Corporate Office HQ

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company Corporate Office

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) began in 1851 in Springfield, Massachusetts. George W. Rice was a young insurance agent who worked for Connecticut Mutual Life and wanted to start a business in neighboring Massachusetts.

MassMutual was set up as, and continues to be, a mutual company- a company owned by the policy holders.

Expansion and aggressive marketing spurred MassMutual’s growth for the next thirty years. The company expanded nationwide, including westward to San Francisco, and employed a large amount of agents, who sold policies to homeowners and workers.

History

The stock market crash and ensuing Great Depression hit MassMutual hard. However, with the introduction of new products such as a pension trust policy, family-income policy, and group coverage. These helped them to recover previous losses and grow business once again.

MassMutual was reorganized in 1983 into four business segments: Individual Products, Group Life and Health, Group Pensions, and Investments.

In 1989 the company had $25 billion in assets. MassMutual became involved in mortgage lending.

In 1990 MassMutual began to diversify into mutual fund management. It created subsidiary Concert Capital Management in 1993 to oversee $52 million in retirement assets and endowment assets.

MassMutual merged with Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1995, creating the fifth-largest mutual life insurance company in the United States.

Today MassMutual has 1800 offices and 13 million clients worldwide. MassMutual provides financial products such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement plan services, and annuities. MassMutual has 10,000 employees and had $25 billion in revenue in 2010.

Tyson Foods Corporate Office

Tyson Foods

John Tyson began selling chickens in 1935, when he bought 50 chickens in Arkansas and sold them at a profit in Chicago.

Tyson Feed & Hatchery, as he named his company two years later, was dedicated to the buying and selling of chickens, and was incorporated in 1947.

Tyson gradually became involved in raising chickens, which gave him more control over what he sold.

History

In 1957 Tyson opened its first processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas.

In 1963 the company changed its name to Tyson’s Foods and went public on the New York Stock Exchange.

During the 1970s Tyson built a new egg facility, a computerized feed mill, and plant, acquired the poultry division of Wilson Foods, and made numerous acquisitions to improve their business. The company also changed its name once more, this time to Tyson Foods.

In 1995 Tyson was the leading chicken firm in the United States and its shares reached a peak in 1998.

In 2001 Tyson diversified with its $4.4 billion acquisition of IBP, the world’s largest beef processor.

The coronavirus forced Tyson Foods to close two major US pork plants in late April 2020.

While the CEO says that they did everything possible to protect their workers, employees disagreed.

Today Tyson Foods is the world’s second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork. Tyson is the second-largest food company in the Fortune 500. It has 122,000 employees and had $40.052 billion in revenue in 2018.

John Tyson began selling chickens in 1935, when he bought 50 chickens in Arkansas and sold them at a profit in Chicago. Tyson Feed & Hatchery, as he named his company two years later, was dedicated to the buying and selling of chickens, and … [Continue reading] about Tyson Foods Corporate Office

News Corp. Corporate Office

News Corp.

News Corp. was founded in 1979 by Rupert Murdoch as a holding company for News Limited, which was founded in 1923 in Australia by Keith Murdoch.

News Limited entered the American Market with the 1973 acquisition of the San Antonio Express. It then started the supermarket tabloid National Star, and purchased the New York Post in 1976.

In 1981 News Corp. purchased half of the movie studio 20th Century Fox, buying the other half in 1984. It bought the Metromedia group of stations in 1986 and launched the Fox Broadcasting Company. This network is now available in almost 100% of American households.

History

In 1996 News Corp started the all-news channel Fox News, to rival Ted Turner’s CNN.

In 2003 it purchased 34% of Direc TV from GM for over $6 billion.

In July 2005 it purchased Myspace for $580 million. Within a year, Myspace tripled in value. The site later faced fierce competition. News Corp eventually sold the site for $35 million in 2011.

In 2007 News Corp purchased Dow Jones & Company, owners of the Wall Street Journal, for $5 billion.

News Corp. split into two different companies in 2012. 21st Century Fox retained the media properties while new News Corp (a new company formed by a stock split) focuses more on publishing.

News Corp. was founded in 1979 by Rupert Murdoch as a holding company for News Limited, which was founded in 1923 in Australia by Keith Murdoch. News Limited entered the American Market with the 1973 acquisition of the San Antonio Express. It then … [Continue reading] about News Corp. Corporate Office

New York Life Insurance Corporate Office

New York Life Insurance Company

New York Life Insurance Company has its roots in the 1845 founding of the Nautilus Insurance Company in New York City as a fire and marine insurance company. In 1845 the company decided to concentrate on life insurance. They changed their name to New York Life Insurance Company in 1849.

During the American Civil War, New York Life Insurance experienced its first crisis. Because Abraham Lincoln prohibited commerce with the southern states during the war, the company was cut off from its southern policy holders, creating a host of problems. New York Life solved this by insuring soldiers and civilians in combat.

In the booming post-war years the company flourished. As people moved westward, so did the company.

History

The company lost $10 million during the Influenza epidemic of 1918-1919. However, they were relatively unscathed coming out of the Great Depression.

In the 1960’s New York Life Insurance introduced the first family insurance plan.

In 1969 the company introduced the NYLIFE name brand to differentiate its financial services from its traditional life insurance policies.

In 1998 Aetna Inc. purchased the subsidiary NYLCare Health Plans for over $1 billion in cash.

In 1999 the company entered the Mexican market when it acquired Seguros Monterrey Aetna for $570 million.

New York Life Insurance’s net income passed $1 billion for the first time in 2000.

Today New York Life Insurance ranks #89 on the Fortune 500 list in 2013. Its revenue was $34.3 billion for 2012.

Deere & Company Corporate Office

Deere & Company

Deere & Company began when John Deere, a blacksmith, opened a 1,378 square feet shop in Grand Detour, Illinois in 1837 which allowed him to be the general repairman for the village. He also manufactured small tools, such as shovels and pitchforks.

Deere pioneered the steel plow in 1837. This plow was revolutionary to farmers as the rich mid western soil stuck to the wooden plows used previously, while it did not stick to the smooth steel. At first, Deere manufactured each plow as it was ordered. Later on he changed to making stock so that customers could see what they were buying beforehand.

The company expanded, and in 1857 they were selling more than 1,000 implements per month.

History

By the time of Deere’s death in 1886, the company was manufacturing a variety of farm equipment products.

In the 1900s Deere began to manufacture gasoline-powered tractors. Deere expands this line and in 1963 was world’s largest producer and seller of farm and industrial tractors and equipment. Total sales reached $1 billion for the first time in 1966.

Deere then expanded globally, and had $3 billion in overseas sales in 1997.

Today Deere & Company, known as John Deere, is one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery in the world. It is part of the S&P 500 and was 97 on the Fortune 500 list in 2012. It produces tractors, combine harvesters, cotton harvesters, balers, planters/seeders, sprayers, UTVs, construction equipment, forestry equipment, as well as parts used in diesel engines, lawn mowers, snowthrowers, and lawn tractors. Deere also offers financial services to support the core businesses. Their revenue for 2010 was $26 billion.