Wheatena History
A Century of Wheatena
1879 - A small bakery owner, on Mulberry Street in lower New York City, began roasting whole wheat, grinding it and selling it in packages branded Wheatena.
1879 - Newspaper advertising for Wheatena first appeared.
1885 - Health Foods, an active manufacturer of bake goods and cereals, purchased the Mulberry Street bakery and the Wheatena brand. The owner, Dr. Fuller, moved manufacturing to Akron, Ohio where production would be closer to the special variety of wheat used to produce Wheatena.
1903 - Long time associate, A.R. Wendell purchased Wheatena from Health Foods. He separated the businesses and formed a new company called The Wheatena Corporation.
1907 - The Wheatena Corporation moved to a new, modern plant in Rahway, New Jersey, "Wheatenaville".
Early 1960's - The Uhlmann Company, Kansas City, Missouri, owners of Standard Milling Company, purchased the Highspire Flour Mills and The Wheatena Corporation.
October 1967 - Shortly after its purchase, production of Wheatena was relocated to the Highspire Flour Mills in PA. The Mill had been a long time supplier of the raw material, 100% cracked wheat, used to make Wheatena.
For the next 20 years, the Uhlmann Company owned and operated the flourmill along with the cereal manufacturing business in Highspire. The business was known as The Wheatena Corporation, Standard Milling, and/or The Uhlmann Company during this period.
Early 1987 - The Uhlmann Company leased the flour milling business at Highspire to ConAgra but retained ownership of the mill.
April 1988 - The Uhlmann Company sold the cereal manufacturing operation to American Home Foods but retained ownership of the Wheatena brand under a long-term royalty arrangement.
November 1996 - International Home Foods acquired American Home Foods and soon thereafter purchased the Wheatena brand from The Uhlmann Co.
August 2000 - ConAgra Foods acquired International Home Foods along with the Wheatena brand.
October 31, 2001 - The Wheatena brand and the Highspire facility were purchased by William Stadtlander, founder Homestat Farm, Ltd.
The Wheatena brand is still alive and well today. Manufactured in Highspire, PA, Wheatena has continued to be a favorite for over 100 years. Homestat Farm intends to keep it that way.
April 1, 2014 - Homestat Farm was purchased from William Statlander by family-owned Camden Holdings.