Amalgamated Sugar Company
Encyclopedia
The Amalgamated Sugar Company is a sugar beet
refining company run on a cooperative basis. It was founded in 1897 in Logan, Utah
, and is now located in Nampa, Idaho
, United States. The company markets its sugar under the White Satin brand.
. Directors included David Eccles
, Thomas Duncombe Dee
, George Q. Cannon
, and John R. Winder
, with Eccles as president, and Dee as vice president. One of the first motions was to ask senators Frank J. Cannon and Joseph L. Rawlins and representative William H. King
to oppose the Annexation of Hawaii into the United States.
Eccles and Joseph Clark inspected a sugar beet factory in Los Alamitos, California
, and contracted with the E. H. Dyer Construction Company
of Cleveland, Ohio to build a sugar beet factory in Ogden.
Ogden Sugar began with a plant built in Ogden, Utah
in 1898. It was based on the success of the Utah Sugar Company's Lehi, Utah
plant, built in 1891 and successful by 1897. The first annual report to Ogden Sugar stockholders was made March 16, 1899, and "was a forerunner of subsequent annual reports made in equally depressing language... the beginning of lamentations by David Eccles." Eccles began reporting factory depreciation
in 1900, and Eccles also reported the competition from Utah Sugar caused the market to be entirely saturated, so they began marketing outside of the region.
, Charles W. Nibley
(presiding bishop
of the LDS Church. The factory was apparently built by 1902.
On January 2, 1903, the first report from Amalgamated Sugar indicated the company processed 97119 tons of sugar beets into 10626 tons of sugar during 1902. This was approximately 25% more than the previous year. Sugar was sold in ten states, primarily Utah
, Idaho
, Wyoming
, and Montana
. As with previous years, sugar beet production in Oregon was poor, at least partly due to the lack of irrigation.
, Rudger Clawson
, William B. Preston
, and Joseph Howell
, with Charles Nibley as president, Lewis as vice president, and Charles W. Nibley Jr. as secretary. In late 1903, due to difficulties financing a factory, the Lewiston Sugar Company was sold. Henry Osborne Havemyer's American Sugar Refinery Company (also known as the Sugar Trust) purchased 50% of the stock, Amalgamated Sugar purchased 25% of the stock, and Eccles kept 25%. The Lewiston factory was built in 1905 by Dyer's construction company.
audits beginning in 1907.
Company records, stored at the Utah Loan and Trust Building in Ogden, were destroyed in a fire on November 11, 1911, except for some records stored elsewhere in a fireproof vault.
25,358 tons of sugar were produced from 207,022 tons of sugar beets in 1911. This was the first time the company had produced over 25,000 tons of sugar (or 500,000 hundredweight
bags).
As the Minidoka Irrigation Project of Idaho
was nearing completion in 1912, Amalgamated Sugar was deciding whether to place the failed La Grande, Oregon factory near Rupert
or Burley
. Burley was selected in late 1911, and the factory was operating by October 21, 1912. The location was chosen partly due to farmer land commitments and connection by the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company. The first year of the Burley factory had a higher production than any of the previous fourteen years in La Grande.
Henry H. Rolapp was elected president of Amalgamated Sugar in March 1913. Charles W. Nibley purchased American Sugar's stakes in Amalgamated Sugar and Lewiston Sugar in 1913, due to pressure on American Sugar by the federal government due to antitrust. From late 1912 when David Eccles died until 1918, his sons L. R. Eccles and David C. Eccles had controlled Amalgamated and Lewiston poorly, enforcing policies that were counterproductive and forcing Henry H. Rolapp to resign as president in 1914, only a year after he assumed office. Acting as General Manager in 1918, Eccles brought in an outside financial auditors, who was to have a "short and stormy career with the company." L. R. Eccles resigned on September 8, 1918, due to "mismanagement of company affairs". Bachman stated that L. R. Eccles could have continued being a promising operations director, but handled the business side poorly.
Lewiston Sugar and Amalgamated Sugar merged in 1914, keeping the Amalgamated name. Joseph F. Smith
was named director and president of the new corporation, but resigned in April 1915. Anthon H. Lund
became president, at the urging of Charles Nibley.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased a large portion of Amalgamated in 1914, then sold it in 1929.
In 1915, a lawsuit was threatened by the United States District Attorney in Salt Lake City for antitrust reasons, citing the Sherman Antitrust Act
of 1890 and the Clayton Antitrust Act
of 1914. Around the same time the Federal Trade Commission
sued the company, which was settled in 1921.
In 1915, an investment in the Layton Sugar Company was made (despite L. R. Eccles). Amalgamated Sugar tried unsuccessfully to buy the company a few years later.
Sugar sales from 1916 to 1920 were handled by Stephen A. Love
, who was also the sales manager of Utah-Idaho Sugar.
In 1918, Amalgamated processed 529,722 tons of sugar beets into 56,166.85 tons of sugar, the first time the company produced over a million hundredweight
pounds of sugar. Amalgamated showed a net loss for the fiscal year, the first time since the company had founded that they lost money. This was due to a decrease in sugar content of the beets, and a large increase in the cost to extract sugar. By 1918, the company had eight factories, located in Utah (Ogden
, Logan
, Lewiston
, Brigham City
, Smithfield
) and Idaho (Burley
, Twin Falls
, Paul
). These factories had a combined capacity of 5100 tons.
Through a transaction of the David Eccles Company, the largest stockholder, Amalgamated became a large shareholder in Ernest R. Wooley's West Cache Sugar Company in 1919. David Eccles, elected General Manager in September 1918, resigned in August 1919, in part due to the declining profits and lack of dividend payouts. As part of additional financing brought in by the Bankers Trust Company of New York
, four managers from the Great Western Sugar Company were brought in to executive positions.
. In response, Amalgamated Sugar had Dyer Construction Company build a factory at Amalga, Utah
(at 41.971548°N 111.82815°W) by in 1917, and built an 11 miles (17.7 km) railroad spur (at a cost of $400,000) to the Ogden, Logan and Idaho Railway. The railroad was purchased by Amalgamated Sugar around 1946. The community of Amalga was named for the factory.
, eventually located at 42.532572°N 114.433969°W, was discussed on August 6, 1915. The Twin Falls factory construction contract was awarded to Larrowe Construction Company of Toledo, Ohio
.
was proposed in 1916, and a location in Paul, Idaho
was chosen by August 1916. The factory was built by Larrowe Construction in 1916 and began operating on October 28, 1917. The factory was located at 42.612715°N 113.758857°W.
, built by Dyer in 1916 for Utah-Idaho, was purchased in 1917. Farmlands were irrigated by the Hammond Canal Company, which was also owned by Utah-Idaho, so Amalgamated purchased the canal company also. The factory and canal company was sold back to Utah-Idaho in 1920.
-based Pacific Sugar Corporation in 1917. Pacific Sugar owned lands near Tracy, California
, and was building a factory in the area. This was a poor financial move for the company, having repercussions as early as 1918.
, near Butte
in 1917. The pledged lands from farmers was withdrawn or "were not to be found", leading to financial troubles for both Jefferson Valley Sugar and Amalgamated Sugar. The factory construction was halted, and the remaining sugar beet production was sold to Great Western Sugar Company and transported to their Billings
factory. The partial factory was sold to Utah-Idaho in 1920.
, sugar beet seed, normally sourced from Europe, was difficult to acquire. Joseph Quinney, Jr., the manager of the Logan and Lewiston factories, purchased 3 years supply of sugar beet seed for the Amalgamated and Utah-Idaho Sugar companies for a cost of $500,000, about three times higher than it would normally cost. Amalgamated began producing seed during this time.
Prices paid to farmers for sugar beets was increased by $1.25, to $7.00 per ton, in 1917. This was done to match the price increases by Utah-Idaho Sugar.
Amalgamated purchased the Cornish, Utah
factory of the West Cache Sugar Company for $1.2 million on October 1, 1920.
In January 1921, the Board of Directors ousted the management put in place by the Bankers Trust Company. However, by September 1921, the company was in dire financial straits. All directors and officers were required to resign, which they did on November 5, 1921. Directors resigning included Edmund Orson Wattis, Jr
and Fred G. Taylor. Some directors were asked to stay, including M. S. Browning, M. S. Eccles, Stephen L. Richards, and Horace Havemeyer. Henry Rolapp was elected president and general manager. After this occurred, the only person associated with David Eccles was Henry H. Rolapp, who had been forced to resign in 1914.
The 1921 fiscal year ended up with a loss of almost $4.5 million. In 1922, losses for the year were only about $650,000, significantly less than the year before. 1923 saw profits of almost $2.4 million.
In 1924, the Franklin County Sugar Company asked Amalgamated to purchase the company. Amalgamated declined, but purchased their Preston, Idaho
factory around 1960. Also in 1924, plants in Cornish and Twin falls were closed.
In 1926, a factory in the Missoula, Montana
area was planned. This was in large part due to excess equipment at shuttered factories and the heavy blight that was having a large effect on sugar production. The Missoula factory was built in 1928, using equipment removed from the Cornish factory. Amalgamated also acquired the Hooper factory and the Interstate Sugar Company in 1927.
While it was intended Henry H. Rolapp would remain in control through 1931 due to the Bankers Trust Company obligations of 1921, Rolapp resigned in late 1926. His resignation was accepted in early 1927. This was due to the large voting block controlled by the David Eccles Company and others who aligned with the Eccles Company.
Another large ownership and management shakeup occurred in 1929, with the David Eccles Company ownership being transferred to the American Beet Sugar Company. American Beet then owned 96% of the common stock
in Amalgamated Sugar, and J. M. Eccles resigned from Amalgamated. The Eccles company and family influence over Amalgamated was then eliminated. The general office of Amalgamated, located in Ogden, was closed, with many employees being eliminated. The general office became American Beet's office in Denver.
During The Great Depression, the Beet Growers Credit Corporation was organized, backed by the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank and Federal Farm Marketing Administration. Persistance of H. A. Benning resulted in separation of Amalgamated Sugar from American Beet Sugar on June 15, 1932, and the general office in Ogden was re-staffed. 1932 saw a new production record, with 603,615 tons of beets produced into 97,928 tons of sugar, nearly 2 million hundredweight
bags.
In 1933, the Smithfield, Utah
factory was permanently closed, then moved beginning in 1934 to the Clarksburg, California
, thanks to the Jones-Costigan Act. The factory began operation on July 31, 1935.
1934 was a difficult year, with only two factories, Lewiston and Missoula, in operation due the blight. In 1935, while planted area was low, 12373 acres (50.1 km²) contracted in 1935, versus 21389 acres (86.6 km²) in 1934, the blight-resistant seed variety was used for the first time. Yields were drastically higher than previous years, and five of eight factories were operated.
The Paul factory, shuttered since 1926, was reopened and renovated in 1936. Also in that year, Amalgamated sold the Missoula and Clarksburg factories to American Crystal Sugar Company (the successor of the American Beet Sugar Company), leaving Amalgamated's six remaining factories in Utah and Idaho. Amalgamated also recapitalized, leading to a complete separation from American Crystal.
The company acquired the White Satin trademark on November 29, 1934 to use for marketing its sugar.
Experimentations with growing sugar beets near Nyssa, Oregon
, conducted by Amalgamated's Idaho District Manager R. H. Tallman, had begun in 1935. Yields were very favorable, in part due to the Owyhee Irrigation Project
, completed in 1932. This led to plans for a factory in 1937, made possible by a $2 million loan from the Bankers Trust Company. The factory was completed in 1938, with operation beginning on October 9, 1938. The factory was designed and built by Amalgamated Sugar, the first they had fully built, and had a radically different layout than other factories. The factory was located at 43.875298°N 116.990629°W, on both the Union Pacific Railroad
lines and along U.S. Route 20
.
In 1937, Amalgamated, Utah-Idaho, American Crystal, and Great Western formed the Western Seed Production Corporation was incorporated in Arizona to produce sugar beet seed. This was needed because European suppliers were impacted by the lead-up to World War II
and were also uninterested in developing blight-resistant seed. The Logan factory, idle since 1926, was also dismantled during 1937.
Because of the successful sugar production in Nyssa, Amalgamated became interested in additional marketing in Washington and Oregon. Mailliard and Schmiedell were contracted in 1938 to promote White Satin in the two states, paying special attention to proclaiming it as "Oregon's Own and Only Sugar." An office was established in Portland, Oregon
in 1938.
In 1939, the company began selling wet beet pulp, a byproduct of manufacturing, as sheep and cattle feed. They sold it in the Twin Falls and Nyssa areas, feeding 8400 head of cattle and 15,000 head of sheep. A pulp drying operation was installed in 1941 at the Nyssa plant, allowing the pulp feed to be transported more easily.
to be operated by the Layton Sugar Company. Layton Sugar would use the White Satin brand bags for the completed sugar. Further investigation showed this would be a poor idea, so following an October 1941 decision, the factory was dismantled and moved to Nampa, Idaho
, again processed by Layton Sugar. This operation was finally ready for operation by October 8, 1942.
By December 1941, the LDS Church holdings were sold to the Atlas Corporation
of New York
.
Because of labor shortages during the US involvement in World War II, "Mexican Nationals" and "Japanese evacuees" were used as field laborers.
The Burley factory was changed to a potato dehydration in 1943, and was ready for operation in 1944, operating on a government contract. It was converted back for the 1946 season, since the government contracts expired at the end of the war. After being closed in 1948, the factory, never having been modernized, was written off.
The Utah-Idaho Central Railroad Company, partially owned by Amalgamated, was turned over to Amalgamated during foreclosure proceedings in 1945. Amalgamated purchased much of the stock and mortgage bonds, then took over operation of the railroad. The postwar discontinuation of passenger service, and increased freight by truck, caused this operation to be closed and abandoned in late 1948.
The Portland, Oregon office, using bulk sugar storage built in Nampa, Idaho, supplied the California Packing Corporation factory in Vancouver, Washington
with bulk sugar. A distribution center for bulk and packaged sugar was also expanded in Seattle, Washington
in 1942. It was smaller than the Portland distribution center.
in 1950. A new Portland, Oregon distribution center was also built in 1950, finished in 1951. It was much larger than the Seattle center; the distribution silo could hold 2500 tons of sugar and supply it as bulk, liquid, blend, or package sugar.
A large fire occurred at the dried pulp warehouse in the Nyssa, Oregon factory on May 15, 1952. There were $100,000 in damages. The pulp dryer operation in Nyssa was expanded in 1955, doubling the pulp drying capacity and allowing all of the pulp to be dried, as it was under demand as animal feed. A beet seed development laboratory was also built in Nyssa in 1954. In 1958, Nyssa had a daily capacity of 4000 tons. An upgrade program was begun in 1959, increasing capacity to 6500 tons by 1961.
Because of lawsuits and pressure for the Nampa, Idaho plant to discontinue dumping factory waste into Indian Creek and then Mason Creek, a $1 million pulp dryer was constructed in late 1955.
Bulk storage of sugar was also increased at the Nampa and Twin Falls factories in 1956.
factory on August 31, 1960.
and market manipulation. One such class action lawsuit was settled out of court in 1980.
.
The company purchased Medford Corporation (known as Medco), a timber company based in Medford, Oregon
, in 1984 for $110 million.
behind the Boardman Coal Plant
. A man was crushed by a rail car of coal at the Nyssa plant in January 1997, resulting in an inspection and fine by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division.
The Snake River Sugar Company, formed in 1994, bought Amalgamated Sugar in 1997 for $250 million. Snake River Sugar Company is an Oregon-based farmer's cooperative. In 1990, Amalgamated Sugar was the second-largest sugar beet refiner in the United States. Snake River borrowed $180 million, including $100 million from Valhi, to complete the transaction.
The company was once run by investor Harold Simmons, who arranged the Snake River Sugar Company co-op and buyout. Simmons ran Amalgamated from before 1984, and through at least 1999. He also ran Valhi. Ralph C. Burton was president of the company in 2005.
, on a rail line, is still operating.
As of 2009, there are factories in Nampa
, Paul
, and Twin Falls
, Idaho. The Nampa factory processes about 1500000 short tons (1,360,777.1 MT) of sugar beets, Paul processes 2600000 short tons (2,358,680.3 MT), and Twin Falls processes 1100000 short tons (997,903.2 MT).
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
refining company run on a cooperative basis. It was founded in 1897 in Logan, Utah
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, and is now located in Nampa, Idaho
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, United States. The company markets its sugar under the White Satin brand.
Founding
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1897–? | David Eccles David Eccles (businessman) David Eccles was an American businessman and industrialist who founded many businesses throughout the western United States and became Utah's first multimillionaire.-Biography:... |
| 1904–1910 | Charles W. Nibley Charles W. Nibley Charles Wilson Nibley was the fifth presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1907 and 1925 and a member of the church's First Presidency from 1925 until his death.... |
| 1910–1913 | David Eccles |
| 1913–1914 | Henry H. Rolapp (resigned) |
| 1916–1921 | Anthon H. Lund Anthon H. Lund Anthon Henrik Lund was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.-History:... (died in office) |
| 1921 | M. S. Browning |
| 1921–1927 | Henry H. Rolapp |
| 1927–1929 | Anthony W. Ivins Anthony W. Ivins Anthony Woodward Ivins born in Toms River, New Jersey, was a high-ranking official of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life and family :... (American Beet) |
| 1929–1931 | Henry Arthur Benning Henry Arthur Benning Henry Arthur Benning was the vice president and general manager of the Amalgamated Sugar Company.-Personal life:... (diverged from American Beet) |
| 1931–1934 | Anthony W. Ivins (died in office) |
| 1936–? | M. S. Eccles |
| 1984?–? | Harold Simmons |
Ogden Sugar Company
The Ogden Sugar Company was incorporated on December 6, 1897 at the Weber Club in Ogden, UtahOgden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. Directors included David Eccles
David Eccles (businessman)
David Eccles was an American businessman and industrialist who founded many businesses throughout the western United States and became Utah's first multimillionaire.-Biography:...
, Thomas Duncombe Dee
Thomas Duncombe Dee
Thomas Duncombe Dee was a Utah businessman.Dee was born in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. His parents converted to the Mormon faith in 1856, and the family relocated to Ogden, Utah in 1860....
, George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
, and John R. Winder
John R. Winder
John Rex Winder was a leader and general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from 1887 to 1901, and First Counselor in the First Presidency to Church President Joseph F. Smith from 1901 until his death. He was well-known...
, with Eccles as president, and Dee as vice president. One of the first motions was to ask senators Frank J. Cannon and Joseph L. Rawlins and representative William H. King
William H. King
William Henry King was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist from Salt Lake City, Utah. A Democrat, he represented Utah in the United States Senate from 1917 until 1941.-Life:...
to oppose the Annexation of Hawaii into the United States.
Eccles and Joseph Clark inspected a sugar beet factory in Los Alamitos, California
Los Alamitos, California
Los Alamitos is a small city in Orange County, California. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,449 at the 2010 census, down from 11,536 at the 2000 census...
, and contracted with the E. H. Dyer Construction Company
E. H. Dyer Construction Company
The E. H. Dyer Construction Company was a company owned by sugar beet pioneer and magnate E. H. Dyer. It was based in Cleveland, Ohio....
of Cleveland, Ohio to build a sugar beet factory in Ogden.
Ogden Sugar began with a plant built in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
in 1898. It was based on the success of the Utah Sugar Company's Lehi, Utah
Lehi, Utah
-Attractions:Lehi Roller MillsLehi Roller Mills was founded in 1906 by a co-op of farmers. George G. Robinson purchased the mill in 1910, and since then it has remained in the family. It is run today by grandson R. Sherman Robinson....
plant, built in 1891 and successful by 1897. The first annual report to Ogden Sugar stockholders was made March 16, 1899, and "was a forerunner of subsequent annual reports made in equally depressing language... the beginning of lamentations by David Eccles." Eccles began reporting factory depreciation
Depreciation
Depreciation refers to two very different but related concepts:# the decrease in value of assets , and# the allocation of the cost of assets to periods in which the assets are used ....
in 1900, and Eccles also reported the competition from Utah Sugar caused the market to be entirely saturated, so they began marketing outside of the region.
Logan Sugar Company
On December 5, 1901, the Logan Sugar Company as founded by David Eccles, William Eccles, Thomas Dee, George StoddardGeorge Stoddard
George Stoddard was a real estate financier who pioneered the use of the sale-and-leaseback transaction.Stoddard was born in Perry, in Union County, Oregon, in 1917. His family moved east in 1928, living in Eastchester, New York...
, Charles W. Nibley
Charles W. Nibley
Charles Wilson Nibley was the fifth presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1907 and 1925 and a member of the church's First Presidency from 1925 until his death....
(presiding bishop
Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church's Aaronic priesthood.-Presiding Bishopric:...
of the LDS Church. The factory was apparently built by 1902.
Consolidation
The Ogden Sugar and Logan Sugar companies were consolidated on July 3, 1902, becoming known as the Amalgamated Sugar Company. Four days later, Eccles offered to sell his Oregon Sugar Company to Amalgamated Sugar, which was accepted by the other directors of Amalgamated. Unusually, a stockholders meeting was set for five years in the future (March 1907); more unusually, no stockholders showed were at the 1907 meeting.On January 2, 1903, the first report from Amalgamated Sugar indicated the company processed 97119 tons of sugar beets into 10626 tons of sugar during 1902. This was approximately 25% more than the previous year. Sugar was sold in ten states, primarily Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. As with previous years, sugar beet production in Oregon was poor, at least partly due to the lack of irrigation.
Lewiston Sugar Company
On June 2, 1903, Charles Nibley and others incorporated the Lewiston Sugar Company. Directors included Charles Nibley, William Lewis, Abraham O. WoodruffAbraham O. Woodruff
Abraham Owen Woodruff , born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was also the son of LDS Church president Wilford Woodruff...
, Rudger Clawson
Rudger Clawson
Rudger Judd Clawson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 until his death in 1943...
, William B. Preston
William B. Preston (Mormon)
William Bowker Preston was the fourth Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1884 and 1907....
, and Joseph Howell
Joseph Howell
Joseph Howell was a U.S. Representative from Utah.Born in Brigham City, Utah Territory, Howell moved with his parents to Wellsville, Utah, in 1863....
, with Charles Nibley as president, Lewis as vice president, and Charles W. Nibley Jr. as secretary. In late 1903, due to difficulties financing a factory, the Lewiston Sugar Company was sold. Henry Osborne Havemyer's American Sugar Refinery Company (also known as the Sugar Trust) purchased 50% of the stock, Amalgamated Sugar purchased 25% of the stock, and Eccles kept 25%. The Lewiston factory was built in 1905 by Dyer's construction company.
American Sugar
American Sugar purchased 50% of Amalgamated Sugar in 1903, as well as Lewiston Sugar, as already mentioned. This brought changes of the fiscal year for accounting, as well as CPACertified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
audits beginning in 1907.
Ogden Sugar expansion
A large crop in 1909, combined with low capacity of the Ogden factory, caused 31,000 tons of sugar beets to be shipped to the Logan and Lewiston plants at great expense. To avoid this in the future, daily capacity was increased from 350 to 550 tons.1910s
While Charles W. Nibley had been the president since 1904 and David Eccles as general manager, Eccles was actually operatng the company. Eccles was elected president in 1910 with Nibley as vice president, which was the start of a rift between Eccles and Nibley.Company records, stored at the Utah Loan and Trust Building in Ogden, were destroyed in a fire on November 11, 1911, except for some records stored elsewhere in a fireproof vault.
25,358 tons of sugar were produced from 207,022 tons of sugar beets in 1911. This was the first time the company had produced over 25,000 tons of sugar (or 500,000 hundredweight
Hundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
bags).
As the Minidoka Irrigation Project of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
was nearing completion in 1912, Amalgamated Sugar was deciding whether to place the failed La Grande, Oregon factory near Rupert
Rupert, Idaho
Rupert is the county seat and largest city of Minidoka County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area...
or Burley
Burley, Idaho
Burley is a city in Cassia and Minidoka counties in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 10,345 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Cassia County....
. Burley was selected in late 1911, and the factory was operating by October 21, 1912. The location was chosen partly due to farmer land commitments and connection by the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company. The first year of the Burley factory had a higher production than any of the previous fourteen years in La Grande.
Henry H. Rolapp was elected president of Amalgamated Sugar in March 1913. Charles W. Nibley purchased American Sugar's stakes in Amalgamated Sugar and Lewiston Sugar in 1913, due to pressure on American Sugar by the federal government due to antitrust. From late 1912 when David Eccles died until 1918, his sons L. R. Eccles and David C. Eccles had controlled Amalgamated and Lewiston poorly, enforcing policies that were counterproductive and forcing Henry H. Rolapp to resign as president in 1914, only a year after he assumed office. Acting as General Manager in 1918, Eccles brought in an outside financial auditors, who was to have a "short and stormy career with the company." L. R. Eccles resigned on September 8, 1918, due to "mismanagement of company affairs". Bachman stated that L. R. Eccles could have continued being a promising operations director, but handled the business side poorly.
Lewiston Sugar and Amalgamated Sugar merged in 1914, keeping the Amalgamated name. Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
was named director and president of the new corporation, but resigned in April 1915. Anthon H. Lund
Anthon H. Lund
Anthon Henrik Lund was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.-History:...
became president, at the urging of Charles Nibley.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased a large portion of Amalgamated in 1914, then sold it in 1929.
In 1915, a lawsuit was threatened by the United States District Attorney in Salt Lake City for antitrust reasons, citing the Sherman Antitrust Act
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
of 1890 and the Clayton Antitrust Act
Clayton Antitrust Act
The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 , was enacted in the United States to add further substance to the U.S. antitrust law regime by seeking to prevent anticompetitive practices in their incipiency. That regime started with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the first Federal law outlawing practices...
of 1914. Around the same time the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
sued the company, which was settled in 1921.
In 1915, an investment in the Layton Sugar Company was made (despite L. R. Eccles). Amalgamated Sugar tried unsuccessfully to buy the company a few years later.
Sugar sales from 1916 to 1920 were handled by Stephen A. Love
Stephen A. Love
Stephen A. Love is a professional musician, singer, songwriter, producer, real estate broker, and CEO of the Vallartamex S.C. construction firm. He is also the owner of Blue Jeans Music BMI and lives in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.Stephen A...
, who was also the sales manager of Utah-Idaho Sugar.
In 1918, Amalgamated processed 529,722 tons of sugar beets into 56,166.85 tons of sugar, the first time the company produced over a million hundredweight
Hundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
pounds of sugar. Amalgamated showed a net loss for the fiscal year, the first time since the company had founded that they lost money. This was due to a decrease in sugar content of the beets, and a large increase in the cost to extract sugar. By 1918, the company had eight factories, located in Utah (Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, Lewiston
Lewiston, Utah
Lewiston is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,766 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lewiston is located at ....
, Brigham City
Brigham City, Utah
Brigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Box Elder County. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon...
, Smithfield
Smithfield, Utah
Smithfield is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 9,495 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the second largest city in the area after the county seat, Logan...
) and Idaho (Burley
Burley, Idaho
Burley is a city in Cassia and Minidoka counties in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 10,345 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Cassia County....
, Twin Falls
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
, Paul
Paul, Idaho
Paul is a city in Minidoka County, Idaho, United States founded in 1907. The population was 998 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town received its name from Charles H. Paul, an engineer on the Minidoka Reclamation Project.-Geography:Paul is...
). These factories had a combined capacity of 5100 tons.
Through a transaction of the David Eccles Company, the largest stockholder, Amalgamated became a large shareholder in Ernest R. Wooley's West Cache Sugar Company in 1919. David Eccles, elected General Manager in September 1918, resigned in August 1919, in part due to the declining profits and lack of dividend payouts. As part of additional financing brought in by the Bankers Trust Company of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, four managers from the Great Western Sugar Company were brought in to executive positions.
Amalga, Utah
Because of ongoing disputes between L. R. Eccles and Charles Nibley, the David Eccles Company organized the Eccles Sugar Company around 1916. They signed buying contracts with farmers, and intended to build a factory near Trenton, UtahTrenton, Utah
Trenton is a town in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 464 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Trenton is located at ....
. In response, Amalgamated Sugar had Dyer Construction Company build a factory at Amalga, Utah
Amalga, Utah
Amalga is a town in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 488 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area....
(at 41.971548°N 111.82815°W) by in 1917, and built an 11 miles (17.7 km) railroad spur (at a cost of $400,000) to the Ogden, Logan and Idaho Railway. The railroad was purchased by Amalgamated Sugar around 1946. The community of Amalga was named for the factory.
Twin Falls, Idaho
A factory in Twin Falls, IdahoTwin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
, eventually located at 42.532572°N 114.433969°W, was discussed on August 6, 1915. The Twin Falls factory construction contract was awarded to Larrowe Construction Company of Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
.
Paul, Idaho
A plant near Rupert, IdahoRupert, Idaho
Rupert is the county seat and largest city of Minidoka County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area...
was proposed in 1916, and a location in Paul, Idaho
Paul, Idaho
Paul is a city in Minidoka County, Idaho, United States founded in 1907. The population was 998 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town received its name from Charles H. Paul, an engineer on the Minidoka Reclamation Project.-Geography:Paul is...
was chosen by August 1916. The factory was built by Larrowe Construction in 1916 and began operating on October 28, 1917. The factory was located at 42.612715°N 113.758857°W.
Brigham City, Utah
A factory in Brigham City, UtahBrigham City, Utah
Brigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Box Elder County. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon...
, built by Dyer in 1916 for Utah-Idaho, was purchased in 1917. Farmlands were irrigated by the Hammond Canal Company, which was also owned by Utah-Idaho, so Amalgamated purchased the canal company also. The factory and canal company was sold back to Utah-Idaho in 1920.
Pacific Sugar Corporation
Amalgamated purchased the CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based Pacific Sugar Corporation in 1917. Pacific Sugar owned lands near Tracy, California
Tracy, California
Tracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County, California, United States and an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 82,922 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, and was building a factory in the area. This was a poor financial move for the company, having repercussions as early as 1918.
Whitehall, Montana
Amalgamated formed the Jefferson Valley Sugar Company, then contracted with Larrowe Construction to build a factory at Whitehall, MontanaWhitehall, Montana
Whitehall is a town in Jefferson County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,044 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area.Newscaster Chet Huntley graduated from Whitehall High School in 1929.-Geography:...
, near Butte
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
in 1917. The pledged lands from farmers was withdrawn or "were not to be found", leading to financial troubles for both Jefferson Valley Sugar and Amalgamated Sugar. The factory construction was halted, and the remaining sugar beet production was sold to Great Western Sugar Company and transported to their Billings
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
factory. The partial factory was sold to Utah-Idaho in 1920.
World War I
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, sugar beet seed, normally sourced from Europe, was difficult to acquire. Joseph Quinney, Jr., the manager of the Logan and Lewiston factories, purchased 3 years supply of sugar beet seed for the Amalgamated and Utah-Idaho Sugar companies for a cost of $500,000, about three times higher than it would normally cost. Amalgamated began producing seed during this time.
Prices paid to farmers for sugar beets was increased by $1.25, to $7.00 per ton, in 1917. This was done to match the price increases by Utah-Idaho Sugar.
1920s
In 1920, Horace Havemeyer strongly rebuked Amalgamated for their involvement with the Oneida Irrigation District and the Pacific Sugar Company, both in a directors' meeting and by letter to the executive committee. Havemeyer encouraged Amalgamated to spend their energy at the Ogden, Lewiston, and Twin Falls factories.Amalgamated purchased the Cornish, Utah
Cornish, Utah
Cornish is a town in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 288 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Cornish is located at ....
factory of the West Cache Sugar Company for $1.2 million on October 1, 1920.
In January 1921, the Board of Directors ousted the management put in place by the Bankers Trust Company. However, by September 1921, the company was in dire financial straits. All directors and officers were required to resign, which they did on November 5, 1921. Directors resigning included Edmund Orson Wattis, Jr
Edmund Orson Wattis, Jr
Edmund Orson Wattis, Junior , was oldest of the Wattis Brothers and founders of the Utah Construction Company....
and Fred G. Taylor. Some directors were asked to stay, including M. S. Browning, M. S. Eccles, Stephen L. Richards, and Horace Havemeyer. Henry Rolapp was elected president and general manager. After this occurred, the only person associated with David Eccles was Henry H. Rolapp, who had been forced to resign in 1914.
The 1921 fiscal year ended up with a loss of almost $4.5 million. In 1922, losses for the year were only about $650,000, significantly less than the year before. 1923 saw profits of almost $2.4 million.
In 1924, the Franklin County Sugar Company asked Amalgamated to purchase the company. Amalgamated declined, but purchased their Preston, Idaho
Preston, Idaho
Preston is a city in Franklin County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,682 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Franklin County. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
factory around 1960. Also in 1924, plants in Cornish and Twin falls were closed.
In 1926, a factory in the Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
area was planned. This was in large part due to excess equipment at shuttered factories and the heavy blight that was having a large effect on sugar production. The Missoula factory was built in 1928, using equipment removed from the Cornish factory. Amalgamated also acquired the Hooper factory and the Interstate Sugar Company in 1927.
While it was intended Henry H. Rolapp would remain in control through 1931 due to the Bankers Trust Company obligations of 1921, Rolapp resigned in late 1926. His resignation was accepted in early 1927. This was due to the large voting block controlled by the David Eccles Company and others who aligned with the Eccles Company.
Another large ownership and management shakeup occurred in 1929, with the David Eccles Company ownership being transferred to the American Beet Sugar Company. American Beet then owned 96% of the common stock
Common stock
Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. It is called "common" to distinguish it from preferred stock. In the event of bankruptcy, common stock investors receive their funds after preferred stock holders, bondholders, creditors, etc...
in Amalgamated Sugar, and J. M. Eccles resigned from Amalgamated. The Eccles company and family influence over Amalgamated was then eliminated. The general office of Amalgamated, located in Ogden, was closed, with many employees being eliminated. The general office became American Beet's office in Denver.
1930s
Because of blight and drought, many factories were closed for several years over the 1930s. For instance, only four factories operated in 1931.During The Great Depression, the Beet Growers Credit Corporation was organized, backed by the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank and Federal Farm Marketing Administration. Persistance of H. A. Benning resulted in separation of Amalgamated Sugar from American Beet Sugar on June 15, 1932, and the general office in Ogden was re-staffed. 1932 saw a new production record, with 603,615 tons of beets produced into 97,928 tons of sugar, nearly 2 million hundredweight
Hundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
bags.
In 1933, the Smithfield, Utah
Smithfield, Utah
Smithfield is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 9,495 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the second largest city in the area after the county seat, Logan...
factory was permanently closed, then moved beginning in 1934 to the Clarksburg, California
Clarksburg, California
Clarksburg is a census-designated place in Yolo County, California. It is located on the Sacramento River, in the extreme southeastern corner of the county...
, thanks to the Jones-Costigan Act. The factory began operation on July 31, 1935.
1934 was a difficult year, with only two factories, Lewiston and Missoula, in operation due the blight. In 1935, while planted area was low, 12373 acres (50.1 km²) contracted in 1935, versus 21389 acres (86.6 km²) in 1934, the blight-resistant seed variety was used for the first time. Yields were drastically higher than previous years, and five of eight factories were operated.
The Paul factory, shuttered since 1926, was reopened and renovated in 1936. Also in that year, Amalgamated sold the Missoula and Clarksburg factories to American Crystal Sugar Company (the successor of the American Beet Sugar Company), leaving Amalgamated's six remaining factories in Utah and Idaho. Amalgamated also recapitalized, leading to a complete separation from American Crystal.
The company acquired the White Satin trademark on November 29, 1934 to use for marketing its sugar.
Experimentations with growing sugar beets near Nyssa, Oregon
Nyssa, Oregon
Nyssa is a city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. The population was 3,163 at the 2000 census. The city is located along the Snake River on the Idaho border, in the region of far eastern Oregon known as the "Treasure Valley"...
, conducted by Amalgamated's Idaho District Manager R. H. Tallman, had begun in 1935. Yields were very favorable, in part due to the Owyhee Irrigation Project
Owyhee Dam
Owyhee Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Owyhee River in Eastern Oregon near Adrian, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1932 during the Great Depression, the dam generates electricity and provides irrigation water for several irrigation districts in Oregon and neighboring Idaho...
, completed in 1932. This led to plans for a factory in 1937, made possible by a $2 million loan from the Bankers Trust Company. The factory was completed in 1938, with operation beginning on October 9, 1938. The factory was designed and built by Amalgamated Sugar, the first they had fully built, and had a radically different layout than other factories. The factory was located at 43.875298°N 116.990629°W, on both the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
lines and along U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 in Oregon
U.S. Route 20 in Oregon is a major east–west cross-state highway, especially east of the Cascade Mountains. It connects U.S. Route 101 in Newport on the central Oregon Coast to the Idaho state line east of Nyssa.- Route description :...
.
In 1937, Amalgamated, Utah-Idaho, American Crystal, and Great Western formed the Western Seed Production Corporation was incorporated in Arizona to produce sugar beet seed. This was needed because European suppliers were impacted by the lead-up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and were also uninterested in developing blight-resistant seed. The Logan factory, idle since 1926, was also dismantled during 1937.
Because of the successful sugar production in Nyssa, Amalgamated became interested in additional marketing in Washington and Oregon. Mailliard and Schmiedell were contracted in 1938 to promote White Satin in the two states, paying special attention to proclaiming it as "Oregon's Own and Only Sugar." An office was established in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 1938.
In 1939, the company began selling wet beet pulp, a byproduct of manufacturing, as sheep and cattle feed. They sold it in the Twin Falls and Nyssa areas, feeding 8400 head of cattle and 15,000 head of sheep. A pulp drying operation was installed in 1941 at the Nyssa plant, allowing the pulp feed to be transported more easily.
1940s
Because of increased military activity near the Ogden factory reducing the area available for farming, the factory was recommended for removal in September 1941 to Isleton, CaliforniaIsleton, California
Isleton is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. The population was 804 at the 2010 census, down from 828 at the 2000 census. It is located on Andrus Island amid the slough wetlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, on the eastern edge of the Rio Vista Gas Field.The city...
to be operated by the Layton Sugar Company. Layton Sugar would use the White Satin brand bags for the completed sugar. Further investigation showed this would be a poor idea, so following an October 1941 decision, the factory was dismantled and moved to Nampa, Idaho
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, again processed by Layton Sugar. This operation was finally ready for operation by October 8, 1942.
By December 1941, the LDS Church holdings were sold to the Atlas Corporation
Atlas Corporation
The Atlas Corporation, was formed in 1928, from a merger of the United Corporation, an investment firm started in 1923 with $40,000, with Atlas Utilities and Investors Ltd. The corporation specialized in capital formation and management. In 1929, Atlas was a $12,000,000 investment trust...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Because of labor shortages during the US involvement in World War II, "Mexican Nationals" and "Japanese evacuees" were used as field laborers.
The Burley factory was changed to a potato dehydration in 1943, and was ready for operation in 1944, operating on a government contract. It was converted back for the 1946 season, since the government contracts expired at the end of the war. After being closed in 1948, the factory, never having been modernized, was written off.
The Utah-Idaho Central Railroad Company, partially owned by Amalgamated, was turned over to Amalgamated during foreclosure proceedings in 1945. Amalgamated purchased much of the stock and mortgage bonds, then took over operation of the railroad. The postwar discontinuation of passenger service, and increased freight by truck, caused this operation to be closed and abandoned in late 1948.
White Satin/White Stag sign
In 1940, Amalgamated commissioned a large illuminated sign in downtown Portland, Oregon to advertise its product. The sign featured an outline of Oregon and the words "White Satin Sugar", and was later animated with sequenced lighting. The sign, which was changed over the years to promote a sportswear company and a gift retailer, became a registered historic landmark in Portland in 1977.The Portland, Oregon office, using bulk sugar storage built in Nampa, Idaho, supplied the California Packing Corporation factory in Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
with bulk sugar. A distribution center for bulk and packaged sugar was also expanded in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 1942. It was smaller than the Portland distribution center.
1950s
The company was listed on the New York Stock ExchangeNew York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
in 1950. A new Portland, Oregon distribution center was also built in 1950, finished in 1951. It was much larger than the Seattle center; the distribution silo could hold 2500 tons of sugar and supply it as bulk, liquid, blend, or package sugar.
A large fire occurred at the dried pulp warehouse in the Nyssa, Oregon factory on May 15, 1952. There were $100,000 in damages. The pulp dryer operation in Nyssa was expanded in 1955, doubling the pulp drying capacity and allowing all of the pulp to be dried, as it was under demand as animal feed. A beet seed development laboratory was also built in Nyssa in 1954. In 1958, Nyssa had a daily capacity of 4000 tons. An upgrade program was begun in 1959, increasing capacity to 6500 tons by 1961.
Because of lawsuits and pressure for the Nampa, Idaho plant to discontinue dumping factory waste into Indian Creek and then Mason Creek, a $1 million pulp dryer was constructed in late 1955.
Bulk storage of sugar was also increased at the Nampa and Twin Falls factories in 1956.
1960s
Amalgamated purchased the Franklink County Sugar Company and its Whitney, IdahoWhitney, Idaho
Whitney is a small unincorporated community in the Cache Valley of Franklin County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area....
factory on August 31, 1960.
1970s
Amalgamated Sugar and its competitors (including Utah-Idaho Sugar) were sued beginning in 1971, alleging price fixingPrice fixing
Price fixing is an agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price, or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained at a given level by controlling supply and demand...
and market manipulation. One such class action lawsuit was settled out of court in 1980.
1980s
Amalgamated was purchased by Valhi in the 1980s. Valhi is a holding company based in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
The company purchased Medford Corporation (known as Medco), a timber company based in Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, in 1984 for $110 million.
1990s
Union workers went on strike in 1990. In 1995, the Nyssa plant was Oregon's second-highest polluter of sulfur dioxideSulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
behind the Boardman Coal Plant
Boardman Coal Plant
The Boardman Coal Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Boardman, Oregon. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 550 megawatts and is operated by Portland General Electric...
. A man was crushed by a rail car of coal at the Nyssa plant in January 1997, resulting in an inspection and fine by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division.
The Snake River Sugar Company, formed in 1994, bought Amalgamated Sugar in 1997 for $250 million. Snake River Sugar Company is an Oregon-based farmer's cooperative. In 1990, Amalgamated Sugar was the second-largest sugar beet refiner in the United States. Snake River borrowed $180 million, including $100 million from Valhi, to complete the transaction.
The company was once run by investor Harold Simmons, who arranged the Snake River Sugar Company co-op and buyout. Simmons ran Amalgamated from before 1984, and through at least 1999. He also ran Valhi. Ralph C. Burton was president of the company in 2005.
2000s
Amalgamated closed the Nyssa factory in 2005. Approximately 190 permanent and 600 seasonal workers were employed at the Nyssa factory, processing 1000000 short tons (907,184.7 MT) of sugar beets into 150000 short tons (136,077.7 MT) of processed sugar. The distribution center on North Columbia Boulevard in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, on a rail line, is still operating.
As of 2009, there are factories in Nampa
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, Paul
Paul, Idaho
Paul is a city in Minidoka County, Idaho, United States founded in 1907. The population was 998 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town received its name from Charles H. Paul, an engineer on the Minidoka Reclamation Project.-Geography:Paul is...
, and Twin Falls
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
, Idaho. The Nampa factory processes about 1500000 short tons (1,360,777.1 MT) of sugar beets, Paul processes 2600000 short tons (2,358,680.3 MT), and Twin Falls processes 1100000 short tons (997,903.2 MT).