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In 1939, Nathan Cummings purchased a small wholesale distributor of sugar, coffee and tea in Baltimore, with net sales of $24 million. By 1946, Cumming’s company, Consolidated Grocers Corporation, had been admitted to the New York Stock exchange, and had successfully acquired a number of other small food processing, packaging and distribution companies throughout the country. The name of the company was eventually changed to Consolidated Foods Corporation, to emphasize the diversity of its holdings. From 1950 through the 1980’s, Consolidated Foods further diversified its holdings and acquired numerous national and international brands, creating one of the world's leading branded consumer packaged goods companies. These
acquisitions included Sara Lee brands, like Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Kahn's, Ball Park, Best Kosher, Bryan, State Fair Foods, Gallo, Chef Pierre, and Sara Lee frozen bakery. Also included among the company's acquisitions were a number of coffee and tea, apparel, household goods and bakery brands. In 1985, Consolidated Foods changed its name to Sara Lee Corporation, to reflect the company's expanded consumer marketing orientation of the company and the high-quality, well-known branded products marketed around the world.
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