Borden Dairy Company is one of America’s most trusted dairy companies.

History
Borden Dairy Company is named after inventor, businessman and philanthropist Gail Borden Junior. In 1857, one of his inventions was a method of producing condensed milk commercially. A year after this invention, Borden founded his own company which focused on commercial milk production. He initially named it New York Condensed Milk Company.

In 1861, Borden expanded his company’s market by selling condensed milk to the army during the Civil War in the United States. In 1874, Gail Borden Junior died in Texas. In the same year, evaporated milk and processed milk were added to the company’s product line. In 1885, the company introduced an innovation by distributing glass-bottled milk to the market.

In 1899, the company’s name was changed to Borden Condensed Milk Company and in 1919, changed its name again to Borden Company. In 1928, Borden Company purchased two of the biggest  manufacturers of ice cream in the country. A year after, the company added cheese to its product line.

Elsie, the company’s famous cow mascot, was first introduced to the public in 1937. Elsie’s first live appearance was at the 1939 World’s Fair. In 1951, Borden Company introduced the Elsie trademark depicting the cow with daisies on her neck and petals of daisies encircling Elsie’s face. In 1964, the company attempted to retire Elsie the Cow as its trademark. However, a survey conducted revealed that Elsie was still considered one of the most known trademarks in the country. Thus, Elsie the Cow, has remained the company’s trademark.

In 1966, Borden was the first dairy producer in the country to make use of the USDA’s Inspection Shield. Two years later, Borden again changed its name to Borden, Incorporated. In the same year, the company relocated to a new headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1969, Borden introduced its “Lite Line” cheese and milk produces. Although Elsie the Cow has been semi-retired by the company, her image remains present on every Borden branded product, to serve as a ‘trust mark.’

In 1995, Borden, Inc. was acquired and made private by its new owner KKR. The dairy business was first reorganized and then divested again. This year, after 150 years of producing quality dairy products, both Borden and its trademark Elsie the Cow were launched again in Florida. The company is already planning its expanded distribution.

Stats
• Headquarters: Winter Haven, Florida
• Ownership Type: Private
• No. of Employees: Information not available
• Geography: USA
• Demography: milk consumers

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Borden’s®

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