{{Infobox_Company | company_name = General Mills, Inc. | company_logo = Image:GeneralMills.png | company_type = Public (NYSE: '''GIS''')| company_slogan = The Company of Champions | foundation = 1866 | location = HQ in Golden_Valley,_Minnesota; manufacturing facilities around the world | key_people = Steve_Sanger, Chairman and CEO
Raymond_Viault, Vice Chairman| industry = Food_processing | products = Baking_mixes, Breakfast_cereals, Yogurt, refrigerated Dough, Soup, Pizza, Snack_foods, Ice_cream, Soy products, Vegetables, Flour, and more...| revenue = Image:green_up.png$11.070 billion USD (2004)| homepage = www.generalmills.com }} '''General Mills''' {{NYSE|GIS}} is a Fortune_500 Corporation, mainly concerned with Food products, that is headquartered in Golden_Valley,_Minnesota, a Suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets such Brands as Betty_Crocker, Nestlé, Yoplait, and Pillsbury, as well as numerous well-known Breakfast_cereals (see below). ==History== The company can trace its history to the '''Minneapolis Milling Company''', an organization founded in 1856 by Cadwallader_C._Washburn which leased power rights to Mills operating along Saint_Anthony_Falls on the Mississippi_River. His brother William_D._Washburn also assisted in the company's development. In 1866, the Washburns got into the business themselves, building the Washburn "B" Mill at the falls. At the time, the building was considered to be so large and output so vast that it could not possibly sustain itself. However, the company succeeded and in 1874 he built the even bigger Washburn_"A"_Mill. In 1877, the mill entered a partnership with John_Crosby to form the '''Washburn-Crosby Company'''. A year later, the "A" mill exploded, killing 17 workers and also demolishing several nearby buildings. The mill was rebuilt and continued to operate for several decades. In the 1920s, the company stepped in to take over a failing Twin_Cities Radio_station, renaming it WCCO. General Mills was created in 1928 when Washburn-Crosby President James_Ford_Bell directed his company to merge with 26 other mills. In 1970, General Mills acquired a five-unit restaurant company called Red_Lobster and expanded it nationwide. Soon, a division of General Mills titled General Mills Restaurants developed to take charge of the Red Lobster Chain. In 1982, General Mills Restaurants founded a new Italian themed restaurant chain called Olive_Garden. General Mills spun off its Restaurant division in 1995 into Darden Restaurants, Inc. In 1988, General Mills sold '''General Mills Specialty Retail Group''', which was the parent company of both Eddie_Bauer (sold to Spiegel,_Inc.) and Talbots. In 1990, General Mills and Nestlé started a 50/50 joint venture called Cereal_Partners_Worldwide to market breakfast cereals for both the United_States and Europe. CPW distributes cereals manufactured by both companies under the Nestlé brand name. The company merged with Pillsbury in 2001. While many of the Pillsbury-branded products are still manufactured by General Mills, some products had to be sold off to allow the merger since the new company would have held a very strong Monopoly position. Products such as Cake mixes, are still sold by General Mills under the Pillsbury label. However the Diageo group of companies still stands strong without Pillsbury. In October of 2004, the General Mills Monster-themed triple pack Breakfast_cereals were introduced in supermarkets and wholesale retail stores, featuring Boo_Berry (Blueberry-flavoured), Count_Chocula (Chocolate-flavoured), and Franken_Berry (Strawberry-flavoured). In late 2004, the company transitioned its entire breakfast cereal line to Whole_grain. This was partially due to the Low-carbohydrate_diet craze that had been sweeping the United_States in the early 2000s decade, but was also influenced by research indicating that highly-refined grains can have detrimental Health_effects. Also, in 2004, General Mills was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers by ''Working Mothers'' magazine. ==Corporate governance== Current members of the Board_of_directors of General Mills are: Paul_Danos, William_Esrey, Raymond_Gilmartin, Judith_Hope, Heidi_Miller, Hilda_Ochoa-Brillembourg, Steve_Odland, Michael Rose, Robert Ryan, Stephen_Sanger (chairman), Michael_Spence, and Dorothy_Terrell. ==Brands== ===Breakfast cereals=== *Boo_Berry *Cheerios *Cinnamon_Grahams *Cinnamon_Toast_Crunch *Chex *Cocoa_Puffs *Cookie_Crisp *Count_Chocula *Franken_Berry *Golden_Grahams *Kix *Lucky_Charms *Shrek's_(not_donkey's) *Total_(cereal) *Trix_(cereal) *Wheaties === Other === * 8th_Continent * Betty_Crocker * Bisquick * Bugles * Cascadian_Farm * Diablitos_Underwood (Venezuela only) * Forno_de_Minas * Frescarini * Fruit_Snacks * Gardetto's * Gold_Medal_FlourImage:Gold_medal_flour_factory.jpg factory in Minneapolis.]] * Green_Giant * Häagen-Dazs * Hamburger_Helper * Jeno's * Jus-Rol * Knack_&_Back * La_Salteña * Latina_(brand) * Muir_Glen * Nature_Valley * Old_El_Paso * Pillsbury * Pop_Secret * Progresso * Totino's * V._Pearl * Wanchai_Ferry * Yoplait/Colombo_(yogurt) ==External links== * General Mills homepage * General Mills corporate brands * Millsberry (Online games sponsored by General Mills) * Cereal Partners Worldwide (A marketing partnership with Nestlé) * Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide * Yahoo! - General Mills, Inc. Company Profile (Corporate data) Category:Food_companies_of_the_United_States Category:Companies_based_in_Minnesota * Category:Fortune_500_companies