Who We Are

Welch’s is based in Concord, Massachusetts – the place where our famous Concord grape was first cultivated in 1849, and which subsequently gave the grape variety its name.

The story of our Concord grape juice begins 20 years later, in 1869, when a Vineland, New Jersey dentist by the name of Dr. Thomas Welch gathered 40 pounds of Concord grapes from in front of his house.

In Welch’s family kitchen, Thomas cooked the grapes, squeezed, bottled and pasteurized them – inventing the world’s very first shelf-stable juice.The first batch of Welch’s Concord grape juice had been made, and a beloved consumer brand was born.

Since 1952, Welch’s (Welch Foods, Inc.) has been owned by the farmers that make up the National Grape Co-operative. In that time, the Welch’s brand has continued to grow and today enjoys the affection and loyalty of millions of consumers in America and worldwide.

Welch’s mission is to take the great taste and goodness of our Concord and Niagara grapes and grape-based products to as many people and places as possible through new markets and new categories. In pursuit of this goal, in 2014 Welch Foods, Inc. established a new division – Welch’s Global Ingredients Group.

Welch’s Global Ingredients Group channels decades of grape expertise to deliver novel ingredient solutions to manufacturers of food and beverage products, enabling them to create delicious and nutritious products consumers will be sure to love.

As part of Welch Foods,Inc., Welch’s Global Ingredients Group brings a deep understanding of consumers and trends into the ingredients category, helping food and beverage manufacturers create products that meet the needs of today’s families.