12 Companies Celebrate 155th Anniversaries in 2020

In 1865 the Civil War ended. Of the many businesses founded that year, these 12 have survived to celebrate their 155th anniversary.  A few grew to be large companies, but all except one are privately owned - and ten are generational family businesses. 

American Hotel Register, Vernon Hills IL, 3rd & 4th generation hospitality products and services

Cargill, Minnetonka MN,  6th generation agricultural products

Carter's, Atlanta GA, apparel manufacturer (public)

DWS Printing Associates, Deer Park IL, 5th generation printer specializing in labels

J. Henry Stuhr Funeral Home, Charleston SC, 5th generation funeral services

Kipp Visual Systems, Baltimore MD, commercial security systems (private)

Kositcheck's, Lansing MI, 4th generation retail menswear

Lacy Foundries, Baltimore MD, 5th generation metal products

Langlois Pianos, Bremerton WA, 5th generation piano sales and service

Law Jones Funeral Home, Savanna IL, 2nd generation funeral services

Milliken & Company, Spartanburg SC, 4th generation textile products, floor coverings (and more)

Newman Galleries, Philadelphia PA, 5th generation art gallery and dealer

1860 Was A Turbulent Year; 7 Companies Founded Then Survive 160 Years

The Pony Express began its first run from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California; Abraham Lincoln was elected 16th President of the United States; South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union. And these seven companies opened for business. Two are 7th generation family operations, three are 5th generation, one is a "mutual" organization owned by its policy holders - all are private. Join me in congratulating these seven amazing firms on their 160th anniversary!

Graafschap Hardware, Holland MI  7th generation

Guardian Life Insurance, New York NY  Mutual

James Thompson & Co, New York NY  (textile dyer & finisher)

Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Homes, Holland MI  5th generation

The Requarth Co, Dayton OH  5th generation (lumber & building products)

W.A. Bean & Sons, Bangor ME  5th generation (butcher)

Wilson Bohannan Lock, Marion OH  7th generation (manufacture padlocks)

Five Generational Companies Celebrate 165th Anniversary in 2020

Of the eight companies founded in 1855 surviving into 2020 to celebrate their 165th anniversary, six are private and five of those are generational family-owned firms; the other two are public. We have two funeral homes, two real estate services firms, two very different manufacturing firms (one a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products and the other hand-crafted beds & mattresses), a forest products company, and a bank. Here is the list:

Baird & Warner, Chicago IL, 5th generation

Charles P. Rogers, New York City NY

Collins Companies, Portland OR, 5th generation

Crane, Stamford CT, public

David Funeral Chapel, Leavenworth KS, 7th generation

Dollar Bank, Pittsburgh PA, public

N.P. Dodge, Omaha NE, 5th generation

Schoedinger Funeral Homes, Columbus OH, 6th generation

Eight Companies Celebrate 170th Anniversaries in 2020

An interesting mix of companies were started in 1850 and now celebrate their 170th anniversaries, proving you don't have to be in a certain industry in order to survive. Two of the eight are public and the other six are private - two in the 6th generation family ownership and one 7th generation. Two are manufacturers, though in very different areas (billiards and industrial technologies) and have branched beyond just manufacturing (retail and brand management); one financial giant; one art restorer; one jeweler; one hardware store; a wood products company; and a funeral home. Take a few minutes to reflect on what it has taken for these firms to weather the changes that have taken place over the past 170 years to remain in operation today.

A.E. Schmidt Billiards, Chesterfield MO - 6th generation

American Express, New York City NY

Matthews International, Pittsburgh PA

Oliver Brothers: Art Restoration & Conservation, Boston MA

Preusser Jewelers, Grand Rapids MI

Raymond Hardware, Port Sanilac MI

Stimson Lumber, Portland OR - 7th generation

Wilbert Funeral Home, Plaquemine LA - 6th generation

Three 175th Anniversary Celebrations in 2020

A public manufacturing company, a law firm, and a mutual insurance company all celebrate 175 years of continuous operation this year. Century Club congratulations!

Brunswick is a public (NYSE:BC) manufacturer of a variety of products and brands in the recreational marine market. Though they had expanded into other areas over the years (bowling, cycling, billiards) their primary focus today is boating.

Based in Newark, McCarter & English is among the oldest law firms in the U.S. Founded in 1845 it now has over 400 lawyers with offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Washington DC in addition to New Jersey.

New York Life is the third largest insurance company in the United States and the 6th oldest insurance carrier by my records. It is a mutual insurance company, which means it is owned by its policy holders. As a "customer-owned" company, profits earned in are either retained within the company or returned to policyholders in the form of dividends or reduced future premiums. Interestingly, many agricultural cooperatives, another form of a customer owned company, have also thrived for over 100 years.

Three Businesses Celebrate 180 Years

26 states took part in the 1840 census, including the new states of Michigan and Arkansas; Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin were still territories. William Henry Harrison was elected president. And a restaurant, a general store, and a coffee company were founded and are still operating today. Congratulations on 180 years in business:

Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans is still owned and operated by 5th generation relatives of the founder, Antoine Alciatore. Well-known for their French-Creole cuisine, Antoine's is the birthplace of such dishes as Oysters Rockefeller, Eggs Sardou, and Pommes de Terre Souffles. Begun in the days when New Orleans was the queen city of the Mississippi River and cotton was king, the long line of the Alciatore family has guided Antoine's through the Civil War, two World Wars, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and Hurricane Katrina to continue to prosper today.

Not nearly as well know as Antoine's, but just as old, End of the Commons General Store is located in Mesopotamia, Ohio - an Amish community west of Cleveland. Though no longer in the founding family, it is still a family business run by Ken and Margaret Schaden and their 11 children. Today the store sells products in bulk at reasonable prices (to help large families such as their own) as well as old-fashioned candy, Amish meats and cheeses, home-made fudge, and over 150 varieties of glass bottle sodas. Bakers can find unusual flours and grocery shoppers can also grab lunch and dinner daily.

Gillies Coffee Company is a New York City wholesale coffee merchant. A young 19-year-old Wright Gillies began working for a New York tea store in 1838 and branched out on his own in 1840. Gillies received two patents in the 19th century for coffee roasting and later innovated coffee roasting with natural gas. In the early 20th century, the Schoenholt family joined forces with Gillies and today a third generation Schoenholt runs the company along with two generations of the Chabbott family "directing the future of America's oldest coffee roaster." Though a coffee wholesaler, consumers can also enjoy Gillies Coffee: www.gilliescoffee4home.com 

Two 6th Generation Companies Celebrate 185 Years in Business

Two remarkable companies will celebrate their 185th anniversaries in 2020: they have both been in the same family for six generations, both are manufacturing companies that have evolved over the years, both driven by core values which have sustained them.

Hussey Seating in North Berwick, Maine started in 1835 by making plows. When asked the secret to staying in business so long they answer "we are an innovation center." Today Hussey produces spectator seating (over the years they also made fire escapes and ski lifts), but says their real business is listening to, understanding, and solving customer problems. Today you will find Hussey Seating in high school gymnasiums, track and football fields, professional arenas and performing arts centers around the world. Though their products have changed over the decades, they say their goals haven't: They are a family business in it for the long run, operate with honesty and integrity, and care about the people they work with.

McLanahan in Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania also started in 1835 and now bills themselves as a company providing "engineered process solutions for the aggregate, mineral and agricultural industries." Today's company began when, along with two partners, ancestor James McLanahan bought majority ownership in a foundry.  Over the years, with the help of various investors the McClanahan family has been able to lead the company in developing new technologies and enter new markets. Today McClanahan, with its core values of safety, family, and integrity, helps customers by providing machinery to solve a variety of problems throughout the world.

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