Today, in my random search for vegan beers, I was surprised to learn that Anheuser-Busch (the Budweiser people) owns SeaWorld. A few years back, I was likewise surprised to learn that Pepsi owned KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (this was before they split off into Yum! Brands).
What other examples are there of famous companies owning other famous companies in disparate industries? (Anheuser-Busch owning Michelob and Rolling Rock, therefore, would not qualify because they’re all in the same industry.)
One I mentioned recently in another thread is that offshoots of the same parent company, Ball, make canning jars and the optics for the Hubble Space Telescope. Apparently, though, the company (which started with the canning business) has since spun off the canning supplies into a separate company, and now just does aerospace.
ITT the electronics company used to own Sheraton hotels, Hartford Insurance, Hostess bakery, and Scotts fertilizer. They were an example of how not to do things.
Ford Motor had a bunch of land across from its headquarters, so they built (and for many years, operated) Fairlane Town Center, a shopping mall. But they eventually sold it.
Henry Ford also discovered he had a lot of wood chips left over from manufacturing the Model T, so he built a plant, turned the chips into charcoal, and sold them under the name Kingsford.
Kinney Corporation started out as an operator of parking lots. It merged with National Cleaning Company (not sure if this was dry cleaning or building maintenance). Then it bought up National Periodicals (DC Comics) and Warner Brothers-Seven Arts (movies). Eventually Warners (and DC) spun off, but for some time they were making comic books and movies. Evidently, not in a parking lot.
I was really surprised to learn that Macy’s was owned by Federated Department Stores, a company based in Cincinnati, OH. They still are, but the company changed its name to Macy’s, Inc recently now that they’ve rebranded all of their holdings as Macy’s stores.
Another surprising Cincinnati company is Procter & Gamble who, through their network of subsidiaries, seem to have a hand in making damn near everything.
Oh, I thought of another one. Originally, Yamaha made pianos. Due to the high tension of piano strings, the harp holding them in place has to be very strong. At some point, the folks at Yamaha realized that the same techniques they were using to make these strong piano harps could also be used to make motorcycle frames, so they branched out. And now, so far as I can tell, they make few or no piano harps any more, their keyboard branch having mostly switched to electronic instruments.
Federated Department Stores Owns both Macy’s and Bloomingdales. the parent Company is FDS and the paychecks are from FDS not Macy’s, or were when I worked for them.
It’s not a huge stretch, but many people are surprised to find out that Blue Moon is made by Coors.
Here’s another one. I’m not really sure who own(s/ed) who, but back in the day whenever I would get gift cards to Marcus Theaters, I would use them at KFC.
Huh. I’m not sure what to make of that site. It’s either outdated or doesn’t account for subsidiaries. They don’t seem to know, for example, that Burt’s Bees is now owned by Clorox. (Unless Clorox dumped them and I’m behind the times…)
Boca (in America) is owned by Kraft, which is also part of Phillip-Morris, owners of “Marlboro…Basic, Miller Lite, Virginia Slims, Parliament, L&M, Oscar Mayer, Post, Philip Morris, Maxwell House, Jacobs, Philadelphia, Merit” and Nabisco.
And speaking of cigarette companies, American Spirits are, of course, owned by RJ Reynolds, the same fine folks who bring you Camel, Winston, Salem, Kool and Pall Mall.
I love to share this information with sanctimonious hippies* and watch 'em squirm.
*Please note: not all hippies are sanctimonious. But the ones that are - hoo-wee! Watch out!
From the looks of things Macy’s Inc. is the new name for the parent company for Macy’s Department Stores as well as Bloomingdale’s. Didn’t know they owned Bloomingdale’s, too.