Our History
1949
International Dairy Supply Co., a Nevada-based company, is awarded a contract to produce milk and ice cream for military units on Guam. The plant is located in Marbo near Andersen Air Force Base and is military-owned contractor-operated, producing goods under the Blue Seal label.
International Dairy Supply Co., a Nevada-based company, is awarded a contract to produce milk and ice cream for military units on Guam. The plant is located in Marbo near Andersen Air Force Base and is military-owned contractor-operated, producing goods under the Blue Seal label.
1950
Gov. Carlton B. Skinner requests that the people of Guam be allowed to purchase International Dairy Supply Co.’s products manufactured by the military facility. As a result, products are sold to civilians at local stores Talk of the Town, the Flores Store and Town
Gov. Carlton B. Skinner requests that the people of Guam be allowed to purchase International Dairy Supply Co.’s products manufactured by the military facility. As a result, products are sold to civilians at local stores Talk of the Town, the Flores Store and Town
House.
- Guam’s schools begin to receive half-pint of milk for lunch programs.
Oct. 27 1950
Harold E. Kizer is appointed as the first International Dairy Supply Co. agent on Guam. He and his twin brother, Howard, initially joined International Dairy Supply in 1949 and had worked in Japan before arriving on Guam in 1950.
Feb. 12 1951
International Dairy Supply Co. receives its Guam business license.
1955
A thousand gallons of milk per day are produced and marketed for schools. Ice cream and popsicles are introduced.
- The company’s staff consists of 11 production personnel, five maintenance staff and three drivers. Contract workers, mainly from the Philippines, work for minimum wage (66¢) and are housed in the Tamuning barracks,
- John Cornett is general manager, replacing Harold E. Kizer
1960
April 1960 – Chocolate almond ice cream is the flavor of the month.
June 1960 – Ada’s markets advertises a quart of Blie Seal Milk for 26¢ (its regular price is 28¢) ad a half-gallon of Blue Seal ice cream at 99¢ (its regular prie is $1.10).
July 1960 – Almond toffee ice cream is the flavor of the month.
1961
The company introduces products that include Blue Seal milk, buttermilk, cottage
The company introduces products that include Blue Seal milk, buttermilk, cottage
cheese, ice cream. Sherbet, Tast-e-Wip sour cream and non-alcoholic eggnog in season.
- C.F. “Chuck” Bonar replaces D.H. Pflueger as general manager.
Feb. 23, 1961 – International Dairy Supply Co. introduces new packaging that replaces the Blue Seal trademark with a modern “F” logo, which symbolizes Blue Seal’s relationship with Foremost Dairies, Inc. For the first time, branding includes the Foremost name to acknowledge the parent company Foremost Dairies.
March 1961 – Cottage cheese in Easter cartons retails for 29¢ per pint.
1962
Foremost Dairies Inc. purchases Dairy Queen for $600,000. Two Dairy Queen stores in Agana – across from the old Town House and the Atkins Kroll used car lot – operate until 1975.
- Dairy Queen has a Navy contract to supply 21 frozen product vending machines.
June 1963
International Dair Supply Co. begins moving to its Marine Drive location. The old Marbo factory simultaneously operates for one year.
- Country Style Creamed Cottage Cheese is introduced.
1964
Orange drink and fruit punch are introduced.
- Clarence E. Johnson is appointed to general manager and replaces C.F. “Chuck” Bonar.
1965
March 30, 1965 – International Dairy Engineering Co., with headquarters in San Francisco, registers for a business license on Guam, replacing International Dairy Supply Co. Foremost Dairies Inc. is the sole shareholder with 100 shares.
May 1965 – Foremost Dairies Inc. sponsors a men’s basketball team from Umatac in the Islandwide Basketball League.
September 1965 – Hopscotch Ice Cream is the flavor of the month.
October 1965 – Foremost Dairies, Inc. carries a variety of milk and drinks that include fruit punch, ice creams and sherbets, dairy products including whipping cream and evaporated milk and four varieties of cheese including cheddar and blue cheese.
1965 Orange juice production begins.
1966
Production of yogurt and ice begins.
- Foremost Dairies Inc.’s general manager is A.J. “Jim” Bloom Jr. who replaces Clarence E. Johnson.
January 1966 – Mango ice cream is introduced.
June 1966 – Foremost Dairies Inc. sponsors Miss June Quitugua for the Queens Court of the 1966 Sampaguita Ball.
July 1966 – Fifty Fifty (Vanilla and Peach) ice cream is the flavor of the month.
November 1966 – Foremost Dairies Inc. introduces vanilla, chocolate and strawberrypowdered instant breakfast.
December 1966 – Foremost Dairies Inc. women’s volleyball team wins its third straight game. Foremost Dairies Babe Ruth Baseball team takes first place.
- Vanilla Ice Cream with Cherries is the flavor of the month.
1967
1967 – The Foremost convenience opens and continues business until the mid-1970s.
January 1967 – Foremost Dairies Inc.’s Babe Ruth Basketball League Team from Agana Heights wins its fifth straight game.
March 1967 – Foremost Dairies Inc. loses the championship game of the Men’s Softball League tournament but wins the regular season championship
May 1967 – Foremost Dairies Inc. wins the National Division of the Islandwide Men’s Basketball League.
June 1967 – Milk Chocolate Chip ice cream is the flavor of the month.
1968
January 1968 – The company launches Lazy Puddin’, an instant pudding in five flavors including lemon and butterscotch
June 1968 – Foremost Dairies Inc.’s Pony basketball team wins the league championship.
July 1969
Half and half coffee creamer is introduced.
1970
April 1970 – Flora Baza, sponsored by International Dairy Engineering Co., wins the 7th Annual Miss Guam Beauty Pageant.
September 1970 – Foremost Dairies Inc. advertises 25-pound bags of party ice.
December 1970 – Candy Cane and Holiday Cherry ice creams are flavors of the month.
February 1971
Pineapple ice cream is the flavor of the month.
1972
July 15, 1972 – Foremost-McKesson, Inc., a Maryland-based corporation, registers to do business on Guam.
1972 – Foremost Dairies Inc. decides to actively enter the wholesale and grocery business following sales of frozen meats and other snack items.
- Harold E. Kizer returns to Guam as general manager, replacing Jim Bloom.
November 1972 – Foremost half-pint milk is served at village food programs for manamko (local senior citizens).
1973
March 1973 – The Foremost-Manukai Swim Team wins the Guam Swin League Championship.
May 1973 – Foremost Foods Distributes Armour, Dial, Keebler cookies and crackers, Laura Scudder snacks, food products, meats and dairy goods.
August 1973 – Total milk production is 180,000 gallons per month.
- Foremost introduces filled milk in half gallon, quarts and pints.
- The company also introduces four flavors of Dutch Pride imitation ice cream and filled homogenized chocolate milk.
December 1973 – The company, unofficially called Foremost Fine Foods, begins distributing Kokusai Rice. It also distributes Del Monte canned tuna.
1974
January 1974 – Milk retails for 69¢ a half gallon, sour cream at 56¢ for a 12-ounce container and introduced margarine for 49¢ a pound.
February 1974 – Del Monte products distributed under the Foremost Guam name indlude canned fish, vegetables and fruits, and dried fruits.
May 1974 – Foremost Dairies Inc. launches Extra Rich Recombined Milk. So-Lo and filled milk are also available.
- The Keep Guam Clean campaign appears on side panels of new milk cartons.
1975
Oct. 1, 1975 – International Dairy Engineering Co. changes its name to Foremost Foods Inc.
November 1975 – Foremost Foods Inc. has 141 employees.
1976
1976 – Foremost Foods Inc. is appointed as a non-exclusive distributor for Coca-Cola beverages.
January 1976 – Foremost is the distributor for Laura Scudder cookies and snacks, Farmers Rice Cooperative Calrose Rice, Sunshine cookies and Bordens and Del Monte products.
December 1976 – Sprite, Tab, Tab Root Beer, and Fanta club soda and tonic water appear in advertisements.
1977
Jan. 28, 1977 – Foremost Foods Inc. registers to do business on Guam.
June 1977 - Foremost Foods Inc. operates three Coca-Cola delivery trucks.
- Granny Goose potato chips are distributed by Foremost Foods Inc.
- Michael J. Stapleton is general manager.
November 1977 – The Foremost mascot is Freddie, Foremost’s expert kid consultant and ventriloquist. Freddie’s handler bears a strong resemblance to actor and teen heartthrob Scott Baio.
December 1977 – Coca-Cola is distributed solely Foremost Foods and sold on Guam in 8- ounce, 12-ounce and 16-ounce containers.
1978
Larry Lippstreau and Otis Sparks briefly act as general managers until Max E. Newman is appointed that year.
1979
1979 – Development work begins on low-fat filled milk at the request of the Department of Education.
January 1979 – Foremost Foods’ mascot cow first appears in print ads, although she is not yet named.
February 1979 – Foremost Premium Ice Cream is launched. A paper tub of half a gallon retails for $1.99.
November 1979 – Vanilla and strawberry-flavored milks are introduced.
April 1980
Low-fat filled milk is served in island public schools until Sept. 30, 1981.
1981
March 1981 – Foremost Foods’ mascot cow again appears in ads, still unnamed. She officially becomes Chamoorita in the mid-1980s, after an islandwide competition asks students to give her a name.
November 1981 – Low-fat filled milk is launched in the consumer market.
1982
May 1982 – Foremost Foods Inc. introduces half-gallon orange juice.
- James W. Skiff is promoted from controller to general manager, replacing Max E.Newman.
June 1982 – Coca-Cola distributes tetra paks of Hi-C, Lemon Tea, Citrus Cooler, Orange Drink and Orange Juice. The milk line includes Filled, So-Lo, and low-fat filled milk.
1983
September 1983 – Diet Coke arrives on Guam
- Macadamia Nut ice cream is the flavor of the month.
October 1983 – Advertisements feature Magnolia and Dole juice drinks and a Hi-C lineup. All products are in tetra paks.
1984
1984 - Richard B. Cherry is president and replaces James W. Skiff.
Aug. 23, 1984 – Netherlands-based Cooperatieve Condensfabriek Friesland purchases majority shareholdings in the international dairy food interests of McKesson Corp. (called Foremost-McKesson Inc. until July 1984). The interests include dairy food companies in seven countries and Guam’s Foremost operations. The eight dairies together have annual revenues of $80 million.
Oct. 1, 1984 – Cooperatieve Condensfabriek Friesland changes its name to Friesland (USA), Inc.
- Coconut Chip ice cream is the flavor of the month.
April 1984 – Kimberly Santos Hill, former Miss World 1980, appears in print advertisements and posters for Foremost Foods Inc. products until October 1985.
1986
Summer 1986 – Foremost wins the Department of Education school milk bid.
Dec. 16, 1986 – California-based Foremost Foods Inc. merges with Friesland.
1988
Feb. 3, 1988 – After 12 years as non-exclusive distributor of Coca-Cola products on Guam, Foremost Foods wins the franchise rights, and the venture is incorporated as Coca-Cola Beverage Co. (Guam), Inc. operations continue with 14 employees.
Feb. 12, 1988 – Foremost Foods Inc. launches full cream milk, its first new dairy product in almost 10 years.
June 16, 1988 – Foremost Foods Inc. introduces a new line of ice creams, which is the first change in formula and packaging in almost 20 years. Thirteen flavors are launched including firm favorites, such as vanilla and new tastes, Oh Fudge!, Oh Nuts!, Razzmatazzberry and Toffee Break.
Sept. 15 1989
The Saipan distributorship warehouse opens and operates until Jan. 1, 1994.
November 1990
Foremost Crystal Clear Water is launched.
- LaVern B. “Barry” Barber is president, replacing Richard Cherry.
Jan. 17 1991
Foremost Foods UHT Milk is launched.
1992
ice cream packaging changes to new plastic tubs from cardboard containers.
1994
Paul Boon is president, replacing LaVern B. “Barry” Barber.
March 1996
Foremost Foods, Inc. Foremost Crystal Clear Drinking Water and Coca-Cola Beverage Co. (Guam), Inc. the first companies in Micronesia to become ISO 9001 accredited and receive this international standard of excellence.
April 1999
Foremost Foods, Foremost Crystal Clear Drinking Water and Coca-Cola Beverage Co. (Guam) Inc. receive the Hazards Analysis of Critical Control Points safety and quality assurance certification.
2000