Quaker Oats Company

Cardboard packaging changed how information flowed from manufacturer to distributor to consumer. Before, a product might be stamped by geographic origin, but now it was possible to communicate the address of the company’s headquarters, the location of its factories and canneries, and other details that established a brand’s reputation. (Some early ... See more

The “Q” was truly one of America’s best and most-profitable roads. Well capitalized, well constructed, and well managed by two of the giant figures of American railroading, John Murray Forbes and Charles Perkins, along with their New England associates, it served a densely populated and fertile agrarian hinterland stretching across Illinois and Iow

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Oatly’s story is remarkable because it has so many elements of what great DTC brands have gotten right, but in a different context. That is, Oatly spoke directly to its customer, shipped changes quickly, took on a rebellious tone, and sought validation from “celebrities” (in this case, niche coffee/tea shops) to encourage trial.

The Empire had begun life as a fast-freight forwarder, just one of the many companies that Scott and Thomson had created to pick the meatier bones left on the Pennsylvania’s table. Its superb chief executive, Col. Joseph Potts, had built it into a major transportation business in its own right, with a particularly strong position in petroleum. Besi

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