The History of Pompeian Olive Oil

Pompeian Olive Oil got its start in the late 19th century in Lucca, Italy. Because it was located near the port of Genoa, it was relatively easy to export the product to other parts of the world. Pompeian Olive Oil became popular in the United States in the early 1900s, first with the Italian-American community and other immigrants from the Mediterranean region, and later with the broader population. In 1906, an American entrepreneur named Nathan Musher bought the company and continued to produce olive oil in Italy and export it to the United States. A warehouse was established in Baltimore, allowing for further expansion. In the late 1920s, the Mushers ceased operations in Europe due to rising turmoil and moved the business to Baltimore entirely. In 1930, the Hoffberger family took over leadership of the company and under their direction, Pompeian Olive Oil expanded, becoming the first nationally distributed olive oil brand in the United States. The brand became a household name in the 1940s. In 1975, the Moreno family of Spain acquired the company and expanded its reach even further; it was purchased again in 2009, this time by the Devico family of Morocco. In 2017, the company announced a strengthened alliance with the DCOOP Group of Spain, an olive oil cooperative, and since then, Pompeian has also opened its own olive farm in California, Sunrise Olive Ranch. Today, Pompeian Olive Oil remains a popular olive oil brand and can be found on store shelves all across the United States.