COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 311225

Fats and Oils Refining and Blending

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

15companies1821–1986founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedEridania Béghin-Say S.A.
1821
1859
TechnologyDrake's well at Titusville launches the oil industry.
FoundedArla Foods amba
1869
FoundedAarhus United A/S
1871
FoundedPZ Cussons plc
1879
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedAjinomoto Co., Inc.
1909
FoundedSan Miguel Corporation
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAsahi Denka Kogyo KK
1917
FoundedUnilever
1929
FoundedMolinos Río de la Plata S.A.
1931
FoundedNOF Corporation
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedPPB Group Berhad
1948
FoundedCJ Corporation
1953
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedLitehouse Inc.
1963
FoundedGenting Bhd.
1965
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedGoodman Fielder Ltd.
1986
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Eridania Béghin-Say S.A. →
Active · founded 1821 · France
Eridania Béghin-Say S.A.
Arla Foods amba →
Active · founded 1869 · Denmark
Arla Foods amba is a cooperative formed by the 2000 merger between Sweden's Arla and Denmark's MD Foods.
Aarhus United A/S →
Active · founded 1871 · Denmark
Aarhus United A/S is a leading producer of vegetable oils for the food, confectionery, cosmetics, and healthcare…
PZ Cussons plc →
Active · founded 1879 · United Kingdom
PZ Cussons plc is a leading manufacturer and distributor of a variety of products, especially soaps and other personal…
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1909 · Japan
Ajinomoto Co., Inc., the world's first and still-largest producer of monosodium glutamate (MSG), is one of Japan's…
San Miguel Corporation →
Active · founded 1913 · Philippines
Best known for its internationally distributed beer, San Miguel Corporation can only be described in superlatives.
Asahi Denka Kogyo KK →
Active · founded 1917 · Japan
Asahi Denka Kogyo KK (the company uses Asahi Denka Co.
Unilever →
Active · founded 1929 · The Netherlands
If the adage 'two heads are better than one' applies to business, then certainly Unilever is a prime example.
Molinos Río de la Plata S.A. →
Active · founded 1931 · Argentina
Now a century old, Molinos Río de la Plata S.A.
NOF Corporation →
Active · founded 1937 · Japan
NOF Corporation is Japan's leading oleochemicals group, producing a highly diversified range of products derived from…
PPB Group Berhad →
Active · founded 1948 · Malaysia
One of Malaysia's largest companies, and one of the largest conglomerates in the ASEAN market region, PPB Group Berhad…
CJ Corporation →
Active · founded 1953 · South Korea
South Korea's largest food manufacturer, CJ Corporation, is also one of the world's leading producers of such food…
Litehouse Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
Litehouse Inc.
Genting Bhd. →
Active · founded 1965 · Malaysia
Genting Bhd.
Goodman Fielder Ltd. →
Active · founded 1986 · Australia
Goodman Fielder Ltd.
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