1950 - 1999
1951
Cargill's Feed Division (Nutrena Mills, Incorporated) merges with the Royal Feed & Milling Co. of Memphis, Tennessee, manufacturers of Staf-O-Life™ feeds for livestock and poultry.
1952
Cargill launches the Carpolis, an integrated towboat and barge that includes innovative Cargill-designed features.
1953
Tradax, Belgique, S.A. is organized in Antwerp, marking the formation of Tradax in Europe and representing Cargill's international interests.
1956
Cargill dedicates its new Research Center to Austen Cargill. The building, constructed near the Lake Office, houses the company's newly organized research and development operation. Tradax Internacional, S.A. establishes it headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
1957
John H. MacMillan Jr. becomes chairman of the board and Cargill MacMillan, president. Cargill installs its first electronic computer, an IBM 6560, in the Minneapolis office. Nutrena employs the computer to formulate feed and pricing.
1958
Cargill introduces hybrid grain sorghum seed to Argentina.
1960
John Macmillan, Jr., dies suddenly. Erwin Kelm becomes the first Cargill president who is not part of the Cargill or MacMillan families. Terry Morrison is named Chairman until the following year, when Kelm is elected to the post.
1963
Pesquera del Fin S. A. and Bolicheros Unidos S. A. are set up to produce fish meal in Peru, marking Cargill's first presence in that country. Fish meal is a rich source of protein and amino acids for use in poultry and livestock feed.
1964
Cargill enters European markets with the purchase of the Hens Voeders Co.
1965
Cargill celebrates its 100th anniversary. Cargill forms Cargill Agricola S.A. in Brazil.
1966
Cargill enters the broiler-chicken industry by acquiring the Paramount Poultry brand.
1967
Cargill enters the corn wet milling industry in a mill purchased at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1968
Cargill Korea Incorporated is formed as a joint venture to produce feed, eggs and poultry.
1969
The Cargill-Taiwan Corporation is formed in a joint venture with the Taiwan Sugar Corp. to produce livestock and poultry feed.
1971
The acquisition of the Gordy Salt Company, Breaux Bridge, La., puts Cargill in the evaporated salt business.
1972
The company enters the flour milling business by acquiring Burrus Mills, Saginaw, Texas.
1973
In the United States, Cargill forms Cargill Leasing Corporation and acquires the Barton Salt Company.
1974
The Poultry Products Division expands by acquiring Ralston Purina's Honeysuckle White, Riverside and Medallion brands.
The acquisition of North Star Steel Company takes Cargill into the steel-making industry.
Cargill purchases Caprock Industries and enters the cattle feedlot business.
1975
Cotton merchandising begins with the acquisition of Hohenberg Bros. Company, located in Memphis, Tenn.
1977
Whitney MacMillan is elected Chairman.
The Cargill Citrus Department imports the first bulk shipment of Brazilian frozen concentrated orange juice into the United States.
Cargill completes the largest Gulf Coast grain-export elevator at Reserve, La.
Cargill begins corn wet milling in Europe with the start-up of a plant in Bergen Op Zoom, Holland.
1978
The acquisition of Leslie Salt gives Cargill solar salt facilities in the San Francisco Bay area and Port Hedland, Australia.
1979
Cargill acquires MBPXL Corporation, Wichita, Kan., and enters the beef-processing industry.
Cargill enters the malting business with the acquisition of the Laurent malt plant in France.
1980
Cargill enters the coffee-trading business by acquiring Scholtz & Company, N.Y.
1981
The acquisition of Ralli Bros. & Coney and associated trading companies from Bowater Corp., London, makes Cargill a leading international cotton, rubber, wool and fiber trader. Company fiber trading and processing locations now include Kenya, Pakistan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Peru, France and West Germany.
1982
MBPXL's name is changed to Excel Corporation.
1985
Cargill acquires 80 percent of Gardinier, Incorporated, a Florida phosphate-fertilizer mining and manufacturing company.
1986
Northeast Petroleum, a Chelsea, Mass., petroleum-products merchandising and distributing company, is acquired.
1987
General Cocoa Company Holland B.V. and Gerkens Cocoa Products, Inc., are acquired, making Cargill a leading international cocoa processor and supplier.
Excel enters the pork-processing industry by acquiring a plant from Oscar Mayer Foods in Beardstown, Ill., and leasing the Hormel pork-processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa.
1988
Shandong-Cargill Ltd., a $10-million joint venture with the People's Republic of China, begins construction of a cottonseed-crushing facility in Shandong Province.
1990
Cargill Limited announces plans for a joint venture with the Provincial Government of Saskatchewan to form Saskferco Products, Incorporated, and build a $500-million nitrogen fertilizer plant.
1994
Cargill acquires InterMountain Canola, a breeder of specialty varieties of canola seed that produce healthier, high quality stability oils.
Goertzen seed is acquired, adding to Cargill's ability to produce specialty wheat and other food grains.
1995
Corn Milling, Grain and Seed work through newly acquired Vineyard to produce and market specialty food-corn hybrids for use in products such as corn chips, tacos, tortillas and breakfast cereals.
Cargill purchases 19 Bunge grain elevators located in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota and Minnesota and Bunge's export grain elevator at Portland, Ore. Cargill also swaps its river elevator at Osceola, Ark., for Bunge's river elevator at Price's Landing, Mo.
Cargill sells its U.S. broiler operations to Tyson Foods and acquires Tyson's pork producing facility in Marshall, Mo.
Whitney MacMillan retires after more than 44 years of service at Cargill, including 18 years as chairman and chief executive office.
The Cargill Board of Directors elects Ernest S. Micek chief executive officer.
1997
Cargill acquires the North American salt production, processing and marketing assets of Akzo Salt, Inc., making Cargill one of the largest salt production and marketing companies in the world.
Cargill and WPL Holdings, Inc. form a new energy trading and marketing company that will enter the U.S. energy marketplace. The joint venture called Cargill - IEC represents Cargill's entry into the bulk-electricity market in the United States.
Excel completes the installation of steam pasteurization in its seven beef plants in the United States and Canada. The process greatly reduces the risk of pathogens like E. Coli O157:H7.
1998
Warren R. Staley is elected president and chief operating officer. Staley, 55, previously served as corporate executive vice president. He joined Cargill in 1969 and held positions in corn milling in the United States and Europe.
Cargill's Memphis corn wet milling plant launches the first barge designed specifically to carry high fructose corn syrup and other liquid sweeteners. The barge, with its six stainless steel tanks, is one of a fleet of 14 that allows the Memphis plant to ship sweeteners on the Mississippi River at freight rates considerably lower than those for rail shipment.
Cargill and Continental Grain Company announce Cargill will acquire Continental's worldwide commodity marketing business. The transaction includes Continental's grain storage, transportation, export and trading operations in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
1999
The University of Minnesota receives $10 million from Cargill to expand the university’s work in the emerging field of microbial and plant genomics. The gift will be used for a facility on the St. Paul campus, and is expected to strengthen the university’s position in the genomics field.
Cargill completes acquisition of Continental Grain Company, the international agribusiness and financial services company based in New York.