History

What began with plastic products and salt and pepper turned into a global leader in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry.

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  1991-1994
  Businessman and innovator Ted Gelov, a graduate of Purdue University, started his first business in October 1991, manufacturing plastic packaging and novelties in southern Indiana. The company evolved to producing small containers for the food industry and co-packing for larger food brands.
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  1995-2003
  In 1995, the predecessor to Heartland Food Products Group developed its first proprietary product, a plastic disposable salt and pepper shaker set, becoming the leader in private label salt and pepper sets nationally. The company added other condiments through the years, including packets of salt, pepper and sugar as well as other seasoning and dry condiments for multiple channels of trade: grocery, mass, club, dollar, drug and foodservice.
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  2004-2010
  In November 2004, Heartland was the first company to develop a private label sucralose sweetener to rival the fast-growing SPLENDA® Brand, and almost overnight, a new industry was born. The company grew to become the largest manufacturer of private label sucralose sweeteners. The company expanded to Europe, opening a manufacturing plant in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2009 and began to sell sucralose-based sweeteners and other tabletop sweeteners, including stevia, aspartame and saccharine.
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  2011
  In 2011, true to “Heartland speed,” the company was the first to market with a private label liquid water enhancer. The business expanded quickly in the U.S. and globally, and within three years, the company became the largest global producer of private label liquid water enhancers.
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  2012-2015
  Between 2012 and 2015, Heartland expanded its Indianapolis plant and distribution facilities many times, including a 350,000-sq. ft. state-of-the-art distribution facility, an added spray dry plant complete with liquid blending and an aseptic packaging line to produce protein shakes, ready to drink coffee, liquid coffee creamers and other low acid shelf-stable products.
• 
  2015-2017

  In October 2015, Heartland completed the transformative transaction of acquiring the SPLENDA® Brand from Johnson & Johnson. As a result of this purchase, Heartland is the global leader in all tabletop sweeteners through all channels of trade. Leading the charge in the quickly emerging cold brew coffee category, Heartland launched JAVA HOUSE® Authentic Cold Brew Coffee in 2017.

Heartland is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, with additional offices in Bentonville, Arkansas; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Mexico City, Mexico; and Bogotá, Colombia. Our manufacturing facilities are located in Indianapolis, Indiana; Tultitlán, Mexico; and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Our products are distributed throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. We employ over 1,200 people worldwide.