In 1753, Egbert Douwes began selling coffee, tea, and tobacco from a small shop in Joure, The Netherlands, named “De Witte Os” (or “The White Ox”). When his son joined the family business in 1780, he expanded it to bring coffee and tea throughout the region. Gradually, Douwe and his descendants built a company that grew to become the Dutch market leader of coffee and tea.

Douwe Egberts and Sara Lee

Since 1978, Douwe Egberts and Sara Lee Corporation have teamed up to became the second largest coffee roaster in the world.  Sara Lee / DE, based  in Utrecht, The Netherlands, is a subsidiary of Sara Lee Corporation of Chicago. Today, Sara Lee / DE employs over 26,000 people worldwide.

One of the world’s leading consumer packaged goods companies, Sara Lee Corporation sells products in nearly 200 countries. With three global businesses (Food and Beverage, Foodservice, and International), it manufactures quality goods for its loyal customers. Sara Lee’s renowned brands include Sara Lee, Earth Grains, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Bimbo, Kiwi, Ambi Pur, Sanex, and of course, Douwe Egberts.

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