# General Mills

> General Mills is a 160-year-old American food company that grew from a single flour mill on the Mississippi River into a maker of more than 100 packaged-food brands sold in over 100 countries. Its shelf-and-freezer roster - Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, Old El Paso, Progresso, Haagen-Dazs, Annie's and the Blue Buffalo pet line - reaches roughly nine in ten U.S. households. Headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota and led by chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening, the company posted fiscal 2026 net sales of about $18.4 billion.

- **Founded:** 1866
- **Headquarters:** Golden Valley, Minnesota, United States
- **Founders:** Cadwallader C. Washburn (Founder (built the original Minneapolis mill, 1866)), John Crosby (Partner (Washburn-Crosby Company))
- **Team size:** Approximately 30,000+ employees worldwide.
- **Products:** Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Gold Medal, Nature Valley
- **Notable:** Grew from a single 1866 Minneapolis flour mill into a portfolio of 100+ brands sold in 100+ countries., Created Betty Crocker (1921), one of the most recognized brand personas in American food., Paid shareholder dividends without interruption for more than 125 years.

## Products & services

- **Cheerios** — The company's flagship ready-to-eat cereal line, first introduced as CheeriOats in 1941 and among the best-selling cereals in the U.S.
- **Betty Crocker** — Baking mixes, frosting and dessert products anchored by the fictional homemaker persona created in 1921.
- **Pillsbury** — Refrigerated dough, biscuits, crescents and baked goods.
- **Gold Medal** — All-purpose flour, the original product that traces back to the company's milling roots.
- **Nature Valley** — Granola bars and snack products in the wellness and on-the-go category.
- **Old El Paso** — Mexican-style meal kits, tortillas, salsas and taco shells.
- **Blue Buffalo** — Natural pet food brand, now spanning dry, wet and fresh feeding, acquired in 2018.
- **Haagen-Dazs** — Premium ice cream, sold internationally by General Mills.
- **Annie's** — Organic and natural packaged foods including mac and cheese and snacks, acquired in 2014.
- **Progresso** — Ready-to-serve soups and broths.
- **Totino's / Yoplait / Wheaties / Bisquick** — A broad roster spanning frozen snacks, yogurt, sports-branded cereal and baking mixes.

## Achievements

- Grew from a single 1866 Minneapolis flour mill into a portfolio of 100+ brands sold in 100+ countries.
- Created Betty Crocker (1921), one of the most recognized brand personas in American food.
- Paid shareholder dividends without interruption for more than 125 years.
- Built Blue Buffalo into the largest U.S. pet food brand spanning dry, wet and fresh feeding.
- Named to TIME's World's Best Companies 2025 list.
- Reached roughly 90% of U.S. households with its brand portfolio.

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — General Mills reported fiscal 2025 net sales of $19.49 billion and net income of $2.3 billion, and set its fiscal 2026 outlook.
- **2025-09** — Announced Blue Buffalo's national launch into fresh pet food ('Love Made Fresh') and the U.S. launch of premium brand Edgard & Cooper.
- **2025-10** — Named to TIME's World's Best Companies 2025 list.
- **2025-11** — Declared its regular quarterly dividend, continuing an uninterrupted payout stretching back over 125 years.
- **2026-07** — Reported fiscal 2026 full-year net sales of about $18.4 billion, down 5%, with a rare annual loss driven by divestiture and acquisition impacts; CEO said fiscal 2027 will be a better year.

## Links

- Website: https://www.generalmills.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/general-mills
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/generalmills
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/generalmills
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalmills/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/generalmills

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Last updated: 2026-08-13