Cargill, Incorporated – Company History
Cargill is a world-leading producer and distributor of agricultural products, founded in 1865 by William Cargill and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Starting with a single grain warehouse in Conover, Iowa, W.W. Cargill expanded his business into other commodities such as coal, flour, feed, lumber and seeds, while amassing over 100 grain storage facilities by 1885. Following W. W. Cargill’s passing, his son-in-law, John MacMillan, Sr., assumed leadership of the company and consolidated operations at its new Minneapolis headquarters in 1912. The company grew globally in the 1930s with locations in Canada, Holland and Argentina, eventually entering European and Asian markets throughout the 1950s.
In the 80s, Cargill products and services expanded beyond its grain, feed, seed and corn milling businesses to include chemicals, cocoa, coffee, cotton, eggs, fertiliser, financial services, flour, juices, malt, meat, molasses, peanuts, petroleum, pork, poultry, rubber, salt, steel, turkey and wool. In 2003, Cargill’s earnings surpassed $1 billion USD.
Today, Cargill is the largest privately held company in the world, with 153,000 employees, operating in 70 countries, serving food and beverage manufacturers, foodservice companies and food retailers globally.
- Family name: Cargill
- Sector: Consumer Products & Retail
- Founded: 1865
- Founder: William Cargill
- Country: USA
- Company headquarters: Minnesota
- Managers: Dave MacLennan
- Revenue: US$120.4 billion
- Rankings: 6 [Fortune 500]
- Family ownership: 100%
- Employees: 153,000
- Website: www.cargill.com
