Business centenarians – Business – Kommersant

The ability to maintain a successful business over the years commands respect in the business world. But someone manages to keep their business not even for decades, but for centuries. “Kommersant” studied the list of the oldest companies in the world, which, having been founded more than a thousand years ago, continue to work today.

Less is better, longer is better

as show research, small private companies on average exist for about ten years, public companies and even less – eight and a half years. However, in a world where one-day companies or companies with a lifespan of several years remain fairly common, more than 5.5 thousand companies work side by side with them, whose age is at least 200 years, and sometimes more than 1000 years .

11 such companies appeared before 1000. Of these, seven companies originated in Japan. And in general, more than half of all 5.5 thousand long-lived companies also come from Japan.

Longevity of longevity counts Japanese construction company Kongo Gumi Co., which was founded back in 578. Kongo Gumi was created under a specific order. It was necessary to build a Buddhist temple Shitenno-ji in the place where, more than 1300 years later, the city of Osaka would appear. The inspiration for the construction of the temple was Prince Setoku, who is considered the founding father of Japanese Buddhism. The first employees of Kongo Gumi were three Korean carpenters. Subsequently, the company hired teams of highly skilled carpenters who built Buddhist temples, competing with each other in skill. Until recently, such construction has remained the main specialization of Kongo Gumi. And the regular need for the construction of temples and shrines was a reliable guarantee that orders would come constantly and the company would prosper. In addition, the company took on other projects, including participating in the construction of a samurai castle in Osaka (1585-1598).

For almost its entire life, Kongo Gumi remained a family business, headed by either the eldest son or the son who showed the greatest skill in the construction business. If in some generation there were no sons, sons-in-law were involved in the business, who took the generic name Kongo. Kongo Gumi retained its independence until the 21st century. In 2006, due to increasing competition and debt, it agreed to be bought by the very young company Takamatsu Construction, founded in 1917. And as a result, Kongo Gumi became a division of this company. At the time of its sale to Takamatsu Construction, the family business was run by the 40th generation of the Kongo family.

The VIII century became rich in founding a long-term business. In different years of that century, three hotel companies and one manufacturer of ritual goods appeared in Japan. The oldest hotel business in the world is Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, a family company founded in 705 Fujiwara Mahito, son of the advisor to the 38th Emperor of Japan, Tenji.

For more than 1,300 years, the company’s hotel has stood at the foot of the Akaishi mountain range in hot springs that attract vacationers and tourists there. More than 50 generations of the founder’s family have changed at the head of the company.

AT 717 in the town of Kinosaki, another hotel appears. It was built by Koman, also a family business. The family chronicle, which is passed down from generation to generation, tells how the founder of the company, Hiuke Gonnokami, had an unusual dream, after which it was decided to build a Buddhist temple in Kinosaki. In 717, a monk came to this temple, who prayed there for 1000 days, and according to his prayers, hot springs began to beat at the temple. From that moment on, thanks to the high demand for hot springs, the Koman hotel began to flourish and has been operating quite successfully ever since. In the same way, hot springs helped to create and prosper another hotel company, Hoshi, founded in 718 in Ishikawa prefecture. It is also a family business, led by more than 45 generations of the Hoshi family.

Closes the top 5 oldest companies in the world another Japanese company – Genda Shigyo, founded in 771 in Kyoto. For all 1250 years of its existence, it has been manufacturing paper products for ritual purposes, except that over the years its range has expanded somewhat. But even now, as in the 8th century, in her store – very small by modern standards – you can buy all kinds of mizuhiki, decorative knots that are woven from paper laces and which to this day are an indispensable attribute of postcards given in connection with all important events. life: from birth and marriage to funerals.

old light

The oldest European companies still operating today were founded in the 9th century. Austrian restaurant St. Peter Stiftskulinarium with almost 1220 years of history is located within the walls of the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in the center of Salzburg. The year of its foundation is 803, when Charlemagne visited it, and this visit of the “father of Europe” was documented. Therefore, St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is considered to be the oldest operating restaurant in Europe and the world. The restaurant, which at one time received bishops, and cardinals, and princes, and kings, and which, as they say, may have been Christopher Columbus himself and certainly Mozart, remains a very popular place among Austrians and tourists from other countries in the 21st century. countries.

AT 862 In Germany, in the town of Kref on the Moselle River, the Staffelter Hof winery appears. The great-grandson of Charlemagne, King Lothair II, presented it to a monastery in the city of Stavelot (now Belgium). Until 1804, the winery worked at the monastery, although it was located at a distance of 130 km from it. In 1805, the land of the winery was bought by entrepreneur Peter Schneiders, and since that time Staffelter Hof has become a family business, which is now famous for its Riesling.

AT 864 By decree of King Charles the Bald, the Paris Mint was created. It functions to this day and is considered the oldest company and public institution in France, as well as the oldest mint in the world. Now the building of the Mint on the banks of the Seine houses not only the actual production facilities, but also the Numismatics Museum, administration offices, as well as apartments.

A little younger than Paris is the Royal Mint of Great Britain, which was founded in 886 like the London Mint. Initially, he produced coins for the Kingdom of England, but later his production provided almost the entire British Empire. After the construction of the Tower of London was completed, the Mint of London was located within the walls of this castle, where it remained until the beginning of the 19th century, and then moved several more times and is now no longer in London, but in Llantrisant (Wales).

Shirley Plantation is considered to be an old-timer of the American business world, it is also the oldest still operating plantation in the state of Virginia.

The lands where the plantations are located, with 1613 belonged to Sir Thomas West, 3rd Baron de La Warr, an English military and political figure. In 1638, part of the land was bought from him by the planter and politician Edward Hill, who gradually expanded his share and became the sole owner, and then his descendants continued the business. From 25 to 90 slaves worked on the plantation until the abolition of slavery, growing primarily tobacco and other crops that were sold. In the second half of the 20th century, the plantation was included in the US National Register of Historic Places and is a historical monument. The estate on the plantation is now home to the 11th and 12th generations of the Hill-Carter family. Agricultural work is still carried out on the plantation – not only in the fields, but also in the gardens, and there is also a winery.

On the territory of the former USSR, the oldest existing company is considered to be the Drohobych salt plant (Lviv region). It is also the oldest operating salt factory in Ukraine and one of the 30 oldest companies in Europe. A number of sources indicate that this plant appeared as early as 1250, however, the first documented mention of salt from Drohobych refers to 1390. And now, as well as more than 700 years ago, this enterprise produces salt.

The oldest existing Russian company is founded by Peter I in 1721 Peterhof Lapidary Factory, where precious stones were cut and polished to make jewelry for the royal family. Over the years, the factory building was expanded and the range of its products was expanded: not only precious stones were processed, but also marble and other natural stone. Later, almost 100 years ago, it began to produce precise technical stones, then it became a watch factory and produced watches of the Pobeda and Zvezda brands, and even later, in 1961, the production of Raketa watches began.

The oldest operating company in Africa recognized by Mauritius Post – established in Mauritius in 1772 postal service. Similarly, Australia’s oldest company is Australia Post, operating on the continent with 1809. And in South America, the National Mint, founded in Peru back in 1565.

Alena Miklashevskaya