Nabisco's logo is made up of a particular symbol called a
colophon, inside a red triangle, placed on the upper left corner of their products. The colophon, a cross with two bars and an oval, was a 15th century
Venetian printers’ symbol which stood for the triumph of the moral and spiritual over the evil and material. The company chose it to reflect its commitment to give consumers the freshest, highest quality biscuit products possbile. The symbol, now oval, used to be circular, and "
NABISCO" has appeared within the oval since 1941 (when the company officially became known as Nabisco}.
In 1890, Adolphus Green united 40 midwestern bakeries, forming the American Biscuit & Manufacturing Company. Eight years later, the National Biscuit Company was founded as Green and William Moore merged the New York Biscuit Company with the American Biscuit & Manufacturing Company to form the National Biscuit Company, made of 114 bakeries. The National Biscuit Company crackers stood out from all other crackers that were sold in bulk in cracker barrels. Green, the company president, created the Uneeda Biscuit, the first high quality soda cracker sold in a moisture-proof cardboard package. Green launched a national advertising campaign in order to make the public aware of the new product.
In 1901, Green coined the name "Nabisco" from "NAtional BIScuit COmpany" and used it on the new Sugar Wafers product. In 1912, Nabisco introduced Oreo Biscuit, its name, Oreo coming from the Greek word for hill, because the early product resembled a mounded shape. In 1913, the Mallowmar was invented, originally including a layer of jelly. In 1914, Nabisco used gasoline-powered delivery trucks for the first time, though deliveries continued to be made by horse and wagon until 1923.
In 1917, Adolphus Green, president and founder of Nabisco, passed away in his suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York from pneumonia contracted on a southern tour of the Nabisco bakeries. Roy E. Tomlinson replaced his office. From 1917 until 1918, Nabsico produced 800,000 bread rations per day to sustain soldiers on the battlefields during World War I. Nabisco bought the Shredded Wheat Company and its Triscuit Wafer in 1928. Six years later, Ritz became the world's largest selling cracker within 3 years of its introduction in 1934, with about 30 million crackers baked daily.
For four years, 1941-1945, Nabisco manufactured special biscuits called "pemmicans", made specifically for the armed forces during World War II. In 1945, new Nabisco president George Coppers began a 12-year modernization program for the company. His philosophy was "You have to spend money to make money."
Nabisco has 50,000 employees worldwide, and is made up of 3 companies: Nabisco Biscuit Company (domestic cookies, crackers, snacks), Nabisco International (Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Canada), and U.S. Foods Group. U.S. Foods Group includes: Planters Specialty Products Company (condiments, hot cereals, pet snacks, nuts and salty snacks), Life Savers Company (candies and gum), and Food Service Company (restaurant and institutional products). Nabisco’s U.S. operating companies make and market many of the most famous brands found in the supermarket. Brands include Oreo and Chips Ahoy! cookies, Ritz and Premium crackers, SnackWell’s, Planters nuts and snacks, Life Savers candies, A.1. steak sauces, Grey Poupon mustards and Milk-Bone dog snacks.
Source: http://www.nabisco.com/