Mother Murphy’s started as a side business. But it didn’t take long for it to become a full-time passion for our founder, Kermit L. Murphy, Sr. We think Kermit would be proud to see how our company has grown since 1946. We also think he’d be pleased that it’s still owned and operated by the Murphy family.

Here’s a timeline of our company’s history.

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  • The Beginning

    The Beginning

    Kermit Murphy Sr. and Dr. Richard Stelling begin developing and selling food flavoring in the Ponoma area of Greensboro, N.C. Murphy sold their flavoring to local bakeries.

  • Southern Laboratories

    Southern Laboratories

    Murphy convinces 14 investors to help him set up Southern Laboratories. Stelling decides to focus on his medical practice, so Murphy recruits a veteran chemist to continue to build the company’s flavor library.

  • Southern Laboratories On The Move

    Southern Laboratories On The Move

    Southern Laboratories moves to a larger building and secures $56,000 worth of business. Around this time, the company begins supplying its fruit-flavored bases to the military for use in beverages.

  • Introducing Vanilla

    Introducing Vanilla

    Southern Laboratories introduces its first vanilla flavoring, a category that will become the company’s main focus for many years.

  • Mother Murphy’s Laboratories, Inc.

    Mother Murphy’s Laboratories, Inc.

    Southern Laboratories changes its name to Mother Murphy’s Laboratories, Inc.

  • Pete Murphys Joins The Company

    Pete Murphys Joins The Company

    Kermit’s brother, L.M. “Pete” Murphy joins the company.

  • Food & Beverage Products Enter the Mix

    Food & Beverage Products Enter the Mix

    Mother Murphy’s expands its offerings to include sweet flavorings and begins producing products for the food and beverage industries.

  • Mother Murphy’s Based on South Elm Street

    Mother Murphy’s Based on South Elm Street

    The Murphy brothers design and build a new facility on South Elm Street to house Mother Murphy’s. It has served as the company’s main production facility and corporate headquarters ever since.

  • The Dairy Industry Arrives

    The Dairy Industry Arrives

    The company begins offering flavorings for the dairy industry.

  • Broadening Flavor Horizons

    Broadening Flavor Horizons

    Mother Murphy’s extends its offerings to most sectors of the flavorings market.

  • Baking in Dallas

    Baking in Dallas

    A high-tech commercial baking test facility opened up in Dallas, TX. This offered opportunities for customers to simulate their production run.

  • Additions to Mother Murphy’s Headquarters

    Additions to Mother Murphy’s Headquarters

    Mother Murphy’s opens a 93,000-square-foot distribution center less than a mile from its corporate headquarters.

  • Keeping up with demand

    Keeping up with demand

    Due to the growing demand for Spray Dry flavorings, Mother Murphy’s opened a 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility.

  • A Refreshing Rebrand

    A Refreshing Rebrand

    A refreshing rebrand has been implemented, changing the logo to Mother Murphy’s Flavors.

Kermit Murphy Sr. and Dr. Richard Stelling begin developing and selling food flavoring in the Ponoma area of Greensboro, N.C. Murphy sold their flavoring to local bakeries.
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1946
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1947
Murphy convinces 14 investors to help him set up Southern Laboratories. Stelling decides to focus on his medical practice, so Murphy recruits a veteran chemist to continue to build the company’s flavor library.
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Southern Laboratories moves to a larger building and secures $56,000 worth of business. Around this time, the company begins supplying its fruit-flavored bases to the military for use in beverages.
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1949
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1954

Southern Laboratories introduces its first vanilla flavoring, a category that will become the company’s main focus for many years.
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Southern Laboratories changes its name to Mother Murphy’s Laboratories, Inc.

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1955

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1958

Kermit’s brother, L.M. “Pete” Murphy joins the company.
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Mother Murphy’s expands its offerings to include sweet flavorings and begins producing products for the food and beverage industries.
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1960s

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1965

The Murphy brothers design and build a new facility on South Elm Street to house Mother Murphy’s. It has served as the company’s main production facility and corporate headquarters ever since.
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The company begins offering flavorings for the dairy industry.
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1970s

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1990s

Mother Murphy’s extends its offerings to most sectors of the flavorings market.
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Mother Murphy’s opens a commercial baking test facility in Dallas.
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1994

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2011

Mother Murphy’s opens a 93,000-square-foot distribution center less than a mile from its corporate headquarters.
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Flavor Builder

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Flavor Builder

Help Mother Murphy's create a sample just for you! Describe the custom flavor sample that you want to build and select the features that will accelerate your next creation.

Learn More
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