# Who owns what: Megacorps and their surprising subsidiaries **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462 "2009-02-26T02:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/21 "2009-02-26T08:20:00Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Today, in my random search for vegan beers, I was surprised to learn that Anheuser-Busch (the Budweiser people) owns SeaWorld. It’s not that surprising if you’ve been to SeaWorld. Busch stuff is everywhere, and they even have a brewery in the place that you can tour for free and load up on Bud. Well, they did 10 years ago, at least. > [@Amp](#): > > They also own Busch Gardens, both the one here in Tampa and in Virginia. Didn’t see that one coming, eh? 😉 Hostile Dialect, Hostile Dialect, Narcissist ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/22 "2009-02-26T11:07:20Z")
> [@seodoa](#): > > They aren’t [anymore](http://www.federated-fds.com/): > > 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. You are right. I have never seen how they have been able to stay open. Discusting company. They treat their customers like “You are damm lucky we let you shop here.” And they treat their employees like “Ypu are damm lucky we let you work here.” I guess one way is to buy out the compition. But why shop at macy’s when if you watch the sales you can always go to Norstrums? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/23 "2009-02-26T11:59:53Z")
It’s been a running joke on many TV shows for years how NBC is owned by General Electric. For example, Alec Baldwin’s character on 30 Rock is “Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming” ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/24 "2009-02-26T12:24:52Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > United Tecknoligys the rocket company owns > Otis Elevator co. > Carrier the air conditioning company > and more they are clients of ours, I could probably scrounge a complete list of GEC holdings with very little issue=) Hm, lots of the little mall shops are owned by the same 2 overlords… you know, The Limited, Express, Express Mens Express Kids, Bath & Body, Victorias Secret, Justice, Limited Too … And an amazing number of restaurants are owned by the same overlords also=) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/25 "2009-02-26T13:49:27Z")
> [@seodoa](#): > > > [@Snnipe 70E](#): > > > > 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. > > They aren’t [anymore](http://www.federated-fds.com/): So I guess that information is…not so fresh? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/26 "2009-02-26T15:11:33Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > 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! When my brother was in college some forty years ago he and his dorm-mate read a book about how e-e-e-evil ITT Continental was. In the back was an appendix listing all of the holdings it had at the time and one of them was Baskin-Robbins. Being a poor college student, one of dormie’s few pleasures in life was a once a week treat at B-R. He agonized for days, then decided to continue patronizing them. My brother pointed out, “Every man has his price. Yours was a twenty-five cent ice cream cone.” ---
**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, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/27 "2009-02-26T15:25:15Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > It’s been a running joke on many TV shows for years how NBC is owned by General Electric. For example, Alec Baldwin’s character on 30 Rock is “Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming” It’d be even funnier if GE was really owned by the Sheinhart Wig Corporation, like it is on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/28 "2009-02-26T16:03:42Z")
Take a look at which products [Unilever](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever) owns. A partial list: Ben & Jerry’s Bertolli Breyers Brummel & Brown Colman Mustard Country Crock Hellmann’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Klondike (Klondike bars) Lipton Mazola Ragu Skippy Unilever soaps Wishbone Looking at the whole list, they seems to own most of the ice cream and margarine aisles. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/29 "2009-02-26T16:23:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 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. That’s nothing. The Regina company – still known for their vacuum cleaners – started out as a manufacturer of music boxes. And Shell Oil was originally an importer of exotic sea shells that realized they could make money selling lamp oil. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/30 "2009-02-26T16:27:42Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > It’s not that surprising if you’ve been to SeaWorld. Busch stuff is everywhere, and they even have a brewery in the place that you can tour for free and load up on Bud. > > Well, they did 10 years ago, at least. Beer school and the hospitality areas are being shut down at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks sometime this year, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/31 "2009-02-26T16:43:18Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > It’d be even funnier if GE was really owned by the Sheinhart Wig Corporation, like it is on the show. With GE now almost a penny stock, Sheinhart Wig might be able to buy it anyway. United Technologies was always an aerospace-oriented company, formerly called United Aircraft. In addition to Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Hamilton Standard, at one time (around 1930) it also owned Vought, Boeing, and United Airlines. Then the anti-trust people went to work. UA became UTC in the 1970’s when it bought Carrier and Otis to diversify its holdings. Saab started as an aircraft manufacturer (which is less surprising since their recent ad campaign), but it still is. Volvo is also a major aerospace manufacturer. There are 2 Rolls-Royce companies: The luxury car maker is owned by BMW, but the jet engine business is independent. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/32 "2009-02-26T16:45:21Z")
Oh, right, more - the DHL package delivery company is owned by the German telephone company. Mortgage firm Ditech is owned by General Motors. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/33 "2009-02-26T16:49:21Z")
I was surprised to know that Goodrich, the folks responsible for the tires, is much more heavily into aerospace. In fact, they sold off the tire part to Michelin in 1988, and are now aerospace and defense company > **[Goodrich Corporation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodrich_Corporation)** > > The Goodrich Corporation, formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, was an American manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, the company name was changed to the "B.F. Goodrich Company" in 1880, to BFGoodrich in the 1980s, and to "Goodrich Corporation" in 2001. Originally a rubber manufacturing company known for automobile tires, the company diversified its manufacturing businesses throughout the tw... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/34 "2009-02-26T16:53:32Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > 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. That’s very weird, since KFC was owned by Pepsico for a long time, before being spun off (along with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) into Tricon in '97, which eventually was re-named as Yum! Brands. (I know this story all too well; we have KFC and Taco Bell as clients.) Marcus Theatres have always been operated by the Marcus Corporation, which has always been a separate entity. My best guess would be that Marcus used to be the KFC franchisee in your area (they also used to operate the Marc’s Big Boy restaurants, particularly in Wisconsin). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/35 "2009-02-26T17:00:57Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > 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. Conglomeration was a not-uncommon strategy in the 1970s and 1980s; some corporations decided that owning a diverse portfolio of businesses was a way to smooth out the impact of business cycles. Sometimes it worked out, but a lot of times it led to the conglomerates operating companies they knew nothing about. I worked for Quaker Oats in the late '90s. At that time, the company had just sold off some food businesses that didn’t fit in with their core of “healthy and breakfast foods”, such as Celeste frozen pizzas and Van Camp’s Pork and Beans…but in the 80s and early 90s, they’d owned companies like JoS. A. Bank (men’s clothiers) and Fisher-Price (children’s toys). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/36 "2009-02-26T17:15:23Z")
General Motors used to own DirecTV. ---
**Author:** ![Stathol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@Stathol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stathol)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/37 "2009-02-26T17:17:15Z")
During its heydays, [CompuServe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompuServe) was owned by H&R Block. I always thought that was strange. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/38 "2009-02-26T18:52:04Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > With GE now almost a penny stock, Sheinhart Wig might be able to buy it anyway. GE is trading at $9.25 a share today, with a market cap of $90 billion. That’s a penny stock? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/39 "2009-02-26T20:07:37Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Oh, right, more - the DHL package delivery company is owned by the German telephone company. > > Mortgage firm Ditech is owned by General Motors. I think DHL is actually owned by the German Postal service. I think… ---
**Author:** ![2\_Fat\_Cattle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/838e76/32.png) [@2\_Fat\_Cattle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_Fat_Cattle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462/40 "2009-02-26T22:14:23Z")
Apart from food, [Sara Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Lee_(corporation)) owns several other brands, including Kiwi and Endust. They once owned Hanes Playtex. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-what-megacorps-and-their-surprising-subsidiaries/487462.md?page=3)