McCormick & Company

McCormick & Company, Incorporated

Company type	Public
Industry	Food processing
Founded	January 1, 1889 (1889-01-01) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Founder	Willoughby M. McCormick
Headquarters	Hunt Valley , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Brendan Foley (Chairman, President, CEO)
Products	Spices, seasoning blends, condiments, flavor enhancers
Revenue	US$6.72 billion (2024)
Operating income	US$1.06 billion (2024)
Net income	US$789 million (2024)
Number of employees	14,100 (2024)
Website	www.mccormick.com

McCormick & Company, Incorporated stands as a premier American food enterprise, focusing on the production, promotion, and distribution of spices, seasoning blends, condiments, and flavor enhancers for retail consumers, food manufacturers, and the foodservice industry.

With a worldwide presence, McCormick commands the largest revenue share in the spice and related food products sector. As a Fortune 500 entity, it reported revenues reaching US$6.72 billion in 2024, alongside an operating profit of US$1.06 billion and a net profit of US$789 million. The organization employs roughly 14,100 individuals globally and is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, having moved from Sparks in 2018.

The leadership team is led by Brendan Foley, who holds the positions of chairman, president, and CEO. He spearheads McCormick’s strategic focus on innovation and international growth. The company's extensive product lineup serves varied markets across numerous continents, securing its strong position within the processed and packaged goods industry.

History

The company was established in Baltimore in 1889 by Willoughby M. McCormick (1864–1932) at the age of 25. Initially, he sold root beer, flavor extracts, fruit syrups, and juices door-to-door. In 1896, McCormick entered the spice market through acquiring the F.G. Emmett Spice Company. The firm was first incorporated in Maine in 1903 and later re-incorporated in Maryland in 1915. After suffering significant losses during the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, a new five-story building was constructed on the original site by 1905.

In 1916, McCormick faced a fine from the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry for adulterated black pepper and was mandated to label products disclosing added pepper shells. Charles P. McCormick (1896–1970), Willoughby’s nephew who joined in 1912, rose to president and chairman at age 36 after Willoughby’s passing in 1932. By 1941, the "Mc" trademark was widely recognized on most U.S.-distributed products.

Charles P. ("Buzz") McCormick Jr. assumed roles as president and CEO in 1987 and chairman in 1988. The company celebrated its centennial in 1989 with employee-centered events and nationwide performances by Up with People.

Currently, McCormick is a Fortune 500 company boasting $5.6 billion in annual revenue as of 2020, reflecting robust financial health and a significant global footprint in spices and flavoring products.

Acquisitions

Strategic acquisitions have been instrumental for McCormick’s growth and international reach. In 1947, it purchased A. Schilling & Company based in San Francisco, facilitating nationwide U.S. distribution. The Schilling brand remained active in the Western region until the 1990s before all products were consolidated under the McCormick name.

Additional acquisitions included Ben-Hur Products (1953), Gorman Eckert & Co. Ltd., Canada’s leading spice firm (1959), and Gilroy Foods (1961). Expansion into extracts, cake decoration supplies, and contract food packaging occurred through Baker Extract Co. (1962), Cake Mate (1967), Childers Foods, and Tubed Products (both acquired in 1968). Founder Charles P. McCormick retired from leadership in 1969.

During the 1970s, acquisitions such as Golden West Foods (1973) led to combining eastern and western retail operations into a Grocery Products Division headquartered in Baltimore by 1975. Other purchases included All Portions (1975), TV Time Foods (1976), Astro Foods (1977), and Han-Dee Pak (1979). A proposed takeover by Swiss company Sandoz in 1979 was ultimately withdrawn following legal disputes.

The early 1980s saw acquisitions including Setco and Stange (1981), UK firms Paterson Jenks and Schwartz (1984), Armanino Farms (1986), plus multiple California-based companies in 1987. In 1990, McCormick acquired a stake in Old Bay seasoning followed by Mojave Foods (1991) and Golden Dipt's consumer division (1993). International expansion continued with Grupo Pesa (Mexico), Tuko Oy (Finland), Butto (Switzerland), and Minipack UK (1994). Some subsidiaries were divested mid-1990s; however, French's dry seasoning line was acquired in Canada during 1997.

Entering the new century, McCormick took over Ducros of France in 2000, joined the S&P 500 index by 2003, expanded further with UniqSauces UK and Zatarain's from Louisiana while divesting packaging units Setco and Tubed Products that same year. Subsequent acquisitions included C.M. van Sillevoldt B.V., Netherlands (2004), along with Epicurean International featuring Thai Kitchen brands (2006).

In its largest acquisition to date during 2008, McCormick purchased Lawry's seasonings and marinades but agreed to sell Season-All to obtain FTC approval. That year also saw acquisition of Billy Bee Honey Products of Canada.

Growth persisted with Kitchen Basics ($38 million) and Poland’s Kamis S.A. ($291 million) acquisitions in 2011 alongside securing an 85% interest in Kohinoor Speciality Foods India for $115 million to strengthen its Asian market presence.

In 2013, McCormick further solidified its footprint by acquiring Wuhan Asia-Pacific Condiments Co., Ltd., followed by a $100 million purchase of Stubb's marinades and BBQ products two years later.

Leadership shifted when Lawrence E. Kurzius became CEO in 2016 bringing extensive experience from Mars Inc., Quaker Oats Company, and Uncle Ben's brands.

McCormick withdrew its bid for Premier Foods that year due to valuation disagreements but proceeded to acquire Italian flavorings manufacturer Enrico Giotti SpA for $127 million later on.

The most substantial acquisition came in 2017 with Reckitt Benckiser's Food Division ("RB Foods") purchase exceeding $4 billion, adding iconic brands such as French's mustard and Frank's RedHot hot sauce to its portfolio.

Most recently, McCormick broadened its hot sauce offerings by acquiring Cholula Hot Sauce in November 2020 followed by enhancing flavor production capabilities through FONA International acquisition in December of the same year.

Research and development

In February 2019, McCormick collaborated with IBM to create an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that leverages extensive historical data to design innovative flavor profiles and seasoning blends. That same year, the company introduced its inaugural AI-generated seasoning collection, named "One," which is specifically designed to simplify one-dish meal preparation.

TV sponsorship

Starting in December 2021, McCormick became a sponsor of Elinor Wonders Why on PBS Kids, marking its initial commitment to supporting PBS programming. Additionally, the sponsorship portfolio included backing for the series Let's Go Luna.

Headquarters

McCormick shifted its manufacturing and corporate operations from Baltimore's Inner Harbor to Hunt Valley, Maryland in 1970. The corporate headquarters relocated to Sparks, Maryland in 1991 before moving back to a newly constructed global headquarters in Hunt Valley in 2018, which accommodates around 1,100 staff members.

The company's consumer brands reach approximately 170 countries and territories worldwide. Its retail assortment features spices, herbs, recipe mixes, extracts, condiments, marinades, stocks, broths, sauces, toppings, dessert ingredients, rice mixes, salad dressings, and breading products.

Moreover, McCormick manufactures flavorings, branded food service items, condiments, coating systems, and ingredient solutions for food producers and service operators across the globe.

Brands

McCormick & Company offers a diverse portfolio of brands that are available in more than 170 countries and territories including: