Америкалық шағын өнімдер компаниясы: «Budlong» тарихы

American company

The Budlong Pickle Company was an American company based in Chicago that made and marketed pickles from its own cucumbers. Founded in the late 1850s, it was sold in 1958 to a company which was later acquired by Dean Foods. The Budlong pickle legacy has recently been revived as the namesake of a restaurant chain in Chicago called "The Budlong Hot Chicken".

In the 19th century, Chicago was a powerhouse of American agriculture. The Union Stock Yards was the center of American meatpacking, and the Chicago Board of Trade provided financial support for investment in agricultural commodities. In addition to its dominance in meatpacking and the grain trade, Chicago was a center of American pickle industry in the late 19th century. Among the reasons for Chicago's pickle prominence were ample supplies of salt and a robust rail infrastructure. The Budlong family, an old Rhode Island family and the namesake of Budlong Farm, were established farmers and picklers on the East Coast, with a large operation in Cranston, Rhode Island.

George L. Hathaway was Budlong's longtime president. In 1945, Hathaway was presented with an award by the National Pickle Packers Association for demonstrating "outstanding fairness in procuring pickles for the armed forces". Budlong had operations in Columbia, Mississippi, as of 1936; and in Ora, Indiana, as of 1940. In 1958, it merged with a Green Bay, Wisconsin–based food company specializing in pickles, which was later acquired by Dean Foods (now part of Dairy Farmers of America).

Although the Nursery and Pickle Company no longer exist, a Chicago based restaurant has taken on the Budlong name. The Budlong Hot Chicken was founded in 2015 by restaurateur Jared Leonard and currently has 5 stores in Chicago. The Budlong name also survives in the Lyman A. Budlong Public School, and Budlong Woods, a part of the Lincoln Square community area.