That's Cheesy...

A history of Kraft, courtesy their web site.

James Kraft's early experience with cheese instilled in him the desire to
improve, or change, certain qualities in cheese to give it a longer shelf
life and more uniform flavor. Until that time cheddar cheese, which was the
most widely sold variety in the United States, either moulded or dried
quickly so there was excessive waste. It also varied greatly in taste, much
of it having a strong or bitter flavour that was unpalatable.

From the small beginnings of selling a few standard varieties of cheese
wholesale, the company was distributing within a few years some 30 varieties
of cheese packaged under the brand names of Kraft and Elkhorn, and by 1914
the cheeses were available in most towns across the United States. The
company also began to manufacture its own products, including new and
traditional varieties of cheese. Most of its new cheeses were packaged in
glass jars or in foil-wrapped packages.

As a result of constant experimentation throughout the years to give cheese
longer lasting qualities, James Kraft's major contribution to the cheese
industry in America was processed cheese. His work resulted in a product
that could be packaged without waste, maintain a uniform quality, and be
sold in convenient sizes.

He sold US$5,000 worth of pasteurised cheese in tins in 1915, the first lots
going to India and Asia. The next year sales went up to US$150,000. The new
product was ideal for shipment over long distances, and the US Government
ordered more than 6 million pounds of Kraft cheese in tins to feed soldiers
during World War I.

A patent for what became known as processed cheese ('process cheese' in
America) was granted to Kraft in 1916. The Phenix Cheese Company (famous for
its Philadelphia cream cheese) had been working on a similar process to
produce Swiss Gruy?re cheese but did not file its patent in time. However,
in 1921 James Kraft agreed to share the patent rights and in 1928 the two
companies were united as the Kraft-Phenix Cheese Corporation.

The rapid growth of the company prompted Kraft to extend its production into
other areas of the United States. Later the company had cheese production
facilities in 23 states and the production efforts of farmers' cooperatives
in others. After the processed cheese was launched on a national scale,
Kraft added to its line the mass production of such specialty cheeses such
as Edam, Gouda and blue cheese.

In 1920, Kraft purchased MacLaren's Imperial Cheese Co Ltd and began selling
processed cheese in tins and loaves in Canada on a national scale. The
Canadian company was used to export Kraft products to Europe until
operations were established in England and Germany. James Kraft and Fred
Walker met in August 1925, and in 1926 the Kraft Walker Cheese Company in
Australia was formed.

From its earliest days, the rapid and continued growth of what was to become
the world's second largest food company was brought about by its new product
development and the use of innovative advertising methods. James Kraft was
an early user of all communications media and, as early as 1911, was
advertising on Chicago elevated trains, using outdoor billboards and mailing
circulars to retail grocers. He was among the first to advertise in consumer
journals and to use coloured advertisements in national magazines.

In 1933, the company started to use radio on an extensive scale. It
sponsored the one-hour weekly musical and variety show 'Kraft Musical
Review', which headlined notable show business personalities. New products
such as Miracle Whip salad dressing (1933), Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner
(1936), and Parkay margarine (1937) were introduced through the 'Kraft Music
Hall' and became immediate favorites. During those years the company also
added to its line Kraft caramels, marshmallows, and jams and jellies.

While in his seventies, James Kraft helped create one of the first major
television programs, the 'Kraft Television Theatre', which was said to have
set audience and studio production records. The show ran from 1947 until
1958.

James Kraft died in Chicago in 1953, survived by his wife Pauline and
daughter Edith. Like Fred Walker, James Kraft had a genius for picking the
right person for the job, an unerring executive ability and a personal
aptitude for unceasing work. The company that still bears his name continues
to go from strength to strength.