COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 533110

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets

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

35companies1892–2003founding years35still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedWeyco Group, Incorporated
1892
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedWolverine World Wide, Inc.
1906
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedFila Holding S.p.A.
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedKrispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedAmerican Greetings Corporation
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedMcDonald's Corporation
1955
FoundedEmbers America Restaurants
1956
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedCarlson Restaurants WorldwideFoundedTurner Broadcasting System, Inc.
1965
FoundedTaco John's International, Inc.
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedRuby Tuesday, Inc.
1972
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedBlimpie International, Inc.FoundedSbarro, Inc.
1977
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedImmunex Corporation
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedEl Pollo Loco, Inc.
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedRFC Franchising LLC
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedPapa John's International, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedPennzoil-Quaker State Company
1998
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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

Weyco Group, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1892
Weyco Group, Incorporated is a major manufacturer, purchaser, and marketer of men's and boy's footwear, including…
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. →
Active · founded 1906
Late 1980s:Company begins making hiking and outdoor boots under both the Wolverine and the licensed Coleman brand.
Van Houtte Inc. →
Active · founded 1919 · Canada
Van Houtte Inc.
Fila Holding S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1926 · Italy
Early 1980s:[fsps*2.5]SNIA BPD S.p.A.
Maid-Rite Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
Maid-Rite Corporation's franchise restaurants have been serving their signature "loose meat" ground beef sandwiches…
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
Late 1950s:There are 29 Krispy Kreme shops in 12 states.
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation →
Active · founded 1943
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation is the controlling body for a group of companies that operate and/or franchise a…
American Greetings Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
Founded in 1906 as a small Cleveland jobber's shop, American Greetings Corporation, which advertises itself as "the…
Long John Silver's →
Active · founded 1946
World War II Years Lederer is forced to close ten of his 13 White Tavern Shoppes because of shortages.
McDonald's Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Since its incorporation in 1955, McDonald's Corporation has not only become the world's largest quick-service…
Medical Management International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Medical Management International, Inc., which prefers to be known by the name under which it does business, Banfield,…
Embers America Restaurants →
Active · founded 1956
Embers America Restaurants, which began as a single-unit neighborhood restaurant in the mid-1950s, has transformed…
Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Flanigan operated his business under three names during the 1990s.
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide →
Active · founded 1965
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide boasts a roster of 820 restaurants in 55 countries, with annual sales exceeding $2…
Domino's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
Privately held Domino's, Inc.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
As a subsidiary of media giant Time Warner Inc., Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.
Taco John's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Taco John's International, Inc.
InterDigital Communications Corporation →
Active · founded 1972
InterDigital Communications Corporation has been a pioneer in wireless telecommunications technology for more than 30…
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
Wendy's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Wendy's International, Inc.
Blimpie International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Blimpie International, Inc.
Ryan's Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Ryan's Restaurant Group, Inc., operates more than 300 restaurants in the southern and midwestern United States.
Sbarro, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Sbarro, Inc., owns, operates, and franchises an international chain of family-oriented Italian restaurants under the…
L.A. Gear, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Near the end of a tumultuous decade, L.A.
Immunex Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
Immunex Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufacturers, and markets therapeutic products for…
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1982 · Australia
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
El Pollo Loco, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
El Pollo Loco, Inc.
Hooters of America, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Hooters of America, Inc.
RFC Franchising LLC →
Active · founded 1989
RFC Franchising LLC operates the Ritter's Frozen Custard chain of premium ice cream shops.
Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc.
Papa John's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Papa John's International, Inc.
Texas Roadhouse, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.
Pennzoil-Quaker State Company →
Active · founded 1998
The Pennzoil-Quaker State Company is a leading worldwide automotive consumer products company formed in 1998, through…
Biogen Idec Inc. →
Active · founded 2003
Biogen Idec Inc., formed through the 2003 merger of Biogen Inc.
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