Read about the milestones, landmarks, and notable events that have comprised McCormick history and allowed us to become the world's leading flavor experts.
1932 Willoughby McCormick died on November 4, and his nephew, 36-year-old C. P. McCormick was elected President and Chairman of the Board. Faced with the serious crisis of the Depression, he quickly implemented a new business philosophy called "Multiple Management." A Junior Board of Directors was established.
1933 Hours were cut; wages were raised. A bonus Profit Sharing Plan was begun in the factory. The Factory Board was established.
1934 Edwin Tunis, Baltimore architect, designed and constructed an early English Tea House on the seventh floor of the McCormick Building in Baltimore. Friendship Court, a replica of a 16th century English village, followed the English Tea House. For many years, visitors would take tours of Friendship Court and the Tea House theme was used in packaging and marketing promotions as well.
1935 The Sales Board was established.
1937 New "Tea House Tea" trademark was developed. New metal containers developed for spice line, one of the packaging changes that won seven national packaging awards for McCormick in the next two years.
1938 McCormick's research team developed "McCorization," a spice sterilization process (first in this country) that made McCormick spices the safest and cleanest available with no loss of flavor. C. P. McCormick's books - Multiple Management and The McCormick System Of Management - went into print for the first time.
1939 This year saw first printing of Pioneering With Products And People, a book dedicated by C. P. to Willoughby McCormick, reviewed first 50 years of the Company.
1940 McCormick Overseas Trading Corporation was formed to handle foreign operations, which was later named the International Division. The first Unsung Hero Award presented "To the unheralded [football] team member...."
1941 The big "Mc" became a trademark for all but a few US products. C-Day, a Saturday when earnings of all working McCormick employees are matched by the Company and donated to charity, was begun as an annual tradition.
1945 To welcome home wartime personnel, an extended Christmas holiday was given for the first time. 1946 Bulk and Institutional Division was established to serve manufacturers, bakeries, meat packers, and the restaurant trade.
1947 McCormick acquired A. Schilling & Company of San Francisco, a coffee, spice, and extract house established in 1881, gaining coast-to coast distribution with slogan "United to serve the nation's good taste." The Company joined with the Hernandez family to form McCormick de Mexico, S.A. of Mexico City to produce and distribute McCormick products in Mexico.
1949 Multiple Management by C. P. McCormick was re-published as The Power Of People. Eric A. Johnston, President, Motion Picture Association of America, appointed to the Board of Directors.