10 classic American companies that aren't actually American
Mykenna Maniece
- Companies like 7-Eleven and Ben & Jerry's seem like typical American brands.
- However, some of the most "American" brands have been acquired by overseas companies.
Living in the US, it's easy to forget that only a few major companies are responsible for almost everything we buy. From cereals to beauty products, a small number of parent companies own most of the companies we use daily.
For example, a consumer could start their morning with a bowl of Cheerios, have Progresso chicken noodle soup for dinner, and enjoy Häagen-Dazs ice cream before bed, unaware that General Mills owned every aspect of their diet.
Similar to how General Mills owns many household-name brands in the US, plenty of global companies have purchased American companies to round out their portfolios.
It means that brands you might think of as all-American are actually owned by companies overseas.
Here are 10 of the most surprising classic American brands to have been acquired by international companies.
Tiffany & Co. was acquired by French luxury group LVMH in 2021.
The first Tiffany jewelry store opened in New York City in 1837, and it has since become an iconic American brand. With its signature Tiffany Blue boxes, the company has made its impact on American pop culture, with contributions to the Great Seal of the United States, the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy, and campaigns with Beyoncé and Jay-Z. And, of course, who could forget Audrey Hepburn's starring role as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?
However, despite its impact on American life and culture, the company began losing revenue in 2015, Fast Company reported, eventually leading to its acquisition by LVMH, or Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, for $15.8 billion in 2021.
The brand's headquarters remain in New York City, and under the leadership of Alexandre Arnault, the company has once again begun to thrive in the luxury world — the company even reopened its flagship store in April 2023.
German conglomerate JAB Holding Company owns Panera Bread.
The popular fast-casual restaurant was founded by Ronald M. Shaich and Louis Kane in 1987 as the St. Louis Bread Company, according to the company's website.
The brand became popular for its focus on fresh ingredients, and in 2017, JAB Holding Company purchased Panera Bread for $7.5 billion. JAB later grouped Panera with Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels under the company name Panera Brands.
Panera Bread has faced rising scrutiny since late 2023 due to its "Charged Lemonade," which has been the target of three separate lawsuits. A spokesperson for Panera previously told BI that the company stands by the safety of its products, though it did add additional warning labels in October 2023.
American designer Marc Jacobs sold a majority stake of his namesake brand to LVMH in 1997.
From the grunge influences of the '90s to The Tote Bag, Marc Jacobs has been a staple in the American fashion scene for decades. He notably became the youngest designer to win the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent in 1987.
After Jacobs and his business partner, Robert Duffy, joined Louis Vuitton in 1997, he sold his majority stake to LVMH.
LVMH continues to own the Marc Jacobs brand, as well as other luxury fashion houses like Christian Dior, Givenchy, Celine, Fendi, and Loewe.
British company Unilever owns Vaseline.
In 1870, Robert Augustus Chesebrough created the brand Vaseline Petroleum Jelly in Brooklyn, New York. The product was a big hit and "by 1875, Americans were buying Vaseline Petroleum at the rate of a jar a minute," Vaseline said on its website.
The company has grown to include lotions, lip balms, hand creams, and body oils.
In 1987, Vaseline's manufacturer, Chesebrough-Pond's Inc., was acquired by the US arm of Unilever, itself a British company, for $3.1 billion, The New York Times reported.
It's now part of Unilever's "Beauty & Wellbeing" family which also includes TRESemmé, Simple, and Shea Moisture, among other brands.
Ben & Jerry's is known for its humble beginnings in Vermont, but the ice-cream giant is also owned by Unilever.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield began their famous ice-cream business in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978 and are known not only for their countless delicious flavors but also for their progressive activism.
When the company was sold to Unilever for $326 million in 2000, Cohen and Greenfield maintained their right for the company "to have an independent board to guide its social mission," reported the BBC.
Ben & Jerry's has been vocal about its support for racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, and refugee rights, in addition to other causes. Most recently, its board has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the BBC reported.
Ralph Lauren Fragrance, a subdivision of Ralph Lauren, is owned by L'Oréal Group.
The name Ralph Lauren is synonymous with American flags, polo players, and preppy Ivy Leaguers. While Ralph Lauren as a whole is still an American-owned company, the subdivision Ralph Lauren Fragrance was acquired by L'Oréal Group, which is headquartered in Clichy, France.
Ralph Lauren Fragrance belongs to the group's Luxe Division, which includes brands like Viktor & Rolf, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Giorgio Armani Beauty.
Stouffer's, best known for its frozen entrées, is owned by Swiss company Nestlé.
The same Nestlé that owns Nesquick chocolate milk and Toll House chocolate chips also owns Stouffer's.
Although the company was founded in 1924 as a restaurant called Stouffer's Lunch, frozen meals would eventually become its signature product.
Nestlé — the world's largest food-and-beverage company for more than a decade, as reported by Forbes — purchased Stouffer's in 1973.
With tasty meals like lasagna and stuffed peppers, Stouffer's remains a staple in freezers across the US.
CeraVe was founded by American dermatologists in 2005 but is now owned by L'Oréal.
In 2017, Women's Wear Daily reported that L'Oréal acquired skincare brands CeraVe, AcneFree, and Ambi for a total of $1.3 billion.
The popular skincare brand — which appeared in a standout 2024 Super Bowl ad featuring Michael Cera — now lives within L'Oréal's Dermatological Beauty division alongside Vichy Laboratories, La Roche Posay, SkinCeuticals, and Skin Better Science.
7-Eleven is owned by Seven & i Holdings, a Japanese company.
7-Eleven was founded in Texas in 1927 and grew exponentially to become one of the largest and most recognizable retailers in the world. In the US, the chain's Slurpees became so popular that a National Free Slurpee Day is celebrated annually on July 11.
What may come as a surprise is that the store is even more popular internationally, specifically in Japan.
In 2005, 7-Eleven, Inc. was purchased by SEJ Asset Management & Investment Company, which in turn is owned by Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., based in Tokyo.
Seven-Eleven Japan reported that as of January 31, 2024, there are over 21,000 7-Elevens in Japan. Meanwhile, Scrape It reported that as of December 2023, there are 9,207 stores in the US.
Krispy Kreme is a publicly owned company, but JAB Holding still holds a 44.77% stake.
Krispy Kreme is known for its glazed doughnuts and a memorable collaboration with Hailey Bieber.
The brand was founded in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Despite its headquarters remaining in the state, German conglomerate JAB Holding took the company private from 2016 to 2021.
Krispy Kreme has since become a public company again, but JAB still owns nearly half the company's shares, so although it's not technically internationally owned, there's a significant division worth recognizing.
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