COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 6159

Miscellaneous Business Credit

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

18companies1869–1996founding years18still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedThe Royal Bank of Canada
1869
FoundedMarks and Spencer p.l.c.
1894
FoundedGATX Corporation
1902
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedHousehold International, Inc.FoundedNomura Securities Company, Limited
1925
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedThe Sanwa Bank, Ltd.
1933
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedThe Nikko Securities Company Limited
1944
FoundedBozzuto's, Inc.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedJapan Leasing Corporation
1963
FoundedNavistar International Corporation
1966
FoundedPaineWebber Group Inc.
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedGreen Tree Financial Corporation
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedEl Camino Resources International, Inc.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedVistana, Inc.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedShearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedWabash National Corp.
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.
FoundedBank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd.FoundedBank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd.
1996
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
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

The Royal Bank of Canada →
Active · founded 1869 · Canada
The Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest financial institution.
Marks and Spencer p.l.c. →
Active · founded 1894 · United Kingdom
Marks and Spencer p.l.c.
GATX Corporation →
Active · founded 1902
GATX Corporation's business is to provide capital equipment to its customers--usually other companies&mdash-abling them…
Household International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Household International, Inc.
Nomura Securities Company, Limited →
Active · founded 1925 · Japan
The Nomura Securities Company, the largest securities firm in Japan, has long been recognized as an industry pacesetter.
The Sanwa Bank, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1933 · Japan
The Sanwa Bank, Ltd.
The Nikko Securities Company Limited →
Active · founded 1944 · Japan
The Nikko Securities Company Limited is one of the largest securities companies in the world, and--along with Daiwa…
Bozzuto's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Bozzuto's, Inc.
Japan Leasing Corporation →
Active · founded 1963 · Japan
The Japan Leasing Corporation is one of the largest commercial leasing companies in Japan.
Navistar International Corporation →
Active · founded 1966
Navistar International Corporation is America's largest manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks.
PaineWebber Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
PaineWebber Group Inc.
Green Tree Financial Corporation →
Active · founded 1975 · St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-1639
Green Tree Financial Corporation is the only company in the United States to specialize in manufactured home loans.
El Camino Resources International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
El Camino Resources International Inc., through its primary operating company, El Camino Resources, Ltd., is a leading…
Vistana, Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Vistana, Inc.
Shearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Shearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
Wabash National Corp. →
Active · founded 1991
Wabash National Corporation--one of the largest manufacturers of semi-trailers in the world--designs, manufactures, and…
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. →
Active · founded 1996 · Japan
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd., the world's largest bank, was formed in April 1996 from the merger of The Mitsubishi…
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. →
Active · founded 1996 · Japan
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd., the world's largest bank, was formed in April 1996 from the merger of The Mitsubishi…
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