Henry Heinz: The King of Condiments
People around the world enjoy condiments with the food they eat; it adds a little more flavor and enjoyability to what they are about to eat. Many people buy pre-packaged products because it is easy and they trust that they are safe, but that was not always the case. Many used to grow their own food because processed food was unregulated and likely unsafe to consume, but Henry Heinz worried about the people’s health so he created safer and better ketchup. By using clever business tactics, he grew his small horseradish business into the biggest and most popular ketchup company in the world. From being just a good boss to being recognized as the creator of ketchup and helping enforce a Congressional Act, Heinz was an influential figure in history who had a positive impact on the world because he changed the world of condiments by making them widely available and safe to consume.
Early Life and Childhood
On October 11, 1844, two gardeners, Anna Margaretha Schmidt (b. 1822) and John Henry Heinz (b. 1811) gave birth to Henry John Heinz in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”). In 1850, the family moved to the nearby town of Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania (“Henry Heinz: Successful Entrepreneurs Thrive on Failure”). At just eight years old, Heinz sold his family's extra vegetables to neighbors. In just four years, he had used three and a half acres of his family's garden to grow horseradish, which he would sell to nearby residents of Sharpsburg (Moloney & Cadamore). At twenty-one, Henry bought half of his father's brick company. Three years later, he partnered with L.C. Noble, forming Heinz & Noble, to make and sell bricks. After just a year, they stopped manufacturing bricks and Heinz returned to processed goods (Moloney & Cadamore).
Beginnings
At a relatively young age, Heinz became locally famous for selling high-quality horseradish and other goods (Money & Cadamore). Making sauces was a long process, so he knew he could make money from people who wanted more time on their hands (D’Costa). Henry learned that quality was significant to his customers, using empty bottles to show them exactly what they were buying. This tactic helped the company become more successful than its competitors (D’Costa).
Things were going great for the company until 1875. The effects of the Panic of 1873 had caught up to them, causing Noble to file for bankruptcy (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”). After barely being able to support himself for a few months, Henry went to his brother John and his cousin Frederick for a loan. The three later founded F. & J. Heinz, using the same techniques and standards as Henry’s last company. At this time, Henry Heinz had recognized the success of tomato ketchup, a condiment that has been a British-imported staple since the 1700s (D’Costa). The problem with premade ketchup was that it was not consistent between multiple sellers. Heinz used this flaw to his advantage, making perfect ketchup that would leave his competition in the dust (D’Costa).
Accomplishments
Heinz would be recognized as the creator of tomato ketchup, and by 1888, Heinz bought out his partners and would rebrand F. & J. Heinz to H. J. Heinz (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”). Although the Heinz company sold over 60 varieties of condiments at the time, that would not lead to it’s unforgettable slogan. The true inspiration for Heinz’s famous “57 Varieties” campaign would come to Henry in 1892. While riding on a train through New York, Henry Heinz caught a glance of an advertisement that stated “21 varieties” of shoes (Moloney & Cadamore). He settled on the number 57 because his lucky number was 5, and his wife’s was 7. The catch phrase would soon be associated with the company in the minds of everyone who has ever heard of Heinz (“Henry Heinz: Successful Entrepreneurs Thrive on Failure”).
H.J. Heinz would grow larger due to their pickles. During the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the company’s exhibit would be located on the second floor of the Agricultural Building. Because of a lack of visitors, Henry hired young men to give out free cards that could be exchanged for keepsakes at the H.J. Heinz display. Soon, large crowds would gather on the second floor, reportedly causing damage in the Agricultural Building’s structure. Heinz’s company would have multiple things to boost their sales: pickles, ketchup, and “57 Varieties” (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”).
Just a year later, Henry would be presented with the biggest tragedy of his life, the death of his beloved wife. He worked through the emotions and continued to work hard (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”). Prior to 1906, food processing was unregulated, but this year, a new act would be brought to Congress. While many rival food processors would oppose the Pure Food and Drug Act, Heinz was probably the only company to openly support it. This would gain his company lots of well-appreciated publicity. Through Heinz’s leadership, the H. J. Heinz Company became the largest tomato manufacturer in the world by 1908. Eleven years later, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of Heinz & Noble, Henry John Heinz died in his home in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”).
Impact on the World
Being a clever salesman came with benefits. Henry Heinz knew that his customers valued the real deal, so he showed them he cared. By putting his products in clear glass bottles, Heinz proved that he had not modified or cheaped out on his condiments. Henry would grow his company with that business model, and soon the Heinz company would be associated with excellent quality and purity (D’Costa). Just being nice to his customers was not enough for the man, so after a trip from Germany in 1886, Henry John Heinz came back to the states with ideas. Seeing that German workers were treated much better than American workers, he decided to become a pioneer in giving his employees good salaries and benefits such as manicures and rooftop gardens for both males and females (“Pittsburgh/PA”). Being the only major food manufacturing company to support the Pure Food and Drug Act made H.J. Heinz stand out. Many people saw Henry Heinz and his company as better than the rest because they cared about the consumers. Worrying about the customers more than the profits was the fuel the company needed to grow, and there was no sign of stopping in sight (“John Heinz and the Heinz Family”). Even though Henry had passed, his company continued to sell more products and make his ketchup better. To this day, the Heinz company is still the largest ketchup manufacturer in the world.
Conclusion
Henry John Heinz was a hard-working, smart businessman. He started selling goods as a child and continued into his later life. He persevered through his first company going bankrupt and the loss of his wife. Henry spent years perfecting a recipe for amazing tomato ketchup to beat out his competitors. He learned that treating his consumers and his employees well helped him stand out and made his products more appealing to new customers. The story of Henry Heinz shows that anyone, coming from money or not, can make it and be successful in their life. All it takes is to not give up, and to be smart with who or what you are working with. Henry Heinz is a person that can be looked up to because he was like everyone else growing up. He did not have too much help from anyone else and just kept working hard. Henry Heinz is a great example of how an ordinary person can become great.
Works Cited
D'Costa, Krystal. “Seeing is Believing: The Story Behind Henry Heinz's Condiment Empire.” Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2012, blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/seeing-is-believing-the-story-behind-henry-heinzs-condiment-empire. Accessed on 22 Jan. 2021.
“Henry Heinz: Successful Entrepreneurs Thrive on Failure.” Experimarketing, experimarketing.com/strategy/henry-heinz-successful-entrepreneurs-thrive-on-failure. Accessed 1 Feb. 2021.
“John Heinz and the Heinz Family.” John Heinz: A Western Pennsylvania Legacy. johnheinzlegacy.org/heinz/heinzfamily.html. Accessed on 2 Mar. 2021.
Moloney, Sean, and William Cadamore. ”Success in Every Bottle: The H.J. Heinz Company.” Pennsylvania Center for the Book, pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/success-every-bottle-hj-heinz-company. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.
“Pittsburgh/PA: Where Henry John Heinz Invented Ketchup.” Deutsche Welle, dw.com/en/pittsburgh-pa-where-henry-john-heinz-invented-ketchup/a-276279. Accessed 7 May 2021
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