Abstract

"Serving the Nation’s Interests in WW II: The Phillips Packing Company’s Contributions to Military Rations"

Richard Hoffman, Salisbury University (rchoffman@salisbury.edu)

During times of crisis firms are often asked to serve the public interest even if it is not part of their company goals. This study examines one such case. When the United States entered the Second World War, it launched one of the most ambitious programs of industrialization in support of war. Much has been written about the efforts to provide weapons and vehicles for the nation’s war effort. In addition, an army must be well fed to be alert and have energy to fight the enemy. Since modern warfare is frequently conducted away from home, the need for food supplies that were safe, nourishing, nonperishable, and mobile had become paramount.

This study examines the role of one firm involved in food provisioning for the U.S. military. Motivated by both profit and patriotism, the study examines how the Phillips Packing Company (PPC) switched from peace to wartime production for the military. At the time, PPC was the sixth largest food processor in the U.S. focusing primarily on fruits and vegetables. Its war efforts also included meat processing for rations for which it had to develop special equipment. This micro history reveals that changing from a peacetime to wartime production was not a simple matter of producing different products for the government. It entailed a revision in how the company was organized operationally.

Due to the lack of available company records, this research is based primarily on company newsletters and contemporary local and national newspapers of the period as well as selected government documents. This micro history provides insights into the decisions and processes involved in meeting military needs and the public interest and contributes to the growing economic and business history of World War II.