Company history
1971
Jim Watkins sells his first bag of microwave popcorn. Jim pioneered microwave popcorn in the late 1970’s at his first company, Golden Valley Foods. Golden Valley Foods grew to become the world’s largest microwave popcorn company.
1991
Golden Valley Foods is sold to ConAgra.
1999
Inline Packaging in Minnesota is set up with production of microwave popcorn roll stock.
Popz USA LLC in South Carolina is set up with production of microwave popcorn.
Popz is launched in June 1999 as a new popcorn brand building on the over 250 years of combined senior management experience.
2000
Popz enters into a joint venture with the leading manufacturer of Ready-To-Eat popcorn in Italy, Food Products International. FPI is producing RTE popcorn in their plant in Gorizia and from the sales office and distribution centre in Milan they are marketing Popz RTE and microwave popcorn as the leading popcorn brand on the Italian market.
2001
Popz enters into a production joint venture (United Popcorn Company) with the Danish company Blomberg, owned by Torben Bødtker. Blomberg was founded back in 1902, has been producing Ready-To-Eat popcorn since the 1950’s and was the first European company to install a microwave popcorn line in 1991.
2002
Pegasus China LLC, Popz’ Chinese 50:50 joint venture is established with a production facility in Shenzen. Popz is the number 1 imported brand of microwave popcorn in China. Eight regional sales offices cover major markets.
2005
Popz Poland is established as a joint venture to work as sales and distribution company on the Polish market.
2008
Blomberg in Denmark changes its name to Popz Danmark ApS (Popz Denmark) in our continued effort to focus on Popz Popcorn as our core products. Popz is market leader on the Danish market and is also the Danish distributor of the German still drink Capri-Sonne.
2009
Blomberg in Sweden changes also its company name to Popz Sverige AB (Popz Sweden).
2010
Sterkinekor Popz is established as a joint venture with the leading cinema group in South Africa, Sterkinekor, to market Popz Popcorn in the retail business as well as in the cinemas.
2011
The production in Denmark is closed and the production lines are moved into a completely newly built production facility in Debrecen in Hungary, Popz Europe Kft. The Popz plant in Hungary is the worlds most modern production of microwave popcorn.
Popz Agro Kft. in Hungary is established as a joint venture bulk popcorn growing and processing company in the key southern corn growing area.
Today
Today Popz is ready to face the future with the most modern production facility in the world, lots of experience and dedicated personnel at every level of the organisation.
