This article introduces the 20 oldest companies in the world. If you would like to read about more companies, please visit: 5 oldest companies in the world.
Business and commerce have been essential to human civilization for a very long time. Older civilizations may be perceived as less advanced, but they progressed in ways that were appropriate to their times. The term “corporate” has its roots in the Latin word “corpus”, which means an association of people. Records show that in his fourth century, Roman society recognized legal entities with legal status, allowing them to enter into contracts and seek legal remedies. Similar business structures existed in other ancient civilizations, including Europe, Japan, England, and India. Many cities had stock exchanges where investors could invest in stocks and receive written proof of ownership in a particular company.
Several companies in Western history are particularly noteworthy, including the Dutch East India Company, the Hudson's Bay Company, and the British East India Company. The East India Company continued to rule the Indian subcontinent for over a century. This makes it one of the largest companies in history, surpassing the size of well-known modern companies such as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), and Meta Platforms Inc. It is said. NASDAQ:Meta).
Japan is known for having many of the oldest companies. It is reported that Japan has over 52,000 companies that have been in business for over 100 years, making it the country with the largest number of companies. 100 year old companies around the world. A well-known company in this country is Nintendo Co., Ltd. (TYO:7974), which was founded in 1889. Suntory Foods International Ltd. (TYO:2587) was founded in 1899 by him. Kikkoman Corporation (TYO:2801) was founded in 1917. oldest company in europe It's a winery. These companies operate in a variety of industries, but the key to withstanding long-term challenges lies in their ability to adapt to change over time.
This raises the question of the secret to corporate longevity and how other companies can draw lessons from these companies. Understanding these lessons is especially important given that the average lifespan of companies listed on the S&P 500 index has shrunk from 67 years in the 1920s to about 10 years today. Become. In recent years, economic turmoil and competition have brought about the downfall of many giant companies, from financial institutions like Silicon Valley Bank to famous camera manufacturers like Kodak.
A key determinant of long-term survival is a commitment to innovation and continuous reinvention. A well-known example is Nokia. Nokia started out as a pulp manufacturer, then moved into electronics and eventually into mobile phones. At some point, the Nokia brand was extended to socks. Another illustrative example is Berkshire Hathaway. The company was originally founded as a textile mill in Rhode Island and later diversified its operations into many industries.
Here's what Vltava Funds said about Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-B) in its Q4 2023 letter to investors:
“The entire book has been published.” Berkshire Hathaway Company (NYSE:BRK-B) trading. One of the best books I can highly recommend is Adam Mead's 2021 book, The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway. This book is wonderfully detailed, but will also need to be updated over time. In fact, Berkshire Hathaway writes new and interesting chapters in its history every year. The chapter describing 2023 will be very extensive. At the turn of the year, Berkshire completed its $11.6 billion acquisition of insurance company Alleghany Corporation. A short time later, Berkshire increased its stake in Pilot Flying J to 80% and its stake in five Japanese “general trading company” conglomerates to 8.5% (at current prices the total investment was approximately 20 billion dollars). Throughout the year, Berkshire also steadily increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum to 37% (including warrants). Berkshire Hathaway remains a very unique type of conglomerate that generates large amounts of cash through investments and is able to reinvest that cash many times over long periods of time. This is an almost perfect case of a market snowball. Here's one interesting fact. The intrinsic value of one Berkshire share is currently estimated to be increasing at a rate of approximately $178 per day. When we bought his stock 12 years ago, this was less than $50 per day. Growth rates are gradually accelerating with minimal fluctuations. And Berkshire has decades more of similar growth ahead of it. ”
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our methodology
To shortlist the world's 20 oldest companies, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using reports from trusted websites such as Bloomberg and Visual Capitalist. We cross-reference the list across multiple sources to ensure authenticity. All of the companies on this list have been in continuous business since their inception. The world's oldest companies are ranked in descending order of founding year, with the oldest companies at the top.
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20 oldest companies in the world
20. Benedictine Stift Admont
Founding year: 1074
Admont Abbey was founded in 1074 by the Archbishop of Salzburg and is the oldest surviving monastery in Styria, Austria. Located in a forested area, the monastery was initially engaged in small-scale woodworking activities. Over time, this developed into an important commercial enterprise with the establishment of the wood processing business Stift Admont (also known as Stia). This brand produces natural wood floors, panels and stairs.
19. Afrigem Brewery
Founding year: 1074
Aflighem Abbey was built around 1074 and is one of the oldest known breweries and businesses in Belgium. These beers are currently produced by Heineken International under license from Friars Afrigem.
18. Otterton Mill
Founding year: 1068
The earliest record of Otterton Mill dates back to 1068. The mill uses water power to produce traditional stone-ground whole grain flour. The milling industry declined in 1959, but a restoration effort in 1977, funded by a local family, succeeded in turning the mill into a tourist destination.
17. Weltenburg Abbey
Year of construction: 1050
The Weltenburg Abbey in Germany is one of the two oldest monastic breweries still in existence. Founded in 617, the monastery's brewing tradition is well-documented, with the earliest evidence of its brewery dating back to 1050. Baroque Dunkel is one of the famous products of this brewery, for which he won the title of best dark beer at the World Beer Cup three times. Another time.
16. Weihenstephan
Year of construction: 1040
The Weihenstephan Abbey in Germany is one of the two oldest monastic breweries in existence today. The earliest mention of a brewery at this location dates back to 768, but the officially licensed founding of the brewery was in 1040, a date Weihenstephan claims is its founding date. Masu. However, the earliest recorded evidence of the brewery dates from 1050.
15. Sumiya Shrine Buddhist supplies store
Founding year: 1024
Shugu Shinbutsu Shop is the second oldest manufacturer of sacred utensils and burial goods. This company manufactures Buddhist utensils, robes, temple and Buddhist utensils, burial goods, tombstones, etc. In response to changing times and decreasing demand for such products, the company is now adapting by offering traditional Japanese art to the global market. In this evolution, today's companies such as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) are valuable because of the resilience and adaptability of companies like Shumiya. You may find some insight. Shinto Buddhist supplies store.
14. Wasuke Ichimonjiya
Founding year: 1000
Ichimonjiya Wasuke is a confectionery company in Kyoto. We sell Japanese sweets. Run by the 25th generation of the Hasegawa family. The family initially settled near Imamiya Shrine around 1000 AD, seeking refuge from the pandemic and with the aim of accommodating pilgrims visiting the shrine. Today, it continues to provide treats to shrine visitors and tourists.
13. Marinelibell Foundry
Founding year: 1000
The Marinelli family started a bell foundry in Italy more than 1,000 years ago. Today, this site is located in the small village of Agnone, in the province of Molise. In 1924, Pope Pius XI gave the foundry the title “Pontifical Foundry” in recognition of its contribution to the Vatican. The Vatican remains the main patron of this historic foundry.
12. Chateau de Goulaine
Founding year: 1000
Château de Goulaine is an old castle located in France's Loire Valley wine region. It has been in the possession of the Goulaine family for over a thousand years. Although the exact timeline for the estate's transition from dedicated wine production to commercial endeavors remains unclear, the winery itself has been an active contributor to his over 1000-year-old winemaking tradition.
11. Saji Nakamura
Founding year: 970
Nakamura Shaji is a construction company located in Aichi Prefecture. He specializes in the construction of delicate woodwork used in temples, shrines, and shrines.
10. Bingley Arms
Year of construction: 953
The Bingley Arms, located in the West Yorkshire village of Bergey, is Britain's oldest pub. The roots of this pub he claims date back from 905 to his 953. Bingley Arms ranks number 10 on our list of the world's oldest companies.
9. Shawn's Bar
Founding year: 900 years
Sean's Bar is a famous Irish pub that dates back to 900 AD. It claims to be the oldest surviving bar not only in Ireland but also in Europe. The pub's claims are backed up by archaeological investigations carried out on the building, which revealed parts of ancient walls dating back to the 900s.
8. Tanaka Iga
Founding year: 885
Tanaka Iga Butsugu is a Japanese company that manufactures religious items such as Buddhist altars that are commonly used in many Japanese homes. The company was founded in the 9th century and is one of the oldest religious goods manufacturers in the world.
7. Staffelter Hof
Year of construction: 862
The Abbey of Staffelter Hof is a Belgian wine-producing monastery dating back to 862. The first documented evidence of the Abbey of Staffelter Hof can be found in original documents currently kept in the archives of the city of Liege, Belgium. Staffelter Hof ranks 7th on the list of oldest companies in the world.
6. Stiftskeller St. Peter
Founding year: 803
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is a restaurant located within the St. Peter's Monastery in Salzburg, Austria. It is estimated to have been in operation before 803 AD, making it officially the oldest inn in Central Europe.
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Disclosure: None. 20 oldest companies in the world Published on Insider Monkey.
