Henningsen Produce Company. Butte Division Records, 1902-1928

Henningsen Produce Company was started in 1889 by Fred Henningsen, Sr. He came to Tacoma, Washington, from Denmark to open the business with his four sons, who managed the day-to-day operations. Business consisted of large public cold storage, a creamery, ice making, ice cream manufacturing, poultry feeding and dressing, cheese making, and milk condensing. The company was a wholesale distributor, serving as a middle-man between large producers and small grocers.

By 1920 the Henningsen Company owned and operated plants in Tacoma, Washington; Butte, Montana; Scio and Newburg, Oregon; and Shanghai, China. The largest and most profitable of these, Butte, was managed by Fred Henningsen, Jr. Also the company's vice-president, Henningsen was an active participant in the daily operations. He often rewarded his employees with profit-sharing or other monetary benefits. The Butte plant managed to turn a profit every year from 1902 to 1928, allowing them to expand their business to include beer distribution and a wide selection of imported cheeses.