By Zion Rufus

There are more than a handful of Fortune-500 companies that are relatively young such as Apple which debuted in 1976, Amazon in 1995, and Google which gained its foothold in 1998. Meanwhile, there’s a lot to be said about brands that have proven their resilience by standing the test of time. These century-old companies have survived recessions, two world wars, the Great Depression, the Industrial Revolution, and to say the least, this isn’t the first pandemic they have endured.

Coca-Cola 1892

Currently operating in more than 200 countries and a portfolio of nearly 450 brands, The Coca-Cola Company has survived a series of challenges. Founded far back in 1892 by the pharmacist John S. Pemberton, the Coca-Cola Company has grown to become a giant in the beverage industry, ushering in other popular soda brands, including
Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes and Diet Coke. With an initial capitalization of $100,000, today, the company’s market capitalization is $219.25 billion.

Anheuser-Busch 1852

Launched as a small neighborhood brewery in 1852, Anheuser-Busch (now Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the world’s largest brewers) transformed from a local fixture into a global presence. The company’s portfolio of over 100
brands includes Budweiser, Busch, Michelob, Bud Light, and many more. The current market capitalization is $120.23 billion.

JP Morgan Chase 1799

Founded by Aaron Burr, J.P. Morgan is a global leader in financial services, offering solutions to the world’s most important corporations, governments and institutions in more than 100 countries.

J.P. Morgan has operated in Europe for nearly 200 years and has a sophisticated local market presence across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). JPMorgan Chase is ranked by S&P Global as the largest bank in the United States and the seventh largest bank in the world by total assets, with total assets of US$3.213 trillion. It is also the world’s most valuable bank by market capitalization. At US$45.0 billion in assets under management, the hedge fund unit of JPMorgan Chase is the third largest hedge fund in the world. Currently, its market capitalization stands at $470.90 billion.

Peugeot 1882

Peugeot is the world’s oldest car brand in existence. The company was established in 1810 and started off as a coffee-mill company by Armand Peugeot. The company expanded to motorcycle production first in 1830, before manufacturing cars in 1882. Peugeot has produced five winners of the prestigious European Car of the Year award. The 504 won the prize in 1969, followed by the 405 in 1998, and the 307 in 2002. More recently, Peugeot won the award with the 308 in 2014 and the 3008 in 2017. Peugeot also has a successful motorsport division. Important achievements include five World Rally Championship wins, seven Dakar Rally wins, three 24 Hours of Le Mans
wins, and two World Endurance Championship wins. Today, its market capitalization is $23.44 billion.

Procter & Gamble 1837
Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer health, and personal care and hygiene products; these products are organized into several segments including Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine, & Family Care. Some of the company’s globally marketed brands include Gillette, Always, Pampers, Olay, Oral-B, Vicks, and more. Between 1858 and 1859, the company’s sales reached $1 million, today, its market capitalization is $312.51 billion

 Cadbury 1824
Established in 1824, Cadbury, the second largest confectionery brand in the world, is a British multinational Company that currently operates in over 50 countries worldwide. The most popular product the company offers is Dairy Milk, which was first introduced in 1905. In 2019, an estimated 21.4 million people in Great Britain consumed one of these bars. Its other products include Eclairs, Bournvita, Celebrations, Gems, Bubbaloo, Cadbury Dairy Milk Shots, Toblerone, Halls, Bilkul, Tang, and Oreo.

Johnnie Walker 1820

Now owned by Diageo, Johnnie Walker was first introduced in 1820. Currently one of the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky brands, and enjoyed in more than 180 countries worldwide.

Johnson & Johnson 1886
Ranked No. 37 on 2018’s Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue, Johnson & Johnson is one of the world’s most valuable companies. Founded in 1886, the corporation includes some 250 subsidiary companies with operations in 60 countries and products sold in over 175 countries, and over 130,000 employees across the world. Some of its brands include Johnson’s baby, Clean & Clear, Aveeno, Neutrogena, and more. Today, its market capitalization stands at $418.96 billion.

Guinness 1759
Brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in over 120 countries, Guinness is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide. Launched in 1759, Guinness is mostly sold in Great Britain, followed by Ireland, Nigeria, United States of America and Cameroon. By the turn of the 20th century, the company had become an international brand and one of the largest breweries in the world.

UPS 1907
United Parcel Service (UPS), American package and document Delivery Company currently operating worldwide was launched in 1907 by James E. Casey and Claude Ryan. In 2021, following the company’s shift to target smaller customers to boost profits during the COVID-19 pandemic, UPS saw a 21% jump in their fourth quarter sales to $24.9 billion. The multinational Company which started out with an $100 initial capital, now stands at a market capitalization of $145.00 billion.