The 10 Most Successful & Oldest American Companies of all Time

#10: IBM

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Est. 1911 The youngest company to make the list also happens to be the largest. Operating in 170 countries and employing more than 377,000 people, the International Business Machines Corporation has more workers than Iceland has citizens. The well-known technology company is responsible for the manufacturing of computer hardware and software as well as the invention of such ubiquitous items as the ATM machine and the floppy disk. IBM was born from the consolidation of four companies in the early 20th century. Since its creation it has continued to grow, and as of 2016 the business has $117 billion in total assets.

#9: The McKesson Corporation

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Est. 1833 Any company founded before the American Civil War that is still in operation definitely deserves a pat on the back. From its humble origins as an importer and distributor of therapeutic drugs to its current place on Fortune 500’s list of the most successful companies in the world, McKesson has stood the test of time. With revenue totaling $190 billion in 2016 and a work force of 68,000, this company has remained a pillar of consistency in the world of pharmaceuticals. While many have fallen to the wayside during its 184-year existence, McKesson continues to build on its reputation as one of America’s most iconic businesses.

Est. 1806 Around the turn of the 19th century, a young Englishman by the name of William Colgate decided to open a soap and candle store in the heart of Manhattan. He may not have known it then, but his tiny store would be the catalyst in what would become one of the world’s leading producers of health care products. After being sold to one of its primary competitors in 1928, the company would be renamed Colgate-Palmolive. Since then, sales of their products have spread across the globe, with the company boasting $12 billion in total assets in 2016.

Est. 1764 The oldest entry on this list also happens to be the sweetest. Carrying the unique distinction of being older than the country it operates in, this company has been serving up high quality chocolate since the days of British rule in the New World. It was founded by two men – Dr. James Baker and John Hannon – the latter of which journeyed to the West Indies in 1779 in search of cocoa beans and never returned. Over the ensuing centuries, Baker’s Chocolate would be bought and sold numerous times, finally ending up under the umbrella of Mondelez International – one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies.

Est. 1812 A multinational investment banking and financial services company, Citigroup is the result of a merger that took place in 1998 between Citicorp and Travelers Group. While the latter was established in the 1980s, Citicorp was founded back when Napoleon was still invading Russia and Jane Austen was still revising “Pride and Prejudice.” The company has managed to weather many storms since its inception, the worst of which being the 2008 global financial crisis. A massive government bailout kept Citigroup from going bankrupt, and as of 2016 it has 220,000 employees and a net income of $14.9 billion dollars. If only everyone could have bounced back that quickly.

Est. 1802 If your company is over 200 years old, you’re doing something right. Éleuthère Irénée du Pont left France to escape the French Revolution and came to America. There he made his fortune selling gunpowder to the United States military. In the subsequent years, the chemical giant would expand by acquiring numerous small businesses and investing heavily in a little up-and-coming company called General Motors. During WWII they were once again a key contributor to the U.S. Army, providing them with essential raw materials and in the 1960s would develop the world’s first Kevlar vests. As of 2016, DuPont has $41.1 billion in total assets. Not too shabby.

Est. 1858 After failed attempts at opening retail stores in Massachusetts, Rowland Hussey Macy moved his operation to New York City and established R.H. Macy & Co. It didn’t take long for the store to catch on, and as of 2016, Macy’s has 728 locations across the United States. The store rose to prominence by using advanced marketing tools such as illuminating their window displays and introducing a store Santa Claus during the Christmas period. Then there’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – the second oldest parade in America and a driving force behind the company’s continued success.

#3: Bank of New York Mellon

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Est. 1784 No, this entry is not about a Manhattan based bank that deals exclusively in melons. In fact, the Bank of New York Mellon is the result of two of America’s oldest financial institutions merging in 2007. The Bank of New York, established in 1784, and Mellon Financial, established in 1869, had been equally successful throughout their years of operation. However, since the merger, the company has been steadily increasing in size and strength. In 2016, it was reported that BNY Mellon took in $15.194 billion dollars in revenue, while employing roughly 51,000 employees. The seventh largest money manager in the world, this bank isn’t exactly a mom and pop operation.

#2: JP Morgan Chase

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Est. 1799 Originally founded as the Bank of the Manhattan Company over 200 years ago, it is now a multinational banking and financial services conglomerate operating in over 100 different countries. The 31st oldest bank in the world, it was established by America’s third Vice President, Aaron Burr, in 1799. Over the years, the company has undergone many transformations – splitting time being both the absorber and the absorbed. As it stands today, JP Morgan Chase is the largest bank in the United Sates, with total assets in 2016 of $2.49 trillion dollars. Not bad for a company founded before the invention of the typewriter.

#1: Jim Beam (Suntory Holdings Limited)

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Est. 1795 If there’s one thing people have always loved, it’s alcohol. Founded by a family of German immigrants, this world-renowned whiskey company has consistently produced high quality liquor since the late 18th century. To put that in context, at the time of their first sale of what was then called “Old Jake Beam Sour Mash,” America as a country had yet to reach its own legal drinking age. While the Kentucky-based company has since been sold to Suntory Holdings Limited – a Japanese group of brewers and distillers – its name remains synonymous with the gritty American spirit so many earlier businesses built their reputations on. To this day, Jim Beam is one of the most successful brands of bourbon whiskey in the world.