Hidden Valley Ranch is one of the most popular ranch dressing brands in the United States. The creamy, tangy flavor of Hidden Valley Ranch has made it a staple condiment in many households. But who actually owns and produces this famous ranch dressing?
History of Hidden Valley Ranch
Hidden Valley Ranch was created in the early 1950s by Steve Henson. Henson and his wife Gayle operated a dude ranch called Hidden Valley Ranch in California. To serve something new and tasty to guests, Steve Henson developed a dry mix for a buttermilk-based ranch dressing. It became so popular with guests that the Hensons began packaging the dry seasoning and selling it to people to take home and mix themselves.
In the early days, Hidden Valley Ranch was produced and marketed by the Hensons’ company Hidden Valley Ranch Food Products. As demand grew, they licensed the seasoning recipe to larger companies to manufacture and distribute the Hidden Valley Ranch products across the US.
Acquisition by Clorox
In 1972, the Hidden Valley Ranch brand was acquired by famous household cleaning products company Clorox. Clorox began marketing Hidden Valley Ranch dressing in the now-classic refrigerated bottles in grocery stores. They also continued selling the dry seasoning mixes for home preparation.
Under Clorox’s management, Hidden Valley Ranch became the best-selling brand of salad dressing in the United States. From the 1970s through today, Clorox has invested heavily in promotions, marketing, and product innovation to grow the Hidden Valley Ranch line of products. It is one of Clorox’s flagship brands.
Hidden Valley Ranch Product Line Today
Here are some of the major Hidden Valley Ranch products on the market today:
- Original ranch dressing
- Light ranch dressing
- Organic ranch dressing
- Ranch dip mix packets
- Bottled ranch dip
- Ranch seasoning and salad dressing mixes
- Restaurant-style ranch in gallons
- Hidden Valley The Original Ranch salad kits
- Restaurant-style fry sauce
- The Ranch restaurant-style dressings line
In addition to traditional bottled dressings and dry mixes, Hidden Valley Ranch has expanded into refrigerated dips, salad kits, farmhouse-style products, global flavors, and more. The brand has become a broad line of ranch and curated salad products.
Clorox Company Overview
The Clorox Company, headquartered in Oakland, CA, is a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the leading manufacturers of consumer products in the world. Clorox was founded in 1913 and is best known for its namesake bleaches, cleaning products, and disinfectants. The company has expanded over the decades into a diversified consumer product conglomerate. Here are some key facts about The Clorox Company:
- Founded in 1913 in Oakland, CA
- Employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide
- Manufactures products in more than two dozen countries
- Sells products in more than 100 countries
- Headquartered in Oakland, CA
- CEO is Linda Rendle
- 2020 revenues were $6.7 billion
In addition to Hidden Valley Ranch, major consumer brands owned by Clorox include:
| Cleaning brands | Household brands | Lifestyle brands |
|---|---|---|
| Clorox | Brita | Burt’s Bees |
| Pine-Sol | Glad | Hidden Valley |
| S.O.S | Kingsford | RenewLife |
Clorox prides itself on a long history of quality, innovation and corporate responsibility. While bleach and cleaning products remain at its core, the company has diversified into a wider range of consumer goods. Hidden Valley Ranch has been a key part of that strategy since Clorox acquired it in 1972.
Clorox’s Ranch Brands
In addition to Hidden Valley, Clorox also owns other ranch dressing and dip brands that it has acquired over the years:
- The Good Seasons brand – Clorox acquired this brand in 2007, including Good Seasons dry salad dressing and dip mixes.
- Ken’s Foods – Ken’s is a refrigerated salad dressing brand that Clorox bought in 2004. Key products include Ken’s ranch dressings.
- Balsamic Garden – Clorox acquired this refrigerated dip brand in 2018. The ranch and pizza-flavored dips complement Hidden Valley.
- Soy Vay – Clorox purchased Soy Vay and its Asian-inspired dressings and marinades in 2018.
By owning multiple ranch and salad dressing brands, Clorox Company has become the top producer of bottled ranch dressing and dips. Hidden Valley remains the flagship brand and ranch dressing market leader.
Conclusion
Hidden Valley Ranch was started in the 1950s by Steve and Gayle Henson on their California dude ranch. The popular dry mixes and dressing were acquired by Clorox in 1972, which turned Hidden Valley into a mass market brand and the #1 selling ranch. Today, Hidden Valley Ranch remains owned and marketed by Clorox Company. Under Clorox’s management for over 50 years, Hidden Valley has expanded into an even broader line of ranch-inspired sauces, dips, and salad products.