $51.0M | 858 | 21 |
| Education | 1995 | $10.0M | 300 | - |
| William Carey International University | 1977 | $10.0M | 110 | - |
| Madison | 1947 | $5.0B | 5 | 95 |
| Bishop O'Connell High School | 1957 | $19.0M | 196 | - |
| AMIT Children | 1925 | $900,000 | 20 | - |
| L B H | - | $12.3M | 35 | 6 |
The Walker Co history FAQs
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The Walker Co may also be known as or be related to The Walker Co, WALKER INC, Walker, Walker & Company and Walker & Company, Inc.