Our History
Dole Packaged Foods Timeline
In 1899 James Dole arrived in Hawaii with $1000 in his pocket, a Harvard degree in business and horticulture and a love of farming. He began by growing pineapples. After harvesting the world’s sweetest, juiciest pineapples, he started shipping them back to mainland USA. To enable as many people as possible to enjoy this delicious fruit, he developed a technique for canning them. He wanted to make the sunshine and taste of Hawaiian pineapples available for everyone. This is how he built the Company: on a reputation of quality. And it remains true to this day.We are experts. It’s what we do, and we take great care to see that we do it well.
1851
The foundations of Dole are laid as Samuel Castle and Amos Cooke, originally from Boston, set up their trading company in Hawaii.
1899
James Drummond Dole comes to Hawaii, fresh out of Harvard’s School of Horticulture & Agriculture.
1901
James Dole begins growing pineapples in Wahiawa, on Oahu Island, Hawaii. He founds the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and starts to make the name of “Hawaii” synonymous with “pineapple.” Dole makes his famous quality pledge: “We have built this company on quality, and quality, and quality.”
1907
Dole moves his pineapple cannery to Honolulu and places advertisements in U.S. magazines to promote pineapple – one of the first nationwide consumer advertising campaigns in America.
1911
A Dole engineer, Henry Ginaca, invents a machine that peels, cores and cuts pineapple at the speed of up to 100 pineapples per minute. The Ginaca is now an industry standard.
1915
The Hawaiian Pineapple Company becomes Hawaii’s second largest industry.
1932
Castle & Cooke acquires ownership of 21% of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company.
1933
Recognizing the popularity and quality associated with James Dole’s name, the company first stamps “DOLE” on cans of pineapple and pineapple juice.
1961
Dole merges with Castle and Cooke and keeps the DOLE brand.
1963
Dole Philippines, the pineapple-growing operations in the Philippines, is organized under the name Dolefil.
1986
The Dole logo is redesigned. The bright yellow sunburst is chosen, signifying freshness, quality, wholesomeness and good-tasting products.
1991
Dole launches the “Dole 5 A Day Program” to encourage young children and their families to eat five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
1999
Dole introduces Fruit Bowls®, the first all-natural fruit snack in a plastic cup.
2004
Dole acquires JR Woods (frozen fruits) in the US.
2007
Dole is named to “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list by Ethisphere Magazine.
2012
Dole acquires a 100% interest in Mrs. May’s Naturals.
2015
Dole Packaged Foods’ Headquarter Building in Westlake Village, CA awarded LEED Gold Certification.
