Company History
Learn all about the history of Riviana Foods, Inc.
From a Simple Milling Operation to a Multinational Company
Over the past century, Riviana Foods has grown from a simple milling operation to a multinational company. We, of course, owe all of our success to our customers.
In terms of how this happened, it all dates back to when rice arrived in Louisiana in the early 1700s, becoming a staple crop.
This is our story:
1911
Beginning
Consortium led by Frank A. Godchaux Sr. purchases 30 rice mills in Southwest Louisiana to form Louisiana State Rice Milling Company in Abbeville, Louisiana.
1920
Carolina® & River®
Southern Rice Sales Company later absorbed by River Brand Rice Mills, Inc. begins packaging and selling rice under the brands Carolina® (long grain) and River® (short grain) in the Northeast United States.
1925
Water Maid®
Louisiana State Rice Milling begins standardizing its rice merchandising offering the company’s best quality short grain rice, the “Blue Rose” variety, selling it in 100-pound packets and later selling it under the Water Maid® brand.
1926
Packaging
Louisiana State Rice Milling introduces rice in consumer-oriented packaging.
1931
Innovation
Louisiana State Rice Milling continues to innovate its consumer packaging by marketing and selling rice in kraft and cellophane bags.
1932
New brand for its highest quality long grain rice
Louisiana State Rice Milling introduces its major new brand Mahatma® for its highest quality long grain rice.
1946
Expansion
Champion Rice Milling Company is incorporated and later changes its name to River Brand Rice Mills, Inc. and acquires rice milling facilities in Houston, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee.
1965
New name
River Brand Rice Mills and Louisiana State Rice Milling merge and become Riviana Foods Inc.
1971
Boil-in-bag
Riviana begins test marketing new rice products under the brand Success®, an instant parboiled rice with the convenience of quick cooking rice in a boil-in-bag.
1993
Sello Rojo®
Riviana acquires the Sello Rojo® rice brand and business from the Rice Growers Association of California Corporation.
1995
Riviana Foods is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
1996
Wild Rice
Riviana acquires the Gourmet House® wild rice brand and business from Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. including a facility in Clearbrook, Minnesota.
2004
Ebro Foods acquires Riviana Foods.
2006
Riviana acquires Minute® Rice, the world’s first precooked rice
Riviana acquires the brand Minute®, the world’s first precooked rice, and business from Kraft Foods Global Inc. Under the Minute® brand, Riviana also introduces a new concept of microwavable ready to serve single-serve rice cups that cook in one minute.
2010 – Present
Memphis
Riviana opens a 400,000 square foot state-of- the-art rice manufacturing facility in Memphis, Tennessee, and through investments of millions of dollars since construction has expanded the plant seven times, most recently in 2022.
2011
American Rice Inc.
Riviana acquires American Rice Inc. including a facility in Freeport, Texas, along with the brands Blue Ribbon®, Adolphus®, Comet®, AA®, Abu Bint® and Wonder®.
2015
Specialty rice brand
Riviana Foods acquires the specialty rice brand RiceSelect® sold in jars and business including a facility in Alvin, Texas.
2019
EBRO S.A. acquires Tilda® Rice
Riviana is appointed the distributor of Tilda® rice in the United States.
2022
Expands operations with InHarvest, Inc. assets
Riviana Foods acquires the assets of InHarvest Inc. which specializes in the production, marketing and sale of premium specialty rice, quinoa and other grains including facilities in Colusa and Woodland, California.