- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
Colby M. Chester
General Foods Corporation
1924 - 1935
Food & Tobacco
| Military Service | Army |
|---|
b. 1877
| Education |  |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Yale University |
| Graduate | JD, New York Law School |
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1877 - 1965 |
| Birthplace | Maryland (MD) |
| Race | White |
| Father | Professional |
Under Chester’s leadership, General Foods’ annual sales rose from $25 million in 1924 to $120 million in 1935. In 1927, Chester began manufacturing Sanka Coffee, and in 1928, he acquired the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company, makers of Maxwell House Coffee. Chester continued his acquisitions, adding the Certo Corporation and the Frosted Foods Company in 1929 and the Dunlop Milling Company in 1931.