Golden’s global leadership in peanuts dates back to the 1950s. Our deep commitment to the industry has helped us develop world-renowned expertise that we share with growers, manufacturers and others in the global peanut and tree nut industry.
What follows is a summary of Golden’s growth through the decades, including the days when the Cotton Producers Association bought peanut-shelling operations in the southern U.S.
1950s | Cotton Producers form Gold Kist Peanuts |
1964 | Gold Kist buys peanut plants in Texas and Virginia |
1980 | ADM buys Southern Cotton Oil and Carter Warehouse |
1981 | ADM buys Columbian Peanut Company |
1986 | Golden Peanut Company forms through ADM and Gold Kist joint venture |
1989 | Alimenta joins Golden Peanut partnership |
1992 | Golden Peanut buys Dothan Oil Mill |
2000 | Cargill joins Golden Peanut partnership, including operations in Argentina |
2001 | Ownership of Golden Peanut is consolidated among Cargill, ADM and Alimenta |
2002 | Golden Peanut ownership is consolidated among ADM and Alimenta. Golden acquires Dawson, Georgia, oil mill |
2004 | Golden builds specialty products plant in Blakely, Georgia for peanut flour, aromatic peanut oil and peanut extract |
2007 | Golden oil refinery opens in Dawson |
2010 | ADM acquires Alimenta interest |
2013 | Golden Peanut acquires 80 percent ownership in the assets of P- Farm Agente, one of South Africa’s leading peanut processors, and 50 percent ownership in the assets of South Africa Pecans, its affiliated pecan business |
2014 | Golden Peanut acquires assets of SA Groundnut Marketing in South Africa |
2014 | Golden Peanut becomes Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts |
2014 | Golden acquires Harrell Nut Company, a leading processor and sheller of pecans. |
2017 | Golden acquires tree nut processing plants in California and forms the Processing and Distribution division. |