COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 6531

Real Estate Agents and Managers

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

18companies1891–1996founding years18still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedCalMat Co.
1891
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedEnglish China Clays plc
1919
FoundedStarrett Corporation
1922
FoundedGiant Food Inc.
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedThe Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedPark Corp.
1948
FoundedHarbert Corporation
1949
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedVail Associates, Inc.
1961
FoundedThe Koll Company
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedAssociated Estates Realty Corporation
1964
FoundedFisher Companies, Inc.
1971
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedCSX Corporation
1978
FoundedGrubb & Ellis CompanyFoundedVistana, Inc.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedThe Loewen Group, Inc.
1985
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedCapStar Hotel Company
1992
FoundedMarriott International, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedKerry Properties Limited
1996
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

CalMat Co. →
Active · founded 1891
CalMat Co.
English China Clays plc →
Active · founded 1919 · United Kingdom
English China Clays plc (formerly known as ECC Group plc) is perhaps best known as the world's largest producer of…
Starrett Corporation →
Active · founded 1922
Starrett Corporation is a construction manager or general contractor of buildings, mainly in the metropolitan New York…
Giant Food Inc. →
Active · founded 1935
From its Depression-era beginnings as Giant Food Shopping Center Inc., Giant Food Inc.
The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
The Edward J.
Park Corp. →
Active · founded 1948
Founded by Raymond P.
Harbert Corporation →
Active · founded 1949
After a long and successful history primarily in the construction and mining fields, Harbert Corporation has evolved…
Vail Associates, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Vail Associates, Inc., is the owner of Vail Mountain, the largest and most popular ski area in the United States;…
The Koll Company →
Active · founded 1962 · United States
Founded in 1962 by visionary developer Donald M.
Associated Estates Realty Corporation →
Active · founded 1964
For the first 30 years, Associated Estates Realty Corporation was a family-owned business that built, managed, and…
Fisher Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
The owner of an unusual combination of businesses, Fisher Companies Inc.
CSX Corporation →
Active · founded 1978
CSX Corporation is a leading transportation-based holding company that operates one of the United States's leading rail…
Grubb & Ellis Company →
Active · founded 1980
Grubb & Ellis Company is one of the largest commercial real estate brokers in the United States, with approximately 90…
Vistana, Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Vistana, Inc.
The Loewen Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985 · Canada
The Loewen Group, Inc.
CapStar Hotel Company →
Active · founded 1992
CapStar Hotel Company owns and manages hotels in the upscale end of the lodging market, including such familiar names…
Marriott International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Marriott International, Inc.--formed in 1993 when Marriott Corporation split into two separate companies--is the…
Kerry Properties Limited →
Active · founded 1996 · Hong Kong
Kerry Properties Limited is one of the most prominent companies in the enormous network of companies owned or…
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