Two Claps for Wrigley Chewing Gum!
William Wrigley Jr. was all for workers rights and benefits.
The History Behind It
William Wrigley Jr. had a great idea while he was out selling household items, like soap and baking soda. He was giving away free sticks of gum with the items he sold and the gum was more popular with the customers. He created some of his own kinds of gum. The problem was that there was the stereotype that only women chewed gum. When William came out with his new gum, it got very popular in the youth market, then skyrocketed to the public. The stereotype got wiped clean. In 1893, Wrigley came up with his most popular lines of gum, Wrigley’s Spearmint® and Juicy Fruit®. Still today, they are still the main biggest sellers. In 1907, there was a big economic depression. While other businesses lied low, William Wrigley did the unthinkable: he mortgaged everything he had and started a big advertising campaign. While it was a risk at the time, it has helped them very much today. Wrigley was considered a very good boss. He was all for workers rights and benefits. Some of the very appreciative things he's done for his workers was creating a health and welfare department in 1916 and letting his workers take off the whole weekend in 1924. One of the best things he ever did was during the Great Depression. Wrigley set minimum wage levels so that the workers would be secure during those tough years. He was one of the few bosses that did this for his workers. From then on, the company did nothing but good.
The Wrigley Company Foundation has donated over $50 million to organizations and charities all over the world since 1987.
Not All Companies are the Same
A lot of big companies find help on the other side of the the world, where you can pay the workers terrible wages. The factories are often run down and dangerous for people to even be inside. When William Wrigley Jr. started up Wrigley Chewing Gum, he had the idea in his mind that he wanted to be a good and fair boss. He has supported his workers in hard times and has given them fair wages and rules.
TIMELINE: 1891-TODAY
William Wrigley Jr.
This man came up with the whole idea to start Wrigley Chewing Gum.
The Old Wrigley Factory
This building recently got demolished.
Brands of Gum
These are some of the most popular kinds of gum Wrigleys created.
1ST HAND ACCOUNT
"It's a great experience to work in a company where you are supported in your development around your capabilities and interests." -Peter Kohl, Sr. Sales Operations Manager, Germany
Bibliography- 2 sources
Website #1
Code of Conduct." Encyclopedia of Public Health (n.d.): 130. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Website #2
The Story of Wrigley." Wrigley.com ::. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.