Rold Gold

Rold Gold is an American pretzel brand with origins in Philadelphia in the early twentieth century. The business began in 1917 under the name American Cone and Pretzel Company, founded by Philadelphia businessman Lorraine Schumaker. It operated as a family-owned enterprise for approximately its first fifty years and built its identity around the manufacture and distribution of pretzels. The company expanded beyond its original Philadelphia base during its early history. Operations were established in St. Louis, Missouri, and El Segundo, California, helping the business develop a broader manufacturing and distribution footprint. Alongside its pretzel operations, the company also owned the Continental Packing Company, a pimento-canning plant near Macon, Georgia. That subsidiary was held from 1921 until 1955, when it was sold as the business faced growing competition from overseas canners. The sale marked a return toward a more focused pretzel-centered business. A proposed ownership change in 1960 shaped the brand's subsequent corporate history. The Schumaker family agreed to sell Rold Gold to Red Dot Foods Inc., based in Madison, Wisconsin, but the transaction was not completed after Red Dot entered bankruptcy and its principal owner died by suicide. Frito-Lay purchased Rold Gold in 1961 and has retained ownership of the brand since then. Through Frito-Lay's distribution system, Rold Gold expanded its sales across the United States and became a national rather than primarily regional pretzel name. Rold Gold's portfolio consists of baked pretzel and related snack products. The brand's products are distinguished by baking rather than frying, and most are lactose-free according to the reference material. Its range has included multiple pretzel formats rather than a single signature shape, although the available material does not specify a complete current product list. As a Frito-Lay brand, Rold Gold occupies a position within the packaged-snack market alongside other pretzel and salty-snack brands. The brand formerly used packaging language describing it as “America's No. 1 Pretzel.” By 2014, however, available United States dollar-sales measurement placed Rold Gold second among pretzel brands behind Snyder's of Hanover. This comparison illustrates the difference between a longstanding national brand identity and category leadership measured by retail sales. Rold Gold remains associated primarily with packaged baked pretzels and is marketed within the United States under Frito-Lay ownership.

Rold Gold traces its history to Philadelphia in 1917, when Lorraine Schumaker founded the American Cone and Pretzel Company. The company was initially a family business and spent roughly its first half-century developing a reputation as a pretzel producer. Its early identity was therefore tied less to a diversified consumer-goods portfolio than to specialized production of pretzels for an expanding American snack market. During its growth, the company extended its operations to St. Louis, Missouri, and El Segundo, California. These locations broadened its production presence beyond Philadelphia and supported the development of a more geographically extensive business. The company also had a non-pretzel activity through ownership of the Continental Packing Company, a pimento-canning plant located near Macon, Georgia. Continental Packing was owned from 1921 to 1955. It was sold in 1955 as the business encountered increased competition from overseas canners, reducing the company's exposure to that separate line of food production. The Schumaker family continued to control the business until a sale was arranged in 1960 with Red Dot Foods Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin. That transaction did not reach completion because Red Dot became bankrupt and its principal owner died by suicide. In 1961, Frito-Lay acquired Rold Gold. Frito-Lay's ownership has continued since that acquisition, making Rold Gold one of the company's established pretzel brands. Following the acquisition, Rold Gold expanded from a historically rooted family business into a nationally distributed brand. Its sales grew across the United States through Frito-Lay's distribution network. The brand's products have remained focused on pretzels and related snack formats, with the available reference describing them as baked rather than fried and noting that most are lactose-free. Rold Gold's market identity has included a claim of national pretzel leadership on its packaging. In sales terms, the brand was reported in 2014 as the second-largest pretzel brand in the United States by total dollar sales, behind Snyder's of Hanover. The distinction indicates that Rold Gold retained substantial national recognition while not holding the top measured position in that category at the time. The available material does not provide enough information to establish a complete current product lineup, manufacturing footprint, advertising history, or recent corporate developments beyond its continuing ownership by Frito-Lay.

• 2014

  Rold Gold ranks second by U.S. pretzel dollar sales

  [1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  Rold Gold was reported as the second-ranked U.S. pretzel brand by total dollar sales, behind Snyder's of Hanover.

• 1961

  Frito-Lay acquires Rold Gold

  [1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  Frito-Lay purchased the pretzel business and has owned the brand since that time.

• 1960

  Proposed sale to Red Dot Foods fails

  [1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  The Schumaker family agreed to sell the business to Red Dot Foods, but the transaction collapsed after Red Dot entered bankruptcy.

• 1955

  Continental Packing Company is sold

  [1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  The pimento-canning operation was sold amid increasing competition from overseas canners.

• 1921

  Continental Packing Company becomes part of the business

  [1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  The company began owning the Continental Packing Company, a pimento-canning plant near Macon, Georgia.

• 1917

  American Cone and Pretzel Company is founded

  [1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  Lorraine Schumaker founded the business in Philadelphia under the name American Cone and Pretzel Company.

A longstanding American packaged-pretzel brand positioned around baked snack products and broad national distribution through Frito-Lay.

• Pretzel snacks

  Rold Gold pretzels

  The core Rold Gold range consists of packaged pretzel products in multiple formats. The available reference characterizes the products as baked rather than fried and states that most are lactose-free. Specific current shapes, sizes, flavors, and formulas are not identified in the source material.

• 1961

  Frito-Lay acquisitionM&A

  Background

  A proposed 1960 sale to Red Dot Foods failed when Red Dot entered bankruptcy.

  Action taken

  Frito-Lay purchased Rold Gold and assumed ownership of the pretzel business.

  Aftermath

  Rold Gold was subsequently distributed as a national brand through Frito-Lay and has remained under its ownership.

  Source

• 1955

  Exit from pimento canningStrategy

  Background

  The company owned Continental Packing Company in Georgia in addition to its pretzel operations. Competition from overseas canners increased pressure on the pimento-canning business.

  Action taken

  The Continental Packing Company operation was sold, ending that part of the company's business.

  Aftermath

  The business became more focused on pretzels before its later acquisition by Frito-Lay.

  Source

• 2014

  Rold Gold ranked second among U.S. pretzel brands by dollar sales[1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Available U.S. dollar-sales measurements placed Rold Gold behind Snyder's of Hanover, despite the brand's former packaging claim of being America's leading pretzel.

• 1961

  Rold Gold is acquired by Frito-Lay[1]Rold Golden.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Frito-Lay purchased Rold Gold after the proposed 1960 sale to Red Dot Foods failed following Red Dot's bankruptcy.

1. 1Rold Golden.wikipedia.org