Domino Foods

Domino Foods, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Sugar marketing and refining
Predecessor	W. & F.C. Havemeyer Company, Havemeyer, Townsend & Co. Refinery, Domino Sugar
Founded	1807
Headquarters	Yonkers, New York , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Fanjul brothers (owners)
Products	Sugar (Domino, C&H, Florida Crystals, Redpath), agave nectar
Parent	American Sugar Refining (controlled by Florida Crystals Corporation and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida)

Domino Foods, Inc.—also identified as DFI and previously known under names such as W. & F.C. Havemeyer Company, Havemeyer, Townsend & Co. Refinery, and Domino Sugar—is a privately owned enterprise specializing in sugar marketing and sales, headquartered in Yonkers, New York, USA. The company markets sugar products throughout the United States under four primary brands: Domino, C&H, Florida Crystals, and Redpath. Since 1901, Domino Sugar has catered to markets along the East Coast and additionally provides agave nectar as a sweetener alternative.

Domino Foods manages three principal refineries across the United States located in Yonkers, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Chalmette, Louisiana. Together, these facilities have an annual sugar production capacity totaling 2.2 million metric tons. Ownership of the company rests with the Fanjul brothers, a family whose stewardship has been subject to scrutiny owing to significant corporate subsidies, bipartisan political contributions, and criticisms concerning labor conditions on their agricultural estates.

History

The origins trace back to 1799 when William Havemeyer, who had trained as an apprentice at a London sugar refinery, was appointed manager of Edmund Seaman's sugar refinery in New York City. His brother Frederick joined him in 1802. By 1807, they established the W. & F.C. Havemeyer Company on Vandam Street. In 1859, the firm relocated to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, adopting the name Havemeyer, Townsend & Co. Refinery.. The refinery processed sugar cane produced by enslaved labor and underwent modernization by 1864. After suffering a fire in 1882, the rebuilt Brooklyn facility emerged as the largest sugar refinery in the nation.

Following the 1891 antitrust decision against the Sugar Trust, Henry Osborne Havemeyer and Theodore A. Havemeyer assumed leadership roles as chairman and president of the newly consolidated American Sugar Refining Company. In May 1896, American Sugar was among the original twelve companies included in the inaugural Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The company expanded its reach by acquiring five more refineries and adopted the trade name "Domino Sugar" in 1900; this brand was officially registered with the patent office in 1901. In 1916, Domino pioneered individually wrapped sugar tablets.

In 1970, American Sugar Company rebranded as "The Amstar Corporation." Private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts acquired Amstar in 1983 before selling it to Merrill Lynch three years later. Subsequently, British corporation Tate & Lyle purchased Domino Sugar in 1988.

By 2001, Domino Sugar had transitioned into Domino Foods, Inc., following its acquisition from Tate & Lyle by American Sugar Refining—controlled by Florida Crystals Corporation—and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida for $180 million. Florida Crystals is part of FLO-SUN, an entity under the control of the Fanjul Brothers with heritage tied to historic Spanish-Cuban sugar plantations.

In 2009, Domino secured carbon neutrality certification for its Domino Granulated Sugar and Florida Crystals lines through Carbonfund.org Foundation by adopting carbon offset measures and modifying production processes. The company emphasized that "CarbonFree" referred specifically to manufacturing methods rather than altering the chemical nature of sugar.

In 2012, Two Trees acquired the Domino Sugar Refinery property in Williamsburg for $185 million. Beginning in 2014, demolition of several structures commenced to facilitate development of a mixed-use project incorporating office buildings, retail space, residential towers, and parkland. Construction activities remain ongoing as of 2023.