One hundred lessons in endurance from 17 countries
Is there any institution more enduring or universal than a familybusiness? Professor William O’Hara, the pre-eminent expert on thissubject, posed that rhetorical question in his recent book, Centuries of Success.He also provided his answer: “Before the multinational corporation,there was family business. Before the Industrial Revolution, there wasfamily business. Before the enlightenment of Greece and the empire ofRome, there was family business.”Since the mid-1990s, research by O’Hara and his associate PeterMandel has provided the foundation for two of this magazine’s mostpopular features: “America’s Oldest Family Companies” (updated mostrecently in Spring 2003) and “The World’s Oldest Foreign FamilyCompanies” (Spring 2002). But the list that follows is the mostdefinitive of all. In it we’ve combined the two previous lists, addednewly discovered companies, and weeded out businesses that no longerqualify. The result is a compilation of the world’s 100 oldestcontinuously family-owned firms—all firms that can indisputably claimto have outlasted governments, nations, cities and certainlyonce-mighty corporations.
All of the listed companies are at least 225 years old; fourhave lasted in the same family for more than a millennium. The veryoldest remains Japanese temple-builder Kongo Gumi, founded in 578.
As we’ve noted before, this compilation is hardly scientific;it’s certainly not comprehensive or entirely accurate. It reliesinstead on the best information available to us. As in the past,readers are invited to pass along corrections or information that wemay have missed.
* Denotes new addition.
1. Kongo Gumi
Construction/Osaka, Japan
Founded: 578
40th generation
www.kongogumi.co.jp
Prince Shotoku brought Kongo family members to Japan from Koreamore than 1,400 years ago to build the Buddhist sh*tennoji Temple,which still stands. Over the centuries, Kongo Gumi has participated inthe construction of many famous buildings, including the 16th-centuryOsaka castle. Today the family continues to build and repair religioustemples and manage general contracting from its Osaka headquarters.Current president is Tosh*taka Kongo; his 51-year-old son, MasakazuKongo, is waiting in the wings.
2. Hoshi Ryokan
Innkeeping/Komatsu, Japan
Founded: 718
46th generation
www.ho-shi.co.jp/jiten/Houshi_E/
According to legend, the god of Mount Hakusan visited a Buddhistpriest, telling him to uncover an underground hot spring in a nearbyvillage. The hot spring was found, and the priest requested that hisdisciple, a woodcutter’s son named Garyo Saskiri, build and run a spaon the site. His family, known as Hoshi, have run a hotel in Komatsuever since; the current structure houses 450 people in 100 rooms.Zengoro Hoshi is the current patriarch.
3. Château de Goulaine
Vineyard, museum, butterfly collection/Haute Goulaine, France
Founded: 1000
http://chateau.goulaine.online.fr
The castle, owned by the Goulaine family, houses a rare butterflycollection in addition to a museum. It hosts various functions,including weddings. Wine is available for sale at the castle’svineyards.
*4. Fonderia Pontificia Marinelli
Bell foundry/Agnone, Italy
Founded: c. 1000
Bell foundry founded in the small central Italian town of Agnone,high in the Appenine hills. Still uses the original wax techniques ofits founders (a wax “false bell” is overlaid with the real thing); itsbells toll in New York, Beijing, Jerusalem, South America and Korea,among other locations. Firm has 20 employees, including five members ofthe founding Marinelli family. Pasquale Marinelli is current managingdirector. A museum, opened in 1997, features the work of Pasquale’sbrother, sculptor Ettore Marinelli.
5. Barone Ricasoli
Wine and olive oil/Siena, Italy
Founded: 1141
www.ricasoli.it
The Ricasoli barons were first given their land by the Republic ofFlorence; today their Brolio Estate covers about 3,600 acres. Thefamily’s main focus is its wine production, although 26 acres of theestate are used for olive cultivation.
6. Barovier & Toso
Glass making/Murano Venezia, Italy
Founded: 1295
20th generation
www.barovier.com
The Barovier family produces crystalline glass, mother-of-pearlglass and gold-free cornelian red on Murano Island, about a ten-minuteferry ride from Venice. The Baroviers merged with the Toso family, whowere also glassmakers on Murano Island, in 1936.
7. Hotel Pilgrim Haus
Innkeeping/Soest, Germany
Founded: 1304
www.pilgrimhaus.de
The Hotel Pilgrim Haus is operated by the Andernach family in the town of Soest, about 110 miles north of Frankfurt.
8. Richard de Bas
Paper/Ambert d’Auvergne, France
Founded: 1326
www.richarddebas.fr
Richard de Bas has a longstanding reputation for high-qualitypapers, which has led to many high-profile jobs. The company hassupplied paper for limited-edition works by Braque and Picasso. It alsooperates a museum.
9. Torrini Firenze
Goldsmiths/Florence, Italy
Founded: 1369
www.torrini.com
Jacopus Torrini moved to Florence from his native village ofScarperia to forge armor for Florentine knights. His workshop laterevolved into a goldsmith, creating jewels and other precious objects.Perhaps the family’s most valued possession is its secretive andexclusive “Oro Nativo” manufacturing process, a method of working withgold while retaining its most natural color.
10. Antinori
Wine/Florence, Italy
Founded: 1385
19th generation
www.antinori.it
The Antinori family has been in the wine business since Giovanni diPiero Antinori joined the Florentine Guild of Vintners more than 600years ago. Marchese (or “Count”) Piero Antinori, and his threedaughters currently oversee a system of vineyards in Italy, the U.S.,Hungary, Malta and Chile that continue to be recognized by consumersand wine critics for their superior-quality Chiantis and othervintages. He sold 49% to British beer brewer Whitbred in 1983, laterbought it back. The company has been housed in a Florentine palazzosince 1506.
11. Camuffo
Shipbuilding/Portogruaro, Italy
Founded: 1438
18th generation
The business began in Khanià, a Venetian port on the island ofCrete. It was founded by a man locals called “Camuffi” but whose realname was El Ham Muftì. The family has supplied boats to Mohammed theSecond, the Venetian Republic, Napoleon, the Asburg Imperial and theRoyal Italian navies. Experts refer to a Camuffo boat as “theStradivarius of the sea.”
12. Baronnie de Coussergues
Wine/Montblanc, France
Founded: 1495
16th generation
www.henokiens.com/index_baronnie_gb.php
When King Charles VIII began selling royal property in France topay off some of his expenses, Pierre Raymond de Sarret bought theestate known as Coussergues. Today the vineyard produces a wide varietyof wines, including Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, Viogniers, CabernetFrancs, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons. The Sarret family sells 1.5million bottles a year and has won numerous gold medals for its wines.
13. Grazia Deruta
Ceramics/Turin, Italy
Founded: 1500
The company produces majolica, a special type of ceramic thatpre-dates the 13th century. Current CEO Ubaldo Grazia has expanded thecompany’s business into the U.S. market and has produced threeexclusive designs for Henri Bendel. Grazia has also done work for othermajor department stores and labels, such as Neiman-Marcus and Tiffany.
14. Fabbrica D’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A.
Firearms/Gardone, Italy
Founded: 1526
14th generation
www.beretta.it
Bartolomeo Beretta’s world-class gun-maker is now a Hollywoodfavorite; its guns appear in the James Bond series, among other films.Beretta’s reputation for quality craftsmanship enabled the company towrest a $56 million U.S. armed forces contract away from competitorColt Industries. Beretta is the weapon of choice of otherlaw-enforcement agencies around the world, such as the ItalianCarabinieri, French Gendarmes and Texas Rangers. The company also hasearned distinction for its line of hunting weapons. Ugo GussalliBeretta is the company’s current president.
*15. William Prym GmbH & Co.
Copper, brass, haberdashery/Stolberg, Germany
Founded: 1530
www.prym.com
Goldsmith Wilhelm Prym started a brass and copper manufacturingbusiness in Aachen in 1530. In 1642, the Protestant Prym family lostit* guild rights in the Catholic city of Aachen and moved to Stolberg.In the 19th century, Prym developed the first finished products made ofbrass, iron and steel and later manufactured the first metalhaberdashery products to be made mechanically. Michael Prym (born 1943)and Axel Prym (born 1950) are among the current company managers.
16. John Brooke & Sons
Woolens/Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Founded: 1541
15th generation
www.yorkspark.co.uk
The company, founded by John Brooke, has provided fabrics forBritish troops (Battle of Trafalgar, World War II), French troops andRussian military personnel. In the 19th century it had 220 looms and900 employees, down to 280 by 1969. Today it’s headed by Mark Brookeand his brother Massimo Brooke. Mark has changed the company’s focuswithin the past decade, abandoning manufacturing and instead creatingan entrepreneurial development park in the firm’s old mill buildings.
17. Codorniu
Wine/Saint Sadurní d’Anoia, Spain
Founded: 1551
www.codorniu.es
Jaime Codorniu acquired the company in 1551, beginning centuries offamily ownership. In 1976 King Juan Carlos I declared the Codorniuestate a national historic and artistic monument. The estate is visitedby 200,000 people every year and produces about 60 million bottles ofwine annually.
18. Fonjallaz
Wine/Lavaux, Switzerland
Founded: 1552
13th generation
www.fonjallaz-vins.ch
Pierre Fonjallaz began the family business when he “devoted himselfto the growing of the vine,” as the label on a bottle of Fonjallaz winewill tell you. The company is now headed by Patrick Fonjallaz.
19. von Poschinger Manufaktur
Glassmaking/Frauenau, Germany
Founded: 1568
13th generation
www.poschinger.de
The von Poschinger glassworks in Germany began in 1568 when JoachimPoschinger took ownership of a glass factory near Frauenau, near theCzech border. Today the business is divided into three areas—farming,forestry and glass works—though glassmaking is still the focal point offamily business affairs.
20. Wachsendustrie Fulda Adam Gies
Candles, wax figures/Fulda, Germany
Founded: 1589
Maker of candles and wax figures still operated by the founding Gies family.
21. Berenberg Bank
Banking/Hamburg, Germany
Founded: 1590
www.berenberg.de
One of the few remaining independently owned banks in Germany.
22. R. Durtnell & Sons
Construction/Kent, United Kingdom
Founded: 1591
12th generation
www.durtnell.co.uk
Founder John Durtnell and his brother Brian built their first housein 1593. It still stands and is occupied to this day. The company,based in Kent, is extremely versatile; its projects have included theRoyal Military Academy, Chartwell House (Winston Churchill’s home) andBuckingham Palace.
23. J.P. Epping of Pippsvadr
Grocers/Germany
Founded: 1595
24. Eduard Meier
Shoes/Munich, Germany
Founded: 1596
13th generation
www.edmeier.de
The company today is run by Peter Eduard Meier and his sister Brigitte. Its product line consists of about 4,500 items.
*25. Toraya
Confectioners/Tokyo, Japan
Founded: pre-1600
17th generation
www.toraya-group.co.jp
Japan’s oldest traditional confectionery has been making the sweetdelicacy known as wagashi since its founding in Kyoto by EnchuKurokawa. After his son Kichiemon Kurokawa cultivated relationshipswith Japan’s nobility, the firm became purveyor to Japan’s ImperialCourt in the 17th and 18th centuries. The firm moved to Tokyo in 1879and opened its first branch retail outlet in 1962. Today, underMitsuhiro Kurokawa, a former banker, the firm operates 79 shops withrevenues of about $150 million.
26. Tissiman & Sons Ltd.
Tailors and outfitters/Bishop’s Stortford, United Kingdom
Founded: 1601
www.tissimans.co.uk
Established as a tailor, draper and undertaker; now offers formaland casual clothes and shoes. The original building in Bishop’sStortford (which dates from about 1360) is still in use.
*27. Enshu Sado School
Ceremonial tea school/Tokyo, Japan
Founded: c. 1602
13th generation
www.enshuryu.com
The school has thrived for 400 years, imparting the traditionalSado tea ceremony and its culture to Japanese. Founded by Lord EnshuKobori (1579-1647), who served as official tea instructor for Japan’ssecond and third shogun and built the famous Nagoya and Osaka castles.Current grand master Sojitsu Kobori succeeded his father in 2001 at age44 and now oversees a staff of 20 with 30,000 practitioners, 53 localchapters in Japan, international chapters in Holland and Korea, and aschool in Singapore. He goes to the school’s ancestor room each morningto pay his respects to his forebears.
28. Takenaka
Construction/Osaka, Japan
Founded: 1610
www.takenaka.co.jp
Takenaka has built office buildings for some of Japan’s majorcorporations, such as Mitsui Bank and Nippon Life Insurance. The familycompany has won many awards for design, technique and quality.
29. Mellerio dits Meller
Jewelry/Paris, France
Founded: 1613
15th generation
www.mellerio.fr
Members of the Mellerio family from Lombardy, Italy, becameseasonal workers in France in the 16th century as purveyors ofhandcrafted jewelry. The family became royal favorites when it helpedfoil an attempted assassination of King Louis XIII. Located today nearthe Place Vendôme in Paris, Mellerio is known for fine jewelry and asdesigners and creators of the French Open tennis championship trophies.
30. Cartiera Mantovana Corp.
Paper/Mantua, Italy
Founded: 1615
www.cartieramantovana.it
The Marenghi family, descendants of Riccio da Parma (a knightfamous for his battles in the early 1500s), owns the company. On July1, 1615, the Duke of Mantua granted the family the privilege to makeand and sell paper; production began that year. The company iscurrently run by Cristina Marenghi and her sons Marcofabio, Alberto andVittorio.
31. Zildjian Cymbal Co.
Cymbals/Norwell, Mass.
Founded: 1623
14th generation
www.zildjian.com
Founded in Constantinople by an alchemist named Avedis I, whodiscovered an extremely musical metal alloy to create powerful, durablecymbals. The sultan named him “Zildjian,” Armenian for “cymbalsmith.”The family arrived in the U.S. in 1909, in time for Avedis Zildjian IIIto establish ties with the hot new jazz drummers of the day. His sonArmand (1921-2002) created modern factory. Today his daughters Craigie(CEO) and Debbie (VP/human resources) run the company, the first womenchiefs in the firm’s long history.
32. Kikkoman
Soy sauce/Noda, Japan
Founded: 1630
www.kikkoman.com
On the run after her husband’s military defeat and death at theOsaka castle in the 16th century, widow Shige Maki escaped to Noda,Japan, and established a small business making what was to become soysauce. The family business became a unified company in 1917 when eightbranches of the Mogi family merged their companies together. Thecompany has grown into the world’s largest producer of soy sauceproducts.
33. Sumitomo Corp.
Conglomerate/Tokyo, Japan
Founded: 1630
www.sumitomocorp.co.jp
Masatomo Sumitomo opened a medicine and book shop in Kyoto in the17th century. As time went on, various members of the family added tothe conglomerate, making it what it is today. Sumitomo Group’s currentcore consists of 20 companies focusing on banking, shipbuilding,mining, glass production, electronics, cement, lumber and chemicals.
34. Akerblads
Hotel/Tällberg, Sweden
Founded: 1630
21st generation
www.akerblads-tallberg.se
This charming hotel in Tällberg is currently run by members of the19th through 21st generations of the Akerblads family. The property hasbeen remodeled and expanded over the years but still conveys a17th-century atmosphere while offering excellent cuisine and warmSwedish hospitality.
35. Tuttle Farm
Agriculture/Dover, N.H.
Founded: 1635-38?
11th generation
Founder John Tuttle left England in 1635, survived a shipwreck offthe Maine coast and arrived in Dover with his wife and four-year-olddaughter. His 240-acre farm grows vegetables and strawberries andoperates retail shop on site. Twelfth-generation member Evan Hourihan,who is in his 20s, has expressed interest in the family farm.
36. Gekkeikan
Sake/Fushimi, Japan
Founded: 1637
13th generation
www.gekkeikan.co.jp
The Gekkeikan brewery was established by Jiemon Okura in the townof Fushimi. The quality of its sake has led to the company’sappointment as the official supplier of the Japanese Imperialhousehold. Currently, the business makes more than 170 differentproducts and exports to more than 60 countries.
37. Shirley Plantation
Historical site/Charles City, Va.
Founded: 1638
11th generation
www.shirleyplantation.com
Virginia’s oldest plantation was settled in 1613 on the James Riverbetween Richmond and Williamsburg (near the present Charles City) bySir Thomas West. Operated as a tobacco and grain farm, 1613-1952.Acquired in 1638 by Edward Hill and managed by his descendants eversince. His great-granddaughter Elizabeth Hill married John Carter in1723; site has been owned since then by their descendants. Undertenth-generation owner Charles Hill Carter Jr. and his wife, it wasconverted to a tourist attraction in 1952; since 1998, it has hostedweddings and corporate events as well under the Carters’ children.
38. Hugel et Fils
Wine/Riquewihr, France
Founded: 1639
12th generation
www.hugel.com
The Hugel family’s roots in the war-torn Alsace-Lorraine region ofFrance reach back to the 15th century. In 1639 the family began to makewine in the town of Riquewihr. Today its vintages have an outstandinginternational reputation and are exported to more than 100 countries.
39. James Lock & Co.
Hatters/London, United Kingdom
Founded: 1642
www.lockhatters.co.uk
The company was founded by James Lock and now makes men’s and women’s hats. One of its most recognized creations is the bowler.
40. Barker’s Farm
Dairy and apples/North Andover, Mass.
Founded: 1642
11th generation
Family farm now run the Barker family. Visitors can pick produce.
41. G.C. Fox & Co.
Shipping agent/Falmouth, United Kingdom
Founded: 1646
Shipping agent (now travel agency as well) founded by George Croker Fox.
42. R.H. Levey & Son
Funeral services/Stansted Mountfitchet, United Kingdom
Founded: 1649
43. William Adams & Sons
Potters/Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
Founded: 1650
12th generation
www.thepotteries.org/potters/adams.htm
The family has been producing pottery since at least 1448. In 1650,brothers William and Thomas established their pottery business inBurslem, about 35 miles south of Liverpool. It’s currently run bymembers of the 11th and 12th generations.
44. Ulefos Jernvaerk
Metals, milling, forestry/Telemark, Norway
Founded: 1657
On Aug, 8, 1657, King Fredrik III gave a royal decree allowing theCappelen family to begin the company’s operations. The family hasbecome involved in many different businesses over the years: owningships, trading and producing stoves and manhole covers. The company iscurrently Norway’s market leader in manhole covers, which accounts for70% of the family’s business.
45. Van Eeghen
Trading company/Amsterdam, Netherlands
Founded: 1662
14th generation
www.vaneeghen.com
Christiaen Van Eeghen established himself circa 1633 in Aardenburg(in the present Flanders, Belgium) as a cloth merchant. His son Jacobvan Eeghen founded Van Eeghen & Co. in 1662 in Amsterdam, where thebusiness remains. Subsequent generations launched sailing ships tospread their markets along historic spice routes to British coloniesand the Far East. Today Van Eeghen continues its involvement with worldtrade but specializes in food products.
46. Schwarze & Schlichte
Distillery/Oelde, Germany
Founded: 1664
12th generation
www.schwarze-schlichte.de
Jan Swarte (the surname was later changed to Schwarze) began thefamily business in Westphalia, where he was a farmer and a distiller.Four generations later, Hermann Josef Schwarze bought a house atHerrenstrasse, where the family still lives. This house serves as thecompany’s headquarters. The Schwarze Group acquired the Schlichtebrands in the 1990s.
*47. The Seaside Inn and Cottages
Innkeeping/Kennebunkport, Maine
Founded: 1667
12th generation
Mason family
www.kennebunkbeach.com
At the request of Fernando Gorges, agent for King Charles II, JohnGooch was asked to reside on this oceanfront peninsula at the mouth ofthe Kennebunk River to ferry travelers across in the 1640s. He providedrooms and operated a tavern for travelers who stayed in the area. Thefamily’s first dated record is Gooch’s will, dated 1667. The propertywas passed down for generations to the first-born son. Four generationsago the Gooches had only daughters, and the name “Severance” wasintroduced. The current 12th-generation innkeeper, PatriciaMason—daughter of Mike and Sandy Severance—now operates the inn withher husband, Ken.
48. Early’s of Witney
Blankets/Witney, United Kingdom
Founded: 1669
Richard Early established a blanket factory in Witney in 1669,mostly contracting to spinners who worked in their homes. Family’sfirst weaver was his son Thomas. Brian Crawfford of the eighthgeneration (his mother was an Early) was with the firm from 1949 to1986.
49. C. Hoare & Co.
Banking/London, United Kingdom
Founded: 1672
11th generation
www.hoaresbank.co.uk
The Hoare bank in London is the last survivor of the Englishprivate deposit banks that were originally established in the 17th and18th centuries. The bank was founded by Richard Hoare and is now run bymembers of the tenth and 11th generations. The family’s pride in closecustomer relationships and meticulous service has attracted famouscustomers, including Samuel Pepys, Queen Charlotte, furniture makersThomas Chippendale & Son, Lord Byron, Jane Austen and various primeministers.
*50. Firmin & Sons Ltd.
Uniforms and insignia/Birmingham, United Kingdom
Founded: 1677
www.firmin.co.uk
Britain’s leading manufacturer of military and civil regalia(uniforms, badges, buttons, medals, swords, etc.) has served theBritish monarchy since about 1750. Past customers include Lord Nelsonand his men at the Battle of Trafalgar, the Duke of Wellington at theBattle of Waterloo and the armies of both North and South in the U.S.Civil War.
51. Viellard Migeon & Cie.
Iron making/Forges de Morvillars, France
Founded: 1679
www.vmchooks.com
The business was started by an ironmaster named Nicolas Viellardand met with significant success after the French Revolution. Duringthis time the business adopted a strategy of cultivating familyalliances to consolidate the iron works in Belfort, about 35 milesnorth of Toulouse. It’s now one of the world’s leading makers offishhooks.
52. Miller Farm
Agriculture, timber/Frederica, Del.
Founded: 1684
The farm has remained in the Miller family’s hands through ninegenerations. Its tillable land is currently leased to a local farmer.
53. Gradis Corp.
Wine trading/Bordeaux, France
Founded: 1685
The Gradis family, Jewish refugees from Portugal, settled inBordeaux in the late 1500s. Diego Gradis later began the family winetrading business. During the Seven Years’ War (1756-63), family shipswere used to re-supply troops in Canada. During World War I, the Frenchgovernment commissioned the family to ensure the supply of sugar forFrance. Today, the family has returned to its roots in wine trading.
54. Toye, Kenning & Spencer
Weavers/London, United Kingdom
Founded: 1685
www.toye.com
Toye, Kenning & Spencer holds a royal warrant and over theyears has produced much of the U.K.’s regalia, medals and uniforms.Brian Toye is the current chairman.
55. Yamamotoyama
Tea/Japan
Founded: 1690
www.yamamotoyama.com
The Yamamotoyama family began producing premium teas in Japan morethan three centuries ago. The company is now the oldest family-ownedtea business in the world.
56. Delamare et Cie.
Packaging materials/Criquebeuf-sur-Seine, France
Founded: 1690
www.henokiens.com/index_delamare_fr.php
The company was founded by André Delamare and is now run byFranéois Delamare. Family members initially worked with wood, makingcarts and stagecoaches. Eventually they expanded into plastics andadhesives in the packaging market. The family has earned two toppackaging awards, in 1986 and 1988. Today it conducts research onrecycling and transformation of industrial waste.
*57. Nolet Distillery (Ketel One Vodka)
Distillery/Schiedam, Netherlands
Founded: 1691
Tenth generation
www.ketelone.com
Since its founding by Joannes Nolet (1638-1702), the Nolet family’sdistillery in Schiedam has been passed from father to son, eachzealously guarding the family’s secret vodka formula. The company namerefers to the family’s first distilling kettle. Current proprietorCarolus Nolet, 63, maintains the family tradition of distillation byhand.
58. Folkes Group
Real estate and engineering/Lye, United Kingdom
Founded: 1697
Seventh generation
www.folkesholdings.com
The company began by making chain mail and swords and is now theoldest firm with a current stock market listing in the United Kingdom.In addition to making real estate investments, the company producesspecialized cargo handling equipment, large crankshafts, roofingmaterials and other products.
59. Berry Brothers & Rudd Ltd.
Wine merchants/London, United Kingdom
Founded: 1698
www.bbr.com
Family of coffee, tea and spice merchants gravitated to wines andspirits later. They earned the right to supply the British royal familyin 1760 and continue to do so—they currently hold royal warrants to theQueen and the Prince of Wales. The family operates out of the same shopwhere they began three centuries ago.
60. Shepherd Neame
Brewer/Faversham, United Kingdom
Founded: 1698
Fifth generation
www.shepherd-neame.co.uk
Britain’s oldest brewer, founded by Capt. Richard Marsh, who wasthe mayor of Faversham, in Kent. Samuel Shepherd and his sons Juliusand John eventually bought the business. When Percy Beale Neame joinedthe partnership in 1864, the company’s beer began to gain widespreadrenown. The Neame family has remained in control ever since.
61. Allandale Farm
Fruit, produce, flowers/Brookline, Mass.
Founded: 1700?
www.allandalefarm.com
Last working farm within Boston-Brookline limits; only one of sixfarms left within Route 128 Beltway. Also operates summer outdoorprogram for children.
*62. Farina Gegenüber
Fragrances/Cologne, Germany
Founded: 1709
Eighth generation
www.farina1709.com
The world’s oldest perfume company was launched in Cologne byJohann Maria Farina (1685-1766), who made his city famous by callinghis new fragrance Eau de Cologne. His namesake and eighth-generationdescendant, Johann Maria Farina, runs the firm today.
63. William Dalton & Sons
Pest control/United Kingdom
Founded: 1710
64. Cooke Farm
Farm/Wallingford, Conn.
Founded: 1720?
Tenth generation
Founded 1720 or earlier, once a thriving 550-acre dairy operation.Tenth-generation proprietor George Cooke stopped milking cows in 1995,sold off most acreage and developed an industrial park. The business isnow a general contractor and leases its remaining land to a tenantfarmer.
65. Nourse Family Farm
Agriculture/Westborough, Mass.
Founded: 1722
www.noursefarm.com
Farm established in 1722 by the grandchildren of Rebecca Nurse,hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., in 1692. The family fled Salemand in 1722 purchased land on the frontier in Westborough, wheredescendants have farmed the 140-acre spread for more than 280 years.Jonathan Nourse, proprietor since 1971, has expanded into preparedfoods (jams, jellies, pies, etc.).
66. Tissages Denantes
Cloth/Grenoble, France
Founded: 1723
Even with more than 400 employees, the company preserves itstraditions, which began in the 18th-century French trade fairs. MichelDenantes and his wife, Barbe, established a reputation for fine clothat these fairs.
67. Amarelli Fabbrica de Liquirizia
Licorice/Rossano Scalo, Italy
Founded: 1731
eng.liquirizia.it
The family’s roots in Italy’s southern Calabria region pre-date theyear 1000. Fortunato Amarelli created the Amarelli company with his sonin Rossano in 1731, harvesting licorice to sweeten his land when it layfallow. In 1987 the company won the gold medal from the ItalianChemical Company for combining traditional craftsmanship with moderntechnology.
68. Fratelli Piacenza Corp.
Woolens/Pollone, Italy
Founded: 1733
11th generation
www.piacenza1733.it
Pietro Francesco Piacenza created the first woolen mill in Pollone,a small town nestled at the foot of the Alps, near the Swiss and Frenchborders. The family prides itself on its strict quality standards—itsmethod of producing wool takes up to six times longer than some moremodern techniques. The company’s president today is Riccardo Piacenza.
69. Taittinger Champagne
Champagne/Reims, France
Founded: 1734
www.taittinger.com
The business was begun by Jacques Fourneaux. After World War I, theTaittinger family merged with Fourneaux-Forest (as the company wasknown at the time). The Taittingers ultimately took control of theoperation. Claude Taittinger runs the business today.
70. William Clark & Sons
Linen/Upperlands, Northern Ireland, U.K.
Founded: 1739
Ninth generation
www.wmclark.co.uk
The family has operated for more than 250 years as a manufacturerof linens in Northern Ireland. Their international reputation forquality and value has made Irish linen perhaps more highly prized thanany other cloth. Founded by Jackson Clark, the company was named forhis great-great-grandson William; it’s now run by Bobby and StephenClark of the ninth generation.
71. Lyman Orchards
Agriculture/Middlefield, Conn.
Founded: 1741
Eighth generation
www.lymanorchards.com
The 1,100-acre farm today offers an ambitious variety of foodproducts (cider, apple pies, etc.), events (golf tournaments,fund-raisers) and tours.
72. John Whitley Farm
Agriculture/Williamston, N.C.
Founded: 1742
Eighth generation
Oldest farm in North Carolina. Family mementos include the originaldeed with wax seal of the king of England and a note from TheodoreRoosevelt thanking the Whitleys for lending him their binoculars. Theland is now leased for tobacco, corn, wheat, peanuts, soybeans.
73. Boplaas
Agriculture, orchards/Koue Bokkeveld, Cape Town, South Africa
Founded: 1743
Ninth generation
The farm was founded by Isaak Wilhelm Van der Merwe and is now runby two brothers, Frans and Nicolaas Van der Merwe. The family also hasbuilt a literary legacy through poet Isaac Wilhelmus Van der Merwe,known nationally as “Boerneef,” and current author Carl Van der Merwe(eighth generation). The family farm was declared a national monumentin 1973.
74. Aubanel Publishing Co.
Publishing/Avignon, France
Founded: 1744
The business was started by Antoine Aubanel in Avignon. Romeawarded Antoine the title of “master printer” in 1756, and in 1780 hewas appointed the official printer to the Pope, an honor that was to behanded down from generation to generation. The family refused topublish Napoleon Bonaparte’s book Le Souper De Beaucaire.
75. Fonderia Daciano Colbachini & Figli
Bell maker/Padua, Italy
Founded: 1745
www.henokiens.com/index_colbachini_gb.php
The foundry was established by Giuseppe Colbachini when he joinedwith his three brothers to make bells. The Colbachini family’s talentsearned them the prestigious title of ‰Pontifical Foundry” on Jan. 17,1898. To this day, Fonderia Daciano Colbachini & Figli is the onlymaker of bells in the world that is able to stamp its products with thePapal coat of arms. The business is currently directed by GiovanniAldinio-Colbachini.
76. J.D. Neuhaus Hebezeuge
Hoist manufacturers/Witten-Heven, Germany
Founded: 1745
Seventh generation
Johann Diederich Neuhaus began the business when he joined theFactory Register in Germany as a manufacturer. The company started byproducing wooden jacks, which were in high demand by carters who wouldconstantly break their wheels on the rough terrain of 18th-centuryroads. In 1952 the company invented the air hoist, which was much saferthan the electrical hoists produced at the time. Today, the company’sproducts are sold in 90 countries. One product, the Gorilla V, isreportedly the world’s most powerful air hoist: It can lift 250 tons.Johann Diederich Neuhaus is the current chairman.
77. Villeroy & Boch
Housewares/Mettlach, Germany
Founded: 1748
www.villeroy-boch.com
The family business began in Lorraine when François Boch, then aniron founder, started making ceramic tableware. In 1791, NicolasVilleroy established a nearby ceramic factory. In 1836, these twofamilies merged their factories to form Villeroy & Boch.
78. Zenith Pipe Company
Tobacco pipes/Gouda, Netherlands
Founded: 1749
Eighth generation
Aart van der Want currently runs the company.
79. Parlange Plantation
Farm/New Roads, La.
Founded: 1750
www.pcchamber.org/parlange.htm
One of the state’s oldest plantations; descendants of first ownerMarquis Vincent de Ternant still live there. Originally grew indigo andcotton; now sugarcane, soybeans, corn and Brahmin cattle. The house,open for tours, contains original Louis XIV- and Louis XV-stylefurnishings and French objects handed down through generations. Abasem*nt museum displays antiques: blacksmith tools, cotton scales,sugar kettles (formerly used to boil indigo beans down to a dye),candle molds, and an 1842 inventory of the estate, which listslivestock by name and ranks the value of each slave by age and ability.
80. Marie Brizard & Roger International
Distiller/Bordeaux, France
Founded: 1755
Eighth generation
www.marie-brizard.com
The company traces its origins to 18th-century Bordeaux, where, aslegend has it, Marie Brizard saved a sailor from death. To show hisgratitude, the sailor told Marie about an elixir that supposedly couldcure every type of ill. Marie joined with her nephew Jean-BaptisteRoger to start the family company by producing the “elixir” known asanisette. The business is still centered in Bordeaux and is currentlyrun by Jean-Baptiste Roger. Today the company’s products can be foundin 130 countries.
81. Joseph Drouhin
Wine/Beaune, France
Founded: 1756
www.drouhin.com
Parts of the family’s wine cellars date to the 13th century. Oneportion of their cellar was built in the 16th century for the king ofFrance. The family’s cellars have been classified as historicaltreasures. Today the estate covers more than 162 acres. Family membersRobert, Philippe, Véronique, Françoise and Frédéric currently run thewinery.
*82. Franz Haniel
Conglomerate/Duisburg, Germany
Founded: 1756
www.haniel.de
Family-owned conglomerate based in Duisburg controls Gehe, Europe’sbiggest drug wholesaler, and Lloyd Chemists, a household name inBritain. It also has large stakes in retailers, mail-order houses,steel recycling, concrete blocks and disaster recovery services. Salesexceeded $25 billion in 2002. The company was founded by Jan WillemNoot and later renamed for his grandson Franz Haniel. About 520 Hanielfamily members are shareholders (although an unwritten rule precludesthem from working there full-time). Franz Haniel, 49, is chairman ofthe firm’s supervisory board.
*83. Riedel Glas GmbH
Glassmaking/Kufstein, Austria
Founded: 1756
11th generation
www.riedelcrystal.com
Johann Christoph Riedel (1678-1744) journeyed throughout Europetrading glass. His son Johann Carl Riedel (1701-1781), a guilder andglasscutter, operated his own workshop. Grandson Johann Leopold Riedel(1726-1800) founded glass factory in 1756, benefited from the need torebuild windowpanes after the Seven Year War (1756-1763) betweenAustrians and Prussians. The company is now known for makingwineglasses. Georg Riedel of the tenth generation is the president.Eleventh-generation member Maximilian Riedel (born 1977) is in chargeof the North American market; Laetizia Riedel (born 1974), a lawyer,plans to become the firm’s legal adviser.
84. Lanificio Conte S.p.A.
Woolens/Schio, Italy
Founded: 1757
www.henokiens.com/index_lanificio_gb.php
The business was started when Antonio Di Giovan Battista bought awoolen mill in 1757. The current president is Gemma Boniver Conte. Thefirm has cultivated a reputation for fine women’s clothing.
85. Jose Cuervo
Tequila/Tequila, Mexico
Founded: 1758
www.cuervo.com
José Antonio de Cuervo acquired a land grant from the king of Spainin 1758. In 1795, José Maria Guadalupe Cuervo was granted the firstlicense from the king to produce tequila. The family business is nowMexico’s oldest existing company. In Spanish, Cuervo means “crow,” thesymbol the firm uses to identify its products.
86. Waterford Wedgwood
Crystal, china, & cookware/Dublin, Ireland
Founded: 1759
www.waterfordwedgwood.com
Waterford Wedgwood is perhaps the world’s leading maker of luxurycrystal, china, ceramics and cookware. The company’s most visibleproduct is the large crystal ball lowered every New Year’s Eve in NewYork’s Times Square. Chairman Tony O’Reilly and his brother-in-lawcontrol about 27%.
87. Creed Perfume
Perfumes/Paris, France
Founded: 1760
Seventh generation
www.parfumsraffy.com
The business was started in the U.K. in 1760 when James Creedreceived an appointment from King George III to make fragrances. Thecompany moved its operations from London to Paris in 1854. PrinceCharles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, both commissioned thecompany to make scents for them. Today the company has 238 fragrancesin its line and is run by Olivier Creed.
88. Griset
Foundry/Villers-St. Paul, France
Founded: 1760
www.griset.com
Antoine Griset established the family’s first metal foundry inParis in 1760. The factory was moved to Rue Oberkampf in Paris in 1825.Here the platinum bar used by the International Bureau of Weights andMeasures to denote the “standard meter” was first produced.
89. Hacienda Los Lingues
Ranch/San Fernando, Chile
Founded: 1760
www.loslingues.cl
Don Melchor Jufré del Águila, mayor of Santiago, received an18th-century gift from the king of Spain: the Angostura Estate, locatedin Chile’s Central Valley 78 miles south of Santiago. He passed theland on to his daughter, Doña Ana María del Águila, and its 4,000hectares became the home of a five-star hotel that can accommodate 37guests. It’s also the home of one of the most prestigious horse stablesin the Americas: the Aculeo Stable, which features horses brought toSpain by the Moors in 711 and later brought to the New World by theSpanish Conquistadors. Germán Claro Lira currently owns the land.
90. Faber-Castell
Writing instruments/Stein, Germany
Founded: 1761
Eighth generation
www.faber-castell.com
The company was founded in Stein, Germany (near Nuremberg), whenKaspar Faber, a carpenter, produced his own pencils. Count AntonWolfgang Graf von Faber-Castell currently manages the company, whichoffers about 2,000 products with 2002 sales of $263 million.
91. Möller Group
Metal products/Bielefeld, Germany
Founded: 1762
Seventh generation
www.henokiens.com/index_moller_gb.php
The family can be traced back to 1575. The Möllers began workingwith copper in 1762. Successive generations expanded the family’s focusto include a tannery and leather goods factory (1827), an engineeringdivision (1863) and a plastics division (1936). Dr. Peter von Möller,who represents the seventh generation, currently runs the company.
92. Bachman Funeral Home
Funerals/Strasburg, Pa.
Founded: 1769
Eighth generation
www.bachmanfuneral.com
Johannes Bachman, a Swiss Mennonite, began as cabinetmaker inLancaster County, Pa., and evolved into coffins and funerals. Hisoriginal business ledger (in German), dated April 1769, has been passedto the present eighth generation. John D. Bachman is the currentdirector.
93. Silca
Keys & key cutting machines/Vittorio Veneto, Italy
Founded: 1770
Fifth generation
www.silca.it
Camillo Bianchi started the business when he invented thekey-cutting service. The company serves more than 130,000 key-cuttingcenters, locksmiths and manufacturers in the security and automotiveindustries worldwide.
94. Osborne y Compania
Brandy and sherry/Cadiz, Spain
Founded: 1772
Sixth generation
The business was started by an Englishman, Thomas Osborne Mann, whoin the late 1700s owned an export agency in Cadiz. He enjoyed earlysuccess through his friendship with a British consul, who allowed himto store his wines in the consulate’s personal cellar. Today thecompany has about 700 employees and is headed by Tomas and IgnacioOsborne.
95. Editions Henry Lemoine
Music publishing/Paris, France
Founded: 1772
www.editions-lemoine.fr
The family business was begun by Antoine-Marcel Lemoine in Paris. In 1810 he published the Messe Solennelle,composed for the coronation of Napoleon I. The company also publishedthe works of Chopin, Berlioz, Donizetti, Halevy, Franck, Gounod,Messiaen and Piazzolla. Pierre Lemoine currently heads the company.
96. Stuart Land Co. of Virginia
Cattle/Rosedale, Va.
Founded: 1774
Eighth generation
Beef cattle operation still functioning. Henry Smith II startedClifton Farm. When his great-granddaughter Mary Taylor Carter marriedWilliam Alexander Stuart, she brought a dowry of 80,000 acres, whichStuart added to his own large land holding. Current proprietor William(Zan) Stuart is eighth generation from founder; he has no children inthe business, but his grandchildren may succeed him.
97. JB Fernandes & Sons
Tools & ironwares/Lisbon, Portugal
Founded: 1778
Sixth generation
www.redcube.org/JBF
In 1778 an earthquake ruined much of Lisbon, then one of Europe’smost brilliant capitals. This disaster prompted Ignacio Jose Fernandesto open a business selling tools and iron goods to help rebuild thecity. Today the firm is an industry leader in Portugal.
98. St. John Milling Co.
Milling, farm products/Watauga, Tenn.
Founded: 1778
Sixth generation
Stone mason Jeremiah Dungan built the original foundation for themill and stone manor (still standing) and ran the mill with hischildren Jeremiah and Mary D. Hendrix. The mill passed to his sonJeremiah’s daughter Mary and her husband, John Houston (brother offrontier hero Sam Houston), and then to their sons John Jr. and WilliamHouston. They were succeeded in 1866 by George W. St. John (1837-1904),great-nephew of Jeremiah Dungan. His son James St. John (1874-1956)inherited the mill from his father in 1904. His son George St. John, anelectrical engineer, succeeded him and converted the farm’s powersource from water to electricity. Today the mill is owned by George’sdaughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Ron Dawson. The operationchanged from general feed and milling to a feed and seed store. Owingto shifting boundaries, the company has paid taxes in three differentstates: North Carolina, Tennessee and the short-lived “State ofFranklin.”
99. Ditta Bortolo Nardini
Distillery/Bassano del Grappa, Italy
Founded: 1779
www.nardini.it
Bortolo Nardini founded the distillery when he bought an inn nextto the famous Bassano Bridge, about 45 miles northwest of Venice. Theinn became known as the “Grapperia Nardini.” Grape pomace acquavite(known as grappa) had been made by peasants living in the area beforethe Nardinis arrived. Nardini introduced technology to the process ofdistilling the seeds, skins and stems left at the end of the winemakingprocess, making it more modern and scientific.
100. Laird & Co.
Brandy Distiller/Scobeyville, N.J.
Founded: 1780
www.lairdandcompany.com
America’s first large-scale distiller produces AppleJack brandy,vodka, gin, scotch, bourbon, tequila, wines, etc. Robert Laird,Revolutionary War soldier, first distilled AppleJack in 1780 to serveat inn, provided brandy to George Washington.
William T. O’Hara (wohara@bryant.edu) is founder and executive director of Bryant College’s Institute for Family Enterprise in Smithfield, R.I.. Peter Mandel is his associate. Bryant MBA candidate John Gunasti provided research support.
