RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – How long can a company last? A hundred years? Five hundred years? Longer than that? And what do survivors have in common? With these doubts as a reference, the British website Business Financing mapped the oldest companies in each country still in activity, and compiled the graphs illustrating this report.
Some findings are surprising. The oldest company still in operation is located in Japan. It is a construction company called Kongo Gumi, which dates back to the year 578 and has specialized in building temples for 14 centuries.
Although the company was bought by a construction conglomerate, it maintains a certain independence. The curious fact is that the focus remains the same as in the 6th century since temples still represent 80 percent of its business.
The longest-operating company in Brazil is the state-owned paper currency printing company, Casa da Moeda (Mint). Located in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Mint was founded in the late 17th century, in 1694, by King Pedro II of Portugal, during the height of the Portuguese colonization.
Before arriving in Rio de Janeiro, it moved through Salvador and Recife, until it settled permanently in the state of Rio de Janeiro in 1702 – where it still remains operational and is experiencing a period of uncertainty due to its potential privatization.
According to the report, the data help to outline, in a broader sense, an overview of the industries and companies that helped to shape the economy of each nation. The map also raises a debate over the dark aspects of history as many nations accumulated wealth with the help of colonialism and slavery between the 14th and 19th centuries.
As we can see across the continents, often the oldest businesses on colonized lands are banks, railroads and post offices that were established by colonial administrations to build an infrastructure that better met the economic needs of the metropolis.
South America
In Latin America, the oldest company still in business is the Casa Nacional de Moneda de Peru (Peruvian Mint), founded in 1565 during the Spanish colonization in the region.
Of the nine countries analyzed by the survey, five have as older companies their respective currency manufacturers: in addition to Brazil and Peru, this is the case of Colombia, Bolivia, and Argentina.
There is no information about companies from Paraguay, Ecuador, Suriname, or French Guiana.
North and Central America
The oldest company in the other part of the American continent is the Mexican Mint, founded in 1534, also during the Spanish colonization.
In the United States, the mark of slavery remains a burden for the oldest company in activity in the country. Shirley Plantation, located in Virginia, was founded in 1613. The farm operated by slaves grew tobacco, which was then shipped to Europe.
In the Caribbean, the oldest operating company is Mount Gay Rum, the oldest rum distillery in the world, located on the island of Barbados. The island was a rich British colony for centuries, with many sugar plantations, and was also the hub of the African slave trade in the Americas.
Africa
In Africa, the oldest company is the Mauritius Postal Service, located on the East African coast. The company was founded in 1772 by France.
The marks of colonialism are strongest and most recent on the African continent. Unlike South America, Africa suffered a late colonial process, which shows why most companies were founded during the 19th century.
Many of Africa’s oldest companies are in the postal services and banking sectors – the vast majority founded by former settlers.
Europe
While the oldest companies in the Americas and Africa were founded to serve the whims and needs of settlers, in Europe most of the continent’s older companies are related to traditional products that reflect the culture of each country.
In much of Europe, breweries, wineries, bars, and restaurants dominate the list of the most mature companies still operating.
Located on the walls of St. Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg, Austria, the St. Peter Stifts Kulinarium opened in 803 and remains the oldest restaurant in Europe, where it is still possible to have a meal. According to rumors, the inn has even received illustrious customers, such as Christopher Columbus and Mozart.
The Staffelter Hof Winery, a winery and inn in Germany, which dates back to 862, is the oldest winery in the world. Today, the establishment is a major tourist point in the country. Ireland is home to the oldest pub in the world. Sean’s Bar was founded in 900 and continues to operate and serve beers and cups of Irish coffee to this day.
Out of the food and drink standard, France’s oldest business is the country’s Mint: Monnaie de Paris, which was founded in 864 and has produced several different currencies over the years. From the louís, the official currency during the reign of Louis XIII, to the current euro. The company even produced the reichsmark, German currency from 1929 to 1948, during the Nazi occupation.
Asia
In 578, Buddhism was on the rise in Japan, but the Japanese had no experience in building temples. The royal family then invited a renowned Korean temple builder, Shigemitsu Kongo, to build the country’s first government temple. Kongo Gumi was then founded.
Shigemitsu stayed in the country to keep the building in good condition and passed on his knowledge so that 14 centuries later, the construction of religious temples still accounted for 80% of Kongo Gumi’s business.
Like the African and American continents, Asia – mainly Southeast Asia – suffered greatly from European colonization. In Malaysia and Singapore, for example, the oldest companies still operating are the postal services of each country: PosMalaysia and Singapore Post.
Oceania
The history of Australia’s oldest operating company begins when Isaac Nichols, a former convict, was named Postmaster for New South Wales. He used his own house to sort mail and opened the first post office in the territory soon after, the Australia Post in 1809, now also known as AusPost.
In July 1861, just over 50 years after the opening of Nichols Post Office, an act to incorporate the owners of “The Bank of New Zealand” was approved by Parliament. This allowed the new corporation to start carrying out the usual activities of a bank and also to issue its own banknotes. The bank is still in business and is one of the four major banks in New Zealand.
Source: InfoMoney