McCormick of the Past and Present

When the McCormick corporate headquarters moved in 1991, a time capsule was placed in the new building with special instructions to open it 100 years later in the year 2091. In October of 2018, at the grand opening of the new Global Headquarters, CEO Lawrence Kurzius revealed some of what laid within the time capsule and his plans for the new building’s capsule. 

Of the twenty-two items enclosed in the original time capsule, most of the items were relevant to the company’s history, while others shed light on the culture of Baltimore as a whole. There tangible items such as a ceramic figure of the old Light Street building, a pepper can from the last “run” at Light Street in June of 1988 and a copy of a cookbook produced in honor of the company’s centennial anniversary. 

Advertisements, a copy of an edition of McCormick’s People magazine and a scroll containing the names of the employees who worked in the building in 1991 also added a personal touch to the collection of pieces. There was even a Betamax video of the Centennial Celebration, which required the use of a special, vintage VCR style player for us to see the faces and merriment of employees during those festivities. 

Former CEO Buzz McCormick also enclosed a letter for future employees about his excitement for the growth of the company in the years to come. With an eye to the future, there was even a video enclosed which outlined flavor predictions for 2014. 

In addition to pieces of company history, there were items of culture significance. An ode to Baltimore baseball, there was a signed Cal Ripken Orioles baseball card from 1991 and a schedule from the team’s last season at Memorial Park in 1992. Enclosed there were also images from local grocery stores and a map of the Hunt Valley area. 

Soon the time capsule will be resealed to place within our new Global Headquarters. We plan to fill it with additional items relevant to McCormick’s current work. Flavor Forecast predictions, pictures of our new building and employees in the space, a letter from Lawrence and, finally, any needed technology to view the enclosed items – like a Betamax VCR – will be sealed for future employees in 2091 to unearth and learn more about the company’s past.