A Cost Accounting Analysis
COMPANY BACKGROUND
General Mills (GSI) is the sixth largest food company in the world. The company currently operates in more than 100 foreign countries and employs over 35,000 people. . GSI manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide and supplies branded and unbranded food products to the foodservice and commercial baking industries. The company manufactures cereals, yogurt, ready-to-serve soup, dry dinners, frozen vegetables, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza, flour, fruit and snacks; and organic products, including soup, granola bars, and cereals; and ice cream and frozen desserts, and high fiber snacks. Its best knows product brands are Betty Crocker, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Cheerios and Haagen-Dazs. It markets its products through its direct sales, broker and distribution a to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, and convenience stores. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
GSI’s businesses are organized into three operating segments: U.S. Retail, International, and Bakeries and Foodservice. The U.S. Retail segment includes sales to grocery stores, mass merchandising, and membership stores such as BJ’s, Sam’s and Costco, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains in the United States. The International segment includes products manufactured in Canada and products manufactured in the US that are exported to Caribbean and Latin American markets and products manufactured for sale in the company’s international joint ventures. These products include ready-to-eat cereals, shelf stable and frozen vegetables, dry dinners, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza snacks, and grain and fruit