The history of JAB dates back to the early 19th Century, when predecessors of the Reimann family established Benckiser, a chemical and industrial manufacturing company based in Germany.

During the early part of the 20th century, Benckiser was a small to medium sized business, primarily a supplier to the food industry, and its main products included processed cheese, salts for blood treatment, supplements for baby food, and chemicals to soften water.

In the 1980s the company expanded as it acquired and integrated its European and North American household products business and cosmetics companies, before spinning off cosmetics into Coty Inc. in 1996. In 1999, it merged Benckiser with Reckitt & Colman to form the consumer goods business Reckitt Benckiser.

In 2012, JAB Holding Company was formed as a partner-led investment firm, with the consolidation of all business assets, and its portfolio has expanded to the present day.

For more background on the history of Benckiser from the 1920s to the 1940s, please visit the ALFRED LANDECKER FOUNDATION website.