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1. AB INBEV
Quick Video History
AB InBev was formed following the acquisition of American brewer Anheuser-Busch by Belgian-Brazilian brewer InBev, which is a merger of AmBev and Interbrew.
In 2004, Interbrew and AmBev merged, creating the world's largest brewer, InBev. The deal was valued at $11.5 billion and combined the 3rd largest (Interbrew) and 5th largest (Ambev) brewers into the world's No.1 beermaker. The deal consolidated the top brands from Belgium, Canada, Germany and Brazil.
Anheuser bought Harbin Brewery, the maker of Harbin beer in 2004 and Fujian Sedrin Brewery, the maker of Sedrin beer, in 2006, making AB InBev the No. 3 brewer in China, the world's largest beer market. In 2007, subsidiary Labatt acquired Lakeport in Canada, and InBev increased its shareholding in QUINSA, strengthening the company’s foothold in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
In 2008, the acquisition by InBev of Anheuser-Busch was completed, creating Anheuser–Busch InBev, expanding on InBev's previous status as the world's largest brewer, creating one of the top five consumer products companies in the world. Under the terms of the merger agreement, all shares of Anheuser-Busch were acquired for 70 USD per share in cash, for an aggregate of 52 billion USD.
In 2013, Anheuser-Busch InBev joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
On July 21, 2017, Anheuser-Busch InBev continued its investment in the non-alcohol beverage sector with the purchase of energy drink company Hiball.
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2. COCA-COLA
Quick Video History
Coca-Cola, or Coke (also Pemberton's Cola at certain Georgian vendors), is a carbonated soft drink[1] produced by The Coca-Cola Company. Originally intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton and was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. The drink's name refers to two of its original ingredients, which were kola nuts (a source of caffeine) and coca leaves. The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a trade secret, although a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published.
The Coca-Cola Company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold exclusive territory contracts with the company, produce the finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. A typical 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 ml) can contains 38 grams (1.3 oz) of sugar (usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup). The bottlers then sell, distribute, and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores, restaurants, and vending machines throughout the world. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains of major restaurants and foodservice distributors.
The Coca-Cola Company has on occasion introduced other cola drinks under the Coke name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, along with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions with lemon, lime, and coffee. Based on Interbrand's "best global brand" study of 2015, Coca-Cola was the world's third most valuable brand, after Apple and Google.[2] In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day.
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3. PEPSICO
Quick Video History
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York. PepsiCo has interests in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay, Inc. PepsiCo has since expanded from its namesake product Pepsi to a broader range of food and beverage brands, the largest of which included an acquisition of Tropicana Products in 1998 and the Quaker Oats Company in 2001, which added the Gatorade brand to its portfolio.
As of January 26, 2012, 22 of PepsiCo's brands generated retail sales of more than $1 billion apiece, and the company's products were distributed across more than 200 countries, resulting in annual net revenues of $43.3 billion. Based on net revenue, PepsiCo is the second largest food and beverage business in the world. Within North America, PepsiCo is the largest food and beverage business by net revenue. Indra Nooyi has been the chief executive of PepsiCo since 2006. The company's beverage distribution and bottling is conducted by PepsiCo as well as by licensed bottlers in certain regions. Approximately 274,000 employees generated $66.415 billion in revenue as of 2013.
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4. NESTLÉ
Quick Video History
Nestlé S.A. is a Swiss transnational food and drink company headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest food company in the world, measured by revenues and other metrics, since 2014. It ranked No. 64 on the Fortune Global 500 in 2017 and No. 33 on the 2016 edition of the Forbes Global 2000 list of largest public companies.
Nestlé's products include baby food, medical food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks. Twenty-nine of Nestlé's brands have annual sales of over CHF1 billion (about US$1.1 billion), including Nespresso, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Stouffer's, Vittel, and Maggi. Nestlé has 447 factories, operates in 194 countries, and employs around 339,000 people. It is one of the main shareholders of L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company.
Nestlé was formed in 1905 by the merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1866 by brothers George and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé. The company grew significantly during the First World War and again following the Second World War, expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. The company has made a number of corporate acquisitions, including Crosse & Blackwell in 1950, Findus in 1963, Libby's in 1971, Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, Klim in 1998, and Gerber in 2007.
Nestlé has a primary listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange and is a constituent of the Swiss Market Index. It has a secondary listing on Euronext.
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5. SUNTORY
Quick Video History
Suntory Holdings Limited (サントリーホールディングス株式会社 Santorī Hōrudingusu Kabushiki-Gaisha) is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now also makes soft drinks and operates sandwich chains. With its 2014 acquisition of Beam, Inc., it has diversified internationally and become one of the largest makers of distilled beverages in the world. Suntory is headquartered in Dojimahama 2-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.
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6. HEINEKEN
Quick Video History
On 15 February 1864, Gerard Adriaan Heineken (1841–1893) got his wealthy mother to buy De Hooiberg (The Haystack) brewery in Amsterdam, a popular working-class brand founded in 1592. In 1873 after hiring a Dr. Elion (student of Louis Pasteur) to develop Heineken-A Yeast for Bavarian bottom fermentation, the HBM (Heineken's Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij) was established, and the first Heineken brand beer was brewed. In 1875 Heineken won the Medaille D'Or at the International Maritime Exposition in Paris, then began to be shipped there regularly, after which Heineken sales topped 64,000 hectolitres (1.7 million U.S. gallons), making them the biggest beer exporter to France.
In Heineken's early years, the beer won four awards:
Medaille d'Or (Gold Medal) at the International Maritime Exhibition (International Exhibition of Marine and River Industries) in Paris in May 1875.
Diplome d'Honneurs (Honorary Diploma) at the International Colonial Exposition in Amsterdam in 1883.
Grand Prix (Grand Prize) at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889.
Hors Concours Membre du Jury in Paris in 1900.
The two awards that are still mentioned on the label are the Medaille d'Or and Diplome d'Honneurs.
In 2013 Heineken joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
In the end of February 2013, Heineken stopped producing the brown bottles used for the Dutch market in favor of the green color of bottles it already used for exports.
In 2014 Heineken celebrated its 150th anniversary. In 2015 Heineken won the Creative Marketer of the Year Award, becoming the second company to win the award twice.
The original brewery where Gerard Adriaan Heineken first started making Heineken is now the Heineken Experience Museum.
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7. STARBUCKS
Quick Video History
Starbucks Corporation is an American coffee company and coffeehouse chain. Starbucks was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1971. As of 2017, the company operates 26,696 locations worldwide.
Starbucks is considered the main representative of "second wave coffee", initially distinguishing itself from other coffee-serving venues in the US by taste, quality, and customer experience while popularizing darkly roasted coffee. Since the 2000s, third wave coffee makers have targeted quality-minded coffee drinkers with hand-made coffee based on lighter roasts, while Starbucks nowadays uses automated espresso machines for efficiency and safety reasons.
Starbucks locations serve hot and cold drinks, whole-bean coffee, microground instant coffee known as VIA, espresso, caffe latte, full- and loose-leaf teas including Teavana tea products, Evolution Fresh juices, Frappuccino beverages, La Boulange pastries, and snacks including items such as chips and crackers; some offerings (including their annual fall launch of the Pumpkin Spice Latte) are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Many stores sell pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and drinkware including mugs and tumblers; select "Starbucks Evenings" locations offer beer, wine, and appetizers. Starbucks-brand coffee, ice cream, and bottled cold coffee drinks are also sold at grocery stores.
Starbucks first became profitable in Seattle in the early 1980s. Despite an initial economic downturn with its expansion into the Midwest and British Columbia in the late 1980s, the company experienced revitalized prosperity with its entry into California in the early 1990s. The first Starbucks location outside North America opened in Tokyo in 1996; overseas properties now constitute almost one-third of its stores. The company opened an average of two new locations daily between 1987 and 2007.
On December 1, 2016, Howard Schultz announced he would resign as CEO effective April 2017 and would be replaced by Kevin Johnson. Johnson assumed the role of CEO on April 3, 2017, and Howard Schultz retired to become Chairman Emeritus effective June 26, 2018.
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8. DIAGEO
Quick Video History
Diageo was formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan. Its creation was driven by Guinness executives Anthony Greener and Philip Yea along with George Bull and John McGrath of Grand Metropolitan. Anthony Greener was the first executive chairman. Shares in Diageo began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 17 December 1997.
Diageo owned Pillsbury until 2000 when it was sold to General Mills. In 2002, Diageo sold the Burger King fast food restaurant chain to a consortium led by US firm Texas Pacific for $1.5 billion.
In February 2011, Diageo agreed to acquire the Turkish liquor company Mey Icki for $2.1 billion.
In May 2012, Diageo agreed to acquire Ypioca, the largest-selling brand of premium cachaça in Brazil, for £300 million.
In June 2012, Diageo announced a £1 billion investment in Scotch whisky production over the following five years, with at least one new distillery to be constructed, several existing facilities to be expanded, and overall production capacity to be increased by 30 to 40 percent. This did not, however, involve retaining the original Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock, which had already closed its doors in March the same year.
In November 2012, Diageo agreed to acquire a 53.4% stake in the Indian spirits company United Spirits for £1.28 billion.
In 2013, Diageo joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
In November 2014, Diageo agreed to sell Bushmills Irish whiskey in exchange for $408 million and full ownership of tequila brand Don Julio.
In October 2015, Diageo announced the sale of most of its wine business to Treasury Wine Estates. Other brands, such as Navarro Correas and Chalone Vineyard, were sold separately.
In March 2016, the company sold Grand Marnier, a cognac and bitter orange-based liqueur, to Italian aperitif maker Campari Group.
In February 2017, Diageo announced plans to open a Guinness brewery and tourist attraction in Baltimore County, Maryland. The brewery could potentially create 70 new jobs and host as many as 300,000 visitors per year.
In June 2017, Diageo agreed to buy George Clooney's high-end tequila brand, Casamigos, for up to $1 billion.
In February 2018, Diageo announced plans for limited edition bottles of its 12-year-old Black Label blended whisky named Jane Walker, as opposed to Johnnie Walker, to be sold. The label will feature a striding woman on the label rather than the top-hatted man normally associated with the brand.
9. PERNOD RICARD
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard. The company also produces several other types of pastis. It is the world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller.
After the banning of absinthe, Pernod Ricard was created from the Pernod Fils company, which had produced absinthe.
Pernod Ricard owns the distilled beverage division of the former corporation Seagram (including brands like Chivas Regal), along with many other holdings. In 2005, the company acquired a British-based competitor, Allied Domecq plc.
In 2008, Pernod Ricard announced its acquisition of Swedish-based V&S Group, which produces Absolut Vodka.
In 2013 Pernod Ricard joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
As of 2015, India is the company's third largest market by value.
10. MOLSON COORS
The Molson Coors Brewing Company is a multinational brewing company, formed in 2005 by the merger of Molson of Canada, and Coors of the United States. It is the world's seventh largest brewer by volume.
While the company is incorporated in the United States, it is traded on stock exchanges in both the United States and Canada, and control is equally shared between the Molson and Coors families. The company is headquartered at 1801 California Street, a 1,372,179-square-foot (127,479.6 m2), 53-story building formerly known as the Transamerica Tower in Denver. It occupies 67,000-square-foot (6,200 m2) of space located on the 45th, 46th and part of the 47th floors of the structure.
Molson Coors expanded significantly after the merger of Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller in October 2016. This was achieved because during the plans for the merger, SABMiller had agreed to divest itself of the Miller brands by selling its stake in MillerCoors to Molson Coors.
11. UNILEVER
Unilever (/ˈjuːnɪˌliːvər/) is a British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company co-headquartered in London, United Kingdom and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Its products include food and beverages (about 40 percent of its revenue), cleaning agents and personal care products. It is the world's largest consumer goods company measured by 2012 revenue,[4] and is also the world's largest producer of food spreads, such as margarine.[5] It is Europe’s seventh most valuable company.[6] Unilever is one of the oldest multinational companies; its products are available in around 190 countries.[7]
Unilever owns over 400 brands, with a turnover in 2016 of over 50 billion euros, and thirteen brands with sales of over one billion euros:[8] Axe/Lynx, Dove, Omo, Becel/Flora, Heartbrand ice creams, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Lux, Magnum, Rama, Rexona/Degree, Sunsilk and Surf.[7] It is a dual-listed company consisting of Unilever plc, based in London and Unilever N.V., based in Rotterdam but the company made their global headquarters in Rotterdam. The two companies operate as a single business, with a common board of directors. Unilever is organised into four main divisions – Foods, Refreshment (beverages and ice cream), Home Care, and Personal Care. It has research and development facilities in the United Kingdom (two), the Netherlands, China, India and the United States.[9]
Unilever was founded in 1930 by the merger of the Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie and the British soapmaker Lever Brothers. During the second half of the 20th century the company increasingly diversified from being a maker of products made of oils and fats, and expanded its operations worldwide. It has made numerous corporate acquisitions, including Lipton (1971), Brooke Bond (1984), Chesebrough-Ponds (1987), Best Foods (2000), Ben & Jerry's (2000), Alberto-Culver (2010), and Dollar Shave Club (2016). Unilever divested its speciality chemicals businesses to ICI in 1997. In 2015, under leadership of Paul Polman, the company started gradually shifted its focus towards health and beauty brands and away from food brands showing slow growth.[5]
Unilever plc has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Unilever N.V. has a primary listing on Euronext Amsterdam and is a constituent of the AEX index. The company is also a lux of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.[10]
12. CONSTELLATION BRANDS
Constellation Brands, Inc., a Fortune 500 company[2], is an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits. Constellation is the largest beer import company measured by sales,[3] and has the third-largest market share (7.4 percent) of all major beer suppliers.[4]
Based in Victor, New York, Constellation has about 40 facilities and approximately 9,000 employees. [5] The company has more than 100 brands in its portfolio. Wine brands include Robert Mondavi, Wild Horse Winery, Clos du Bois, Franciscan Estates, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Mark West, Ruffino, and The Prisoner. Constellation's beer portfolio includes imported brands such as Corona, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Pacífico, as well as Ballast Point and Funky Buddha. Spirits brands include Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, Svedka Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila and High West Whiskey.
The company was established in 1945 by Marvin Sands in the Finger Lakes region of New York as Canandaigua Industries, selling bulk wine to bottlers in the eastern United States[6]. In its first year, the company sold approximately 200,000 gallons of wine and had gross sales of $150,000.[7]
The company was incorporated as Canandaigua Wine Company, Inc. in 1972 and went public in 1973.[8] Marvin's son Richard Sands became president in 1993 and CEO in 1996.[6] In 1999, company founder Marvin Sands died following a brief illness.[6]
In 2000, the company changed its name to Constellation Brands, Inc. to reflect the scope of the company and its range of brands.[7] In 2007, Rob Sands was named president and CEO.[9]
In 2013, Constellation acquired Grupo Modelo's U.S. beer business from Anheuser-Busch InBev. The transaction included full ownership of Crown Imports LLC which provided Constellation with complete, independent control of all aspects of the U.S. commercial business; a brewery in Nava, Mexico; exclusive perpetual brand license in the U.S. to import, market and sell Corona and the Modelo brands and the freedom to develop brand extensions and innovations for the U.S. market.[9]
In 2014, Constellation finalized a joint venture with Owens-Illinois and completed the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch InBev's glass production plant, located adjacent to the company's brewery in Nava, Mexico.[10]
On October 30th 2017, Constellation agreed to pay about C$245 million ($191 million) for a 9.9% stake in Canopy Growth Corporation, a Canadian seller of medicinal-marijuana products.[11] At the time of the agreement, Constellation became the first Fortune 500 company and the first major alcoholic beverage maker to take a minority stake in a marijuana business.
13. RED BULL
Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz and Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984. While working for German manufacturer Blendax (later acquired by Procter & Gamble) in 1982, Mateschitz traveled to Thailand and met Chaleo, owner of TC Pharmaceutical. He found that the energy drink Krating Daeng, developed by Chaleo's company during the 1970s, helped to ease his jet lag.[2] After seeing market potential in the drink, he partnered with Chaleo in bringing it to Europe. Under their agreement, the partners invested $500,000 each into founding Red Bull GmbH. In return, they would each receive a 49% stake in the company, with the remaining 2% stake going to Chaleo's son Chalerm. They also agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.[3]
Between 1984 and 1987, Red Bull GmbH modified the formula for Krating Daeng to better match European tastes by carbonating the beverage and making it less sweet. In 1987, the company introduced their adapted energy drink into Austria under the name Red Bull. It found huge success there by marketing to young professionals. The brand expanded throughout Europe during the early 1990s, exploding into the United States market during 1997, grabbing 75% of the market within a year.[3] The wealth of Red Bull's founders grew with the company's success, and by March 2012, both Chaleo and Mateschitz had estimated net worths of over $5.3 billion each.[4][5] Today, Red Bull GmbH operates in over 171 countries and employs over 10,000 people. Its signature product, Red Bull, remains the world's most-consumed energy drink with 5.2 billion cans sold in 2012.[6]. Over 6 billion cans sold in 2017
14. Keurig Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper, formerly Keurig Green Mountain (2014–2018) and originally Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (1981–2014), is a publicly traded American beverage and beverage-maker conglomerate with headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts. Its east-coast division sells coffee and other beverages, and Keurig brewers. As of July 2018, the newly merged conglomerate also sells sodas, juices, and other soft drinks via its Dr Pepper Snapple division based in Texas.
In its east-coast division, originally founded in 1981, the company sources, produces, and sells coffee, hot cocoa, teas, and other beverages under various brands in portion packs for its Keurig brewing systems; and sells coffee beans and ground coffee in bags and fractional packs. It sells many of these beverage varieties in Keurig K-Cup single-serve pods, and as of 2017 offers Vue, K-Carafe, and K-Mug pods as well. Through its own and its partnership licensed brands, the east-coast division offers over 400 different varieties of coffee and other beverage selections. These include coffees that are certified organic, Fair Trade Certified, specialty blends, and flavored coffees and beverages.
Begun as a small specialty coffee roaster and store in Vermont in 1981, after regional and national expansion in the late 1980s and an IPO in 1993, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters completed its acquisition of the brewing-machine manufacturer Keurig, Inc. in 2006, enabling rapid growth through the high-margin sales of its many varieties of single-serve K-Cup pods for home and office use. GMCR changed its name to Keurig Green Mountain in March 2014. Its Canadian business unit subsidiary operates as Keurig Canada Inc.
A publicly traded company from 1993 through 2015, Keurig Green Mountain was acquired by a group of investors led by JAB Holding Company in March 2016 for $13.9 billion in cash. Keurig Green Mountain became a privately held company for two years, and was an independent entity run by its pre-existing management team and a new CEO.
On July 9, 2018, Keurig Green Mountain acquired the Dr Pepper Snapple Group in an $18.7 billion deal. The combined company was renamed Keurig Dr Pepper, and began trading publicly again on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "KDP". Shareholders of Dr Pepper Snapple Group own 13% of the combined company, with Keurig shareholder Mondelez International owning 13% to 14% of that fraction. JAB Holdings owns the remaining, majority, stake.
On January 29, 2018, Keurig Green Mountain agreed to acquire Dr Pepper Snapple Group in an $18.7 billion deal
History of Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States. Dr Pepper is America’s unique flavor and was created, manufactured and sold beginning in 1885 in the Central Texas town of Waco.
Waco: Where it All Began
Dr Pepper is a “native Texan,” originating at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store. It is the oldest of the major brand soft drinks in America. Like its flavor, the origin of Dr Pepper is out-of-the-ordinary. Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist working at Morrison’s store, is believed to be the inventor of the now famous drink. Alderton spent most of his time mixing up medicine for the people of Waco, but in his spare time he liked to serve carbonated drinks at the soda fountain. He liked the way the drug store smelled, with all of the fruit syrup flavor smells mixing together in the air. He decided to create a drink that tasted like that smell. He kept a journal, and after numerous experiments he finally hit upon a mixture of fruit syrups that he liked.
Becoming the Dr. Pepper Company
Dr Pepper gained such widespread consumer favor that other soda fountain operators in Waco began buying the syrup from Morrison and serving it. This soon presented a problem for Alderton and Morrison. They could no longer produce enough at their fountain to supply the demand.
Robert S. Lazenby, a young beverage chemist, had also tasted the new drink and he, too, was impressed. Alderton, the inventor, was primarily interested in pharmacy work and had no designs on the drink. He suggested that Morrison and Lazenby develop it further.
Morrison and Lazenby were impressed with the growth of Dr Pepper. In 1891, they formed a new firm, the Artesian Mfg. & Bottling Company, which later became Dr Pepper Company. Lazenby and his son-in-law, J.B. O’Hara moved the company from Waco to Dallas in 1923.
The 1904 World’s Fair
In 1904, Lazenby and O’Hara introduced Dr Pepper to almost 20 million people attending the 1904 World’s Fair Exposition in St. Louis.
15. LVMH MOËT HENNESSY
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH, is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 under the merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moet Hennessy, a company formed after the 1971 merger between the champagne producer Moët & Chandon and Hennessy, the cognac manufacturer. It controls around 60 subsidiaries that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. The subsidiaries are often managed independently. The oldest of the LVMH brands is wine producer Château d'Yquem, which dates its origins back to 1593.
Christian Dior, the luxury goods group, is the main holding company of LVMH, owning 40.9% of its shares, and 59.01% of its voting rights. Bernard Arnault, majority shareholder of Dior, is Chairman and CEO of both companies. In 2017, Arnault purchased all the remaining Christian Dior shares in a reported $13.1 billion buy out. The Dapifer reports that LVMH will gain ownership of Christian Dior haute couture, leather, both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, and footwear lines.
Arnault's successful integration of various famous aspirational brands into a single group has inspired other luxury companies into doing the same. Thus, the French conglomerate Kering (formerly named PPR) and the Swiss-based Richemont have also created extended portfolios of luxury brands. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.
LVMH is headquartered in the 8th arrondissement, Paris, France.The company is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange, and is a constituent of the CAC 40 index. As of 2010, the group had revenues of €20.3 billion with a net income of just over €3 billion. By 29 February 2016 the company had a share value of 78,126 million euros, distributed in 506,980,299 shares. In 2013, with revenue of $21,7 billion, LVMH is ranked first luxury goods company in Deloitte's "Global Powers of Luxury Goods" report. The group currently employs more than 83,000 people. Thirty percent of LVMH's staff work in France. LVMH operates over 2,400 stores worldwide. Its current business plan aims to tightly control the brands it manages in order to maintain and heighten the perception of luxury relating to their products. For example, Louis Vuitton products are sold only through Louis Vuitton boutiques found in upmarket locations in wealthy cities or in concessions in other luxury goods shops (such as Harrods in London).
16. BACARDI
Bacardi Limited (/bəˈkɑːrdi/; Catalan: [bəkəɾˈði]; Spanish: [bakarˈði]) is the largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world. Originally known for its eponymous Bacardi white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in 1862, and family-owned for seven generations, Bacardi employs 6,000 people, manufactures at 29 facilities in 16 markets on four continents, with sales in more than 150 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year. The company's sales in 2007 were US$5.5 billion, up from $4.9 billion in 2006. In recent years sales have stagnated, with the company recording US$4.6 billion in 2014. It laid off 10% of its North American workforce in 2015.
Bacardi Limited is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and has a 16-member board of directors led by the original founder's great-great grandson, Facundo L. Bacardí. Along with other leading alcohol producers, Bacardi is part of a producers' commitments organization which aims to reduce harmful drinking.
17. DANONE
Danone is a French multinational food-products corporation based in Paris and founded in Barcelona, Spain. The company is listed on Euronext Paris where it is a component of the CAC 40 stock market index.
Danone is present in over 130 markets and generated sales of €21.9 billion ($25.7 billion) in 2016, with more than half in emerging countries. In 2015, fresh dairy products represented 50% of the group's total sales, early life nutrition 22%, water 21% and medical nutrition 7%.[2]
Danone was founded by Isaac Carasso, who began producing yogurt in Barcelona, Spain in 1919. The brand was named Danone, which translates to "little Daniel", after his son Daniel Carasso.[3][4]
In 1929, Isaac Carasso moved the company from Spain to France, opening a plant in Paris.[5] In 1942, Daniel Carasso moved the company to New York.[6] In the United States, Daniel Carasso partnered with the Swiss-born Spaniard Juan Metzger and changed the brand name to Dannon to sound more American.[7]
In 1951, Daniel Carasso returned to Paris to manage the family's businesses in France and Spain, and the American business was sold to Beatrice Foods in 1959; it was repurchased by Danone in 1981.[8][9] In Europe in 1967, Danone merged with Gervais, the leading fresh cheese producer in France, and became Gervais Danone. In 1973, the company merged with bottle maker BSN. The company changed its name to Groupe Danone in 1983.[9]
Danone factory in Bieruń, Poland
The acquisitions initially took the shape of vertical integration, acquiring Alsatian brewer Kronenbourg and Evian mineral water who were the glassmaker's largest customers. This move provided content with which to fill the factory's bottles.[10]In 1973, the company merged with Gervais Danone and began to expand internationally. In 1979, the company abandoned glassmaking by disposing of Verreries Boussois. In 1987, Gervais Danone acquired European biscuit manufacturer Général Biscuit, owners of the LU brand, and, in 1989, it bought out the European biscuit operations of Nabisco.[11]
In 1994, BSN changed its name to Groupe Danone, adopting the name of the group’s best-known international brand. Franck Riboud succeeded his father, Antoine, as the company's chairman and chief executive officer in 1996 when Riboud senior retired. Under Riboud junior, the company continued to pursue its focus on three product groups (dairy, beverages, and cereals) and divested itself of several activities which had become non-core.
The research center of Danone in the business cluster of Paris-Saclay, France
In 1999 and 2003, the group sold 56% and 44%, respectively, of its glass-containers business. In 2000, the group also sold most of its European beer activities (the brand Kronenbourg and the brand 1664 were sold to Scottish & Newcastle for £1.7 billion;[12] its Italian cheese and meat businesses (Egidio Galbani Spa) were sold in March 2002;[13] as were its beer producing activities in China. The company's British (Jacob's) and Irish biscuit operations were sold to United Biscuits in September 2004.[14] In August 2005, the Group sold its sauces business in the United Kingdom and in the United States (HP Foods),[15] in January 2006, its sauces business in Asia (Amoy Food) was sold to Ajinomoto.[16] Despite these divestitures, Danone continues to expand internationally in its three core business units, emphasising health and well-being products.[17]
In July 2007, it was announced that Danone had reached agreement with Kraft Foods Inc (now Mondelēz International) to sell its biscuits division, including the LU and Prince brands, for around €5.3 billion.[18] Also in July 2007, a €12.3 billion cash offer by Danone for the Dutch baby food and clinical nutrition company Numico was agreed to by both boards,[19] creating the world's second-largest manufacturer of baby food.
Danone acquired the Unimilk group's companies in Russia in 2010 and the Wockhardt group's nutrition activities in India in 2012.[20][21] In mid-February 2013 Danone announced their intention to cut 900 jobs or about 3.3 percent of their 27,000 person European workforce.[22]
Since 2013, Danone has accelerated its development on the African continent, notably with the acquisition of a controlling interest in Centrale Danone in Morocco and equity interests in Fan Milk in West Africa and Brookside in Kenya.
18. JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS
Jacobs Douwe Egberts is a Dutch privately owned company that owns numerous beverage brands (coffee, tea and hot chocolate). It was formed in 2015 following the merger of the coffee division of Mondelez International with Douwe Egberts. The company is majority owned by Acorn Holdings, a subsidiary of JAB Holding Company. Mondelez International owns the remaining shares.
The original Douwe Egberts shop, The White Ox in Joure, now a museum
The company has its origins in De Witte Os, a general grocery shop that Egbert Douwes established in 1753 in Joure, Netherlands. In 1780, the company was transferred to his eldest son Douwe Egberts. It developed into a company dealing in coffee, tea, and tobacco. By 1925 it had changed its name to Douwe Egberts (as in Douwe, the son of Egbert), and had introduced the red seal as its logo.
In 1948, the company began to sell its products in Belgium, followed by France, Spain and Denmark. It founded a new holding company, Douwe Egberts Koninklijke ("Royal Douwe Egberts") in 1968, and a year later took over the Dutch coffee manufacturer Kanis & Gunnink.
The company expanded through Europe, acquiring other tea, coffee and tobacco companies, such as the UK tea distributor Horniman's Tea.
In 1978 Douwe Egberts was taken over by Consolidated Foods Corporation, later the Sara Lee Corporation. In 1989, Douwe Egberts purchased Van Nelle, its main Dutch competitor in coffee, tea and tobacco. It sold its tobacco interests, including Van Nelle and Drum rolling tobacco, to Imperial Tobacco in 1998.
In 2001, the company collaborated with Philips to produce the Senseo coffee maker. The following year it established the Douwe Egberts Foundation, an independent entity that initiates and manages coffee and tea projects in countries of origin.
Douwe Egberts sued the province of Groningen in 2007 over the introduction of rules stating that all coffee supplied in the province must meet Fair trade criteria set by Stichting Max Havelaar. Courts ruled in favour of the province of Groningen.
With profits from the coffee division under threat from rivals such as Nestlé and Kraft, and being unable to find a buyer, in 2012 Sara Lee split off the coffee division into D.E Master Blenders 1753, offering share-holders one share in the new company for each main share they held.[4][5] The main Sara Lee company changed its name to Hillshire Brands.[6]
In 2012 Douwe Egberts became an independent Dutch company again, trading under the name D.E Master Blenders 1753 NV.[7]
In 2013, the German investor group JAB Holding Company made an offer to purchase D.E Master Blenders 1753 for $9.8 billion.[8] The company appointed a new management and delisted the company from the Euronext stock market. D.E. Master Blenders 1753 later bought Norway's Kaffehuset Friele coffee manufacturer.[9]
In May 2014 the company announced plans to merge with the coffee division of American food conglomerate Mondelez International.[10] The merger received approval from the European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager on 5 May 2015, subject to several conditions.[11] These include a requirement that Merrild and Carte Noire brands are sold, and the Senseo brand in Austria is licensed to a competitor.
19. WONDERFUL CO.
The Wonderful Company LLC, formerly known as Roll Global, is a private corporation based in Los Angeles, California. With revenues of over $4 billion,[1] it functions as a holding company for Stewart and Lynda Resnick, and as such is a vehicle for their personal investments in a number of businesses. The company currently counts as business divisions the following brands: flower delivery service Teleflora, juice company POM Wonderful, bottled water company FIJI Water, Wonderful Pistachios and Wonderful Almonds (formerly Paramount Farms), Wonderful Citrus (formerly Paramount Citrus), sea freight company Neptune Pacific Line, JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery, pest control company Suterra, and in-house marketing agency Wonderful Agency (formerly Fire Station).
As of June 1, 2015, Roll Global changed its name to The Wonderful Company.[1] As the current incarnation of the Resnicks' holding company, The Wonderful Company has a number of predecessors. The Resnicks first bought Teleflora in 1979; later they purchased a home alarm and security company called American Protection Industries. They made API their holding company, and their subsequent purchases (the Franklin Mint, Paramount agribusinesses) became subsidiaries of API. Even after they sold the underlying alarm business, they kept the name API for the holding company until 1993.[2] In 1993, they renamed the company Roll International (later Roll Global) and continued to cultivate a changing portfolio of subsidiaries. One major divestment was the Franklin Mint, sold to a private equity group in 2006. Acquisitions included POM Wonderful and Fiji Water.