 
The History of Albers
Bernhard Albers,
a young German immigrant, worked for a wholesale grocer,
saving
money
with
the goal
of going into business for himself. Convinced of the opportunities
in Portland, Oregon, he persuaded his four brothers to
join him. In 1895, with $15,000, the brothers and another
partner
formed a milling company. By 1899, the Albers brothers
bought out their business associate and formed the Albers
Bros.
Milling Company.
 In 1914, the Pacific Cereal Association was absorbed by
the Albers business. With this came the acquisition of the
Carnation Wheat and Carnation Oats products. Due to the acquisition
of these two labels, Albers came to the attention of E.A.
Stuart, owner of Carnation Milk Products Company.
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Historical Albers building advertisement revealed
during a 2003 construction project in Seattle, WA. The
mural is believed to have been painted between 1895
and 1913.
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In 1929, Mr. Stuart believed it was the right time to negotiate
for the Albers business. He believed the companies were two
West Coast pioneers, which had gone through similar struggles
to develop their business and had similar corporate goals
and values, both dedicating themselves to products of the
highest quality. On Oct. 19, 1929, Carnation Milk Products
Company purchased Albers Bros. Milling Company. Nestlé purchased
the Carnation Company, along with the Albers brand of products,
in 1984.
The Albers line of corn meal and grits has been used for
generations. Albers yellow and white corn meal are essential
ingredients to prepare everything from sweet corn bread and
corn muffins to fried fish and chicken. Albers grits are
used to create tasty satisfying side dishes and main meals
at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Albers brand represents
a heritage of providing rich, natural flavor from premium
corn.
Still recognizable on the Albers orange and blue corn meal
package is the fresh ear of corn. The Albers grits package
remains familiar with its red and blue colors and traditional
breakfast plate of grits, eggs and bacon.
Albers Family Today
In June 2005, 35 members of the Albers family gathered in San Diego
to reminisce and catch up on family news.
The Albers family reunion is a tradition that began in 1988 when
Genevieve Gertrude Albers, daughter of original Albers brother George
Henry Albers, decided to host a small reunion in Sun River, Oregon.
The family had lost touch over the years and was scattered across
the country. This gathering was the beginning of what would soon
become a cherished tradition.
Several reunions have taken place since then, and Genevieve has
since passed. But the Albers family is forever grateful to her for
taking that first step in bringing their family closer together.
Throughout the years, the reunions have been held every 2-4 years
at various locations along the West Coast and though the reunion
itself lasts just one weekend, family members often come days in
advance to make a vacation out of the trip.
The Albers family is proud of their heritage and believes they
will forever “Have a bit of Americana in our family history,”
said Karen Albers.
Although Albers Corn Meal has been part of the Nestlé family
since 1984, the Albers family still feels very connected to the
brand. Frank Albers recounts a fond memory from the morning of one
reunion: He was in the grocery store, wearing his Albers cap, purchasing
Albers Corn Meal. When he signed the receipt, the cashier did a
double take and wanted to know if the signature was famous. Apparently,
Frank III signs his name with the same signature “A”
his grandfather once did—the same logo on the Albers box today.
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