# Well-known brands that aren't megacorps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524 "2009-02-26T17:17:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/21 "2009-02-26T19:18:35Z")
Otis Elevator ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/22 "2009-02-26T19:20:12Z")
How about Goya? I believe the founders are among the richest Hispanic people in the country, and I think everything they make has their own brand on it. ETA - wait, isn’t Hallmark a private company? ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/23 "2009-02-26T19:29:40Z")
Apple Computer? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/24 "2009-02-26T19:42:30Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Otis Elevator Owned by United Technologies. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/25 "2009-02-26T19:47:11Z")
Motorola? ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/26 "2009-02-26T19:48:28Z")
The Lego company is still owned by the founder’s grandson. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/27 "2009-02-26T20:50:57Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > I don’t know how well-known the brand is, but [Ferrara Pan Candy Company](http://www.ferrarapan.com/), maker of Lemonheads, Jawbreakers, Atomic Fireballs, etc., is still owned by the 3 families that founded it. And [Necco Wafers](http://www.necco.com/). There aren’t many smaller candy companies that are independently owned anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/28 "2009-02-26T21:03:44Z")
The [Bose Coropration](http://www.bose.com/) is privately owned and ran by the same family since 1964. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/29 "2009-02-26T21:06:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=508252) lists a bunch of corporate connections that are invisible at the consumer level. When you buy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream you’re buying a Unilever product. When you buy Jif peanut butter, you’re buying a Proctor & Gamble product. When you buy Heinz ketchup you’re buying a Promark product. > > Most products are either formerly independant brands that were bought up by some megacorporation or are house brands that never had any independant existence. And a few are flagship products like Pepsi, which is just one of dozens of different brand names its parent company owns. > > What are some well-known products that aren’t examples of this? Products that are still manufactured by a company that has the company name on all its labels? Heinz is certainly a huge corporation, but what is this “Promark”? Heinz isn’t a subdivision of any other company. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/30 "2009-02-26T23:39:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Heinz is certainly a huge corporation, but what is this “Promark”? > > Heinz isn’t a subdivision of any other company. I used the link from the other thread [http://www.findownersearch.com/](http://www.findownersearch.com/) to find some examples for my OP. According to them, Heinz is owned by Promark Brands Inc, headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. But others have questioned the accuracy of the site. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/31 "2009-02-26T23:44:31Z")
That website says that it “allows you to: \* Find the owner of a brand name \* Find all the brands owned by an individual or company \* Find brands in a given area/category.” The owner of a brand may be different from the owner of the company that produces a product under that brand. And based solely on the apparent inaccurate information about Heinz, I wouldn’t rely on it even for that much info. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/32 "2009-02-26T23:50:54Z")
Jiffy mix aka The Chelsea Milling Company Been in the same family for 4 or 5 generations, and still located in Chelsea, MI. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/33 "2009-02-27T00:57:59Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > It was, actually - not that long ago (2002). Apparently Nestle put in a bid for the company. I don’t recall what ultimately happened (my brother who still lives in Harrisburg claimed the PA state legislature was thinking of stepping in, but I have no idea what they could have done). I know there were some antitrust concerns though. > > Apparently the thinking on the part of the trustees was that their duty was to the well-being of the school, and they seriously considered that selling off the company (and pursuing other investments) was the way to go. > > Good thing they didn’t, actually, with the stock market the way it has been lately - most people can still afford to buy the occasional Hershey Bar no matter how tight things are! > > Cites: > [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1695188.html](http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1695188.html) > [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NESTLE+MAY+BUY+HERSHEY+TRUST+WON'T+BAR+WHAT'S+POTENTIALLY+THE](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NESTLE+MAY+BUY+HERSHEY+TRUST+WON%27T+BAR+WHAT%27S+POTENTIALLY+THE)…-a089832555 > [http://www.confectionerynews.com/The-Big-Picture/Nestle-Cadbury-still-linked-to-Hershey-buy](http://www.confectionerynews.com/The-Big-Picture/Nestle-Cadbury-still-linked-to-Hershey-buy) > > Arguably Hershey could be considered a megacorp, with the various brand lines they’ve acquired (Scharffen Berger, Schmidt, etc.). That happened before I moved up here, but in retrospect, it makes sense. However, as your linked articles pointed out, Hershey is such an institution and major economic player here that there would be a lot of scrutiny by the state, if not the feds, which makes the company relatively undesirable now. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Moonshiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Moonshiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshiner)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/34 "2009-02-27T01:02:31Z")
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%26M\_Mars](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%26M_Mars) ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/35 "2009-02-27T01:15:00Z")
Tootsie Roll Industries. They’ve grown some and are publicly traded, and have picked up other second-tier candy manufacturers here and there, but they’re still a fairly small, niche candy company. In-N-Out Burger. Privately-owned regional hamburger chain, but they’re pretty well-known throughout America. Similarly for White Castle. Meijer. Privately-owned regional supercenter retail chain; probably the only successful privately-owned supercenter chain at this point. PAAS Dye Company. Ever bought an Easter egg dye kit? You probably bought Paas brand. AFAICT, Easter egg dyes are all they really do. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/36 "2009-02-27T01:20:22Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Otis Elevator Otis is part of United Technologies Corporation. They also own Pratt & Whitney, Carrier, Hamilton Sundstrand, and Sikorsky. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/37 "2009-02-27T01:26:32Z")
If your work or casual wardrobe involves some seriously rugged garments then you’ve probably heard of [Carhartt’s](http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/AboutUsView?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10101). Still family-owned AFAICT. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/38 "2009-02-27T01:30:46Z")
Oh, mustn’t forget Singer sewing machines: they’re diversified and multinational now, but AFAIK they’re still just Singer. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/39 "2009-02-27T01:32:55Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Products that are still manufactured by a company that has the company name on all its labels? Dell ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524/40 "2009-02-27T03:11:07Z")
> [@](#): > > I think BMW is a the only real example of an actually independent car company-- they sell about as many cars as an average division of a major car company, but are independently owned and more or less focus exclusively on cars and motorcycles. BMW also operates MINI and Rolls Royce as separate brands and owned Rover for a number of years before it finally broke up and went under. Daimler Benz has a bunch of other stuff too - trucks, Maybach, Smart… Not 10 years ago, Ford, so flush with cash from their highly profitable SUV line, was seriously considering [buying BMW](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902E6DB143AF937A25751C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-brands-that-arent-megacorps/487524.md?page=3)