COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 316999

All Other Leather Goods Manufacturing

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

16companies1849–1996founding years16still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedFreudenberg & Co.FoundedFreudenberg & Co.
1849
FoundedBrown Shoe Company, Inc.FoundedBrown Shoe Company, Inc.
1881
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGucci Group N.V.FoundedGucci Group N.V.
1923
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedThe Marmon Group, Inc.FoundedThe Marmon Group, Inc.
1953
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
FoundedESCADA AGFoundedESCADA AGFoundedEtienne Aigner AGFoundedEtienne Aigner AG
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedDonna Karan International Inc.FoundedDonna Karan International Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
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.
FoundedPrada Holding B.V.FoundedPrada Holding B.V.
1996
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
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

Freudenberg & Co. →
Active · founded 1849 · Germany
Weinheim, Germany's Freudenberg & Co.
Freudenberg & Co. →
Active · founded 1849 · Germany
Weinheim, Germany's Freudenberg & Co.
Brown Shoe Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1881
Brown Shoe Company, Inc., is a retailer, wholesaler, and licenser of men's, women's, and children's footwear.
Brown Shoe Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1881
Brown Shoe Company, Inc., is a retailer, wholesaler, and licenser of men's, women's, and children's footwear.
Gucci Group N.V. →
Active · founded 1923 · The Netherlands
Gucci Group N.V.'s designs and clothing have become one of the most-recognized labels in the retail industry.
Gucci Group N.V. →
Active · founded 1923 · The Netherlands
Gucci Group N.V.'s designs and clothing have become one of the most-recognized labels in the retail industry.
The Marmon Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1953
The Marmon Group, Inc., one of the largest privately owned organizations in the United States, is in essence a holding…
The Marmon Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1953
The Marmon Group, Inc., one of the largest privately owned organizations in the United States, is in essence a holding…
ESCADA AG →
Active · founded 1979 · Germany
ESCADA AG (Escada) is Germany's leading luxury fashion brand and a leading player in the global luxury clothing market.
ESCADA AG →
Active · founded 1979 · Germany
ESCADA AG (Escada) is Germany's leading luxury fashion brand and a leading player in the global luxury clothing market.
Etienne Aigner AG →
Active · founded 1979 · Germany
A horseshoe logo marks the products made by Etienne Aigner AG, a Munich-based manufacturer of quality leather goods…
Etienne Aigner AG →
Active · founded 1979 · Germany
A horseshoe logo marks the products made by Etienne Aigner AG, a Munich-based manufacturer of quality leather goods…
Donna Karan International Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Donna Karan International Inc.
Donna Karan International Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Donna Karan International Inc.
Prada Holding B.V. →
Active · founded 1996 · The Netherlands
Prada Holding B.V.
Prada Holding B.V. →
Active · founded 1996 · The Netherlands
Prada Holding B.V.
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