# Spinoff companies that retain a defunct large sompany's name
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 10, 2024, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350 "2024-05-10T11:29:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/1 "2024-05-10T11:29:45Z")
I notice that some spinoff companies of large and famous companies have in some cases continued to exist long after that famous parent company has disappeared.
The one that stands out particularly is **Todd-AO Sound** The Todd-AO organization was founded in 1953 by Mike Todd in collaboration with the American Optical organization to develop, market, sand promote an original ultra-wide screen film process, called “Todd-AO”. It was characterized as “Cinerama out of one hole”, and used a revolutionary anamorphic lens to capture an incredibly wide film image (when projected on a special curved screen it filled out your field of view to the edges of your peripheral vision). They made several movies that had to be shown in special theaters, like the _Rivoli_ in Nedw York City – **Oklahoma** , **Around the World in Eighty Days** , **The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm**. If you see these movies on your TV from as streaming service or DVD, know that what you’re seeing is only a pale imitation of the real thing. I’ve seen Around the World in the Rivoli theater, and it’s very impressive, especially in scenes like Passepartout’s high-wheeled bicycle trip around London. The only thing like it today is an Omnimax film (which uses an even more complex anamorphic lens system), or the Circlevision movies they used to show at the Disney parks.
Mike Todd died in a plane crash in 1958, and the film company petered out in the 1970s. But they also had a sound division, which is still going strong. I occasionally still see a credit at the end of a movie for “Todd-AO Sound”. They have a website (which boasts about "Cicada Reducer sound software to reduce the sound of cicada calls without affecting dialogue, which seems particularly timely this year). So, long after Todd-AO movies have bitten the dust, Todd AO sound carries on the name.
Another example is **Digital Federal Credit Union** , abbreviated **DCU** (which continues to annoy me – you’d think it would be “DFCU”). This was a company set up in 1969 to help employees of Massachusetts-based **Digital Equipment Corporation** to obtain mortgages. Digital Equipment Corporation, or DEC, was a computer company that made the PDP and VAX lines of computer that were ubiquitous in the 1970s and 1980s, and which built an enormous chip fabricating facility in Massachusetts. They were acquired by rival Compaq in 1998, who were, in turn, bought by HP in 2002.
Compaq and HP rebranded DEC equipment, but the logo and name were used until 2004 by IT company Digital GlobalSoft in India, but no more. However, the company name lives on in the Credit Union that has offices all over Massachusetts.
Any others?
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/2 "2024-05-10T11:58:35Z")
Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat, along with many other brands are now part of Stellantis.
[Chrysler Is Now Part of Stellantis](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/company-insights/090416/top-7-companies-owned-chrysler-fcau.asp#:~:text=Chrysler%20is%20part%20of%20the,%2C%20Teksid%2C%20Mopar%20and%20Maserati).
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### Author:  [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/3 "2024-05-10T12:35:49Z")
“RCA” has lived on as a brand name long after the RCA Corporation (formerly Radio Corporation of America) ceased to exist:
> **[RCA (trademark)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_(trademark))**
>
> RCA is an American multinational trademark brand owned by Talisman Brands, Inc. which is used on products made by that company as well as Sony Music Entertainment, Voxx International and ON Corporation. RCA is an abbreviation for the Radio Corporation of America, founded in 1919. The company became known as the RCA Corporation in 1969. In late 1986, RCA was purchased by General Electric and over the next few years, GE sold or liquidated most of the corporation's various divisions and assets.
> At ...
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/4 "2024-05-10T12:52:01Z")
Many of the big name audio speaker brands are owned by other companies such as [Hardon Karman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman_International#:~:text=Harman%20markets%20its%20products%20under,Martin%2C%20Revel%2C%20and%20Soundcraft.) (BTW now Harmon International) and Panasoninc (Fender and Klispch). Also, the Beats brand is now owned by Apple.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/5 "2024-05-10T12:54:30Z")
There’s still a line of AO Sunwear sunglasses , and it uses the older American Optical logo (not the one adopted in the 19780s), but the company has nothing to do with the old American Optical, and the glasses aren’t manufactured in any former AO plant.
> **[American Optical | Sunglasses Made in the USA](https://aoeyewear.com/)**
>
> American Optical has been handcrafting quality eyewear since 1833 and is proud to offer the most iconic sunglasses, made in the USA from global components. Shop our American-made sunglasses now.
Similarly, Polaroid Corporation was completely closed down years ago (so that no outstanding debts remained, and so nobody was responsible for pensions and the like), but there was a new Polaroid corporation established which developed and produced camera products. You can even buy Polaroid-logoed instant cameras from them. But they’re not the same company – legally or by any sort of corporate descent.
> **[Get Your Polaroid Instant Camera | Polaroid US](https://www.polaroid.com/en_us/collections/instant-cameras)**
>
> Create and remember your lasting memories with Polaroid Instant Cameras. Capture, print, and cherish your special moments with us.
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### Author:  [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/6 "2024-05-10T12:58:26Z")
In 1885 the Bell Telephone Company spun off a company called the Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone Company that was to focus on establishing long-distance telephone lines up and down the east coast.
Soon after Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone became its own company and bought Bell Telephone, creating a monopoly.
Today Bell is long gone and Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone is **AT&T**. Interestingly, in the early 1980’s AT&T spun off a subsidiary called Southwestern Bell that grew and eventually bought AT&T in the mid-2000’s.
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/7 "2024-05-10T13:12:40Z")
The Canadian version of the Bell Telephone Company very much lives on as [Bell Canada](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Canada).
While it isn’t quite the story from the OP, I find Bombardier amusing as it famously started as a snowmobile company, which later expanded to aircraft and rail. The snowmobile (and other recreational products) arm got spun off as BRP, which is still going strong, the rail segment got sold off, and now Bombardier only builds planes. So it carries a name originally associated with a product it doesn’t build anymore.
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/8 "2024-05-10T13:15:39Z")
Accenture was spun off from Anderson Consulting, and then AC blew up in either the Enron or MCI accounting scandals, maybe both.
Maybe that’s not in the spirit of the OP?
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/9 "2024-05-10T13:16:39Z")
The Shinola brand has mutated from a shoe polish company to fine watches.
> **[Shinola® Detroit | Beautiful, Enduring, Handcrafted Goods](https://www.shinola.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwi_exBhA8EiwA_kU1MhUBfcoeL7-METnsQw9ZAvCXTOjWLzQj_Y_lQu4QDsmdPj-_ym11NBoCLl0QAvD_BwE)**
>
> Beautiful, enduring, handcrafted goods that are designed to be lived in, worn out and well-loved.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/10 "2024-05-10T18:01:31Z")
I KNOW there are several companies that have radically changed their business over the years, although I can’t think of any of them right now. There are also companies that have moved around and gotten out of large portions of their business, but that’s not what my OP was after\> Todd-AO sound, DCU, Polaroid, and AO sunwear really aren’t the original companies (or were vanishingly small portions, at best), even though they have the name
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/11 "2024-05-10T18:14:25Z")
Kaiser-Permanente started out as the insurance provider for employees of the auto manufacturer [Kaiser-Frazer,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser-Frazer) which ceased to exist upon purchase by [AMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Motors_Corporation) in '70.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/12 "2024-05-10T18:54:14Z")
Addendum: I was just reading [the Wikipedia article about Kaiser-Permanente](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Permanente) and it goes back further than I thought. Still related to the automotive company through a common founder: [Henry J. Kaiser.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_J._Kaiser)
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/13 "2024-05-11T02:57:59Z")
Singer spun off its sewing machine business in 1987 into a company called SSMC. Then SSMC was bought Semi-Tech Global, which also bought the name Singer. The original Singer Corp. then changed its name to SVP.
AT&T was broken up into seven separate regional phone companies in 1984. Two of them , Southwestern Bell and Pacific Telesis, eventually merged into SBC Corp. SBC then bought a couple more regional telephone companies, and finally bought what was left of the original AT&T and changed the corporate name to AT&T in 2005
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### Author:  [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/14 "2024-05-11T03:14:52Z")
NationsBank took over Bank of America in 1998 and adopted the name as well.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/15 "2024-05-11T03:21:00Z")
WaMu Theater in Seattle is still named after Washington Mutual, nearly 20 years after that bank failed and got bought out by Chase. They never managed to sell the naming rights afterward and eventually decided that it’s now short for “Washington’s Music”.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/16 "2024-05-11T06:36:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> The Shinola brand has mutated from a shoe polish company to fine watches.
Huh? No Shit?
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/17 "2024-05-11T07:33:30Z")
**Netflix** used to rent DVDs by mail. That ended a couple years ago. It’s now a streaming service.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/18 "2024-05-11T08:05:27Z")
GE appliances haven’t been made by GE in decades.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/19 "2024-05-11T14:20:45Z")
The Southern Pacific Railroad went out of business in the 1990s, but the Southern Pacific Railroad INternal Telegraph company is still a a big player in telecommunications.
The Ball company originally made canning jars, but spun off an aeronautics and later aerospace company during WWII. Ball Aerospace eventually made some of the key components of the Hubble Space Telescope. For a while there, the canning company went away, but lately whoever it was who bought the rights has brought back the name.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinoff-companies-that-retain-a-defunct-large-sompanys-name/1001350/20 "2024-05-11T14:38:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> GE appliances haven’t been made by GE in decades.
I thought that was more of a case of outsourcing rather than a spinoff, but some quick googling informs me that I was wrong.
GE sold off the appliance business to Electrolux in 2014. The business was then sold to the Chinese company Haier and the American investment company KKR in 2016. Haier remains the majority owner, and has the right to use the GE brand name until 2056.
So while GE is obviously not a defunct company, the GE appliance business as owned by GE is certainly defunct.
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