Cargill was founded in 1865 by William W. Cargill when he bought a grain flat house in Conover, Iowa. His brother Sam joined the business a year later and together they built grain flat houses and opened a lumberyard.
In 1875 another brother, James, joined the family business. In 1898 John H. MacMillan and his brother Daniel began to work for the company. John H. MacMillan later married William Cargill’s eldest daughter, Edna. He ran the company from Sam Cargill’s death in 1903 until his retirement in 1936.
The current owners of the company are descendants of John MacMillan’s sons, John H. MacMillan Jr. and Cargill MacMillan, and his youngest brother-in-law, Austin S. Cargill.
Over time Cargill grew from a grain storage facility to an international producer and distributor of agricultural products and a provider of risk management and commodities trading services, among others. Cargill employs almost 130,000 people in 63 countries.
Cargill is #1 on the Forbes List of America’s Largest Private Companies with $110 billion in revenue in 2011.
Cargill
Cargill was founded in 1865 by William W. Cargill when he bought a grain flat house in Conover, Iowa. His brother Sam joined the business a year later and together they built grain flat houses and opened a lumberyard.
In 1875 another brother, James, joined the family business. In 1898 John H. MacMillan and his brother Daniel began to work for the company. John H. MacMillan later married William Cargill’s eldest daughter, Edna. He ran the company from Sam Cargill’s death in 1903 until his retirement in 1936.
The current owners of the company are descendants of John MacMillan’s sons, John H. MacMillan Jr. and Cargill MacMillan, and his youngest brother-in-law, Austin S. Cargill.
History
Over time Cargill grew from a grain storage facility to an international producer and distributor of agricultural products and a provider of risk management and commodities trading services, among others. Cargill employs almost 130,000 people in 63 countries.
Cargill is #1 on the Forbes List of America’s Largest Private Companies with $110 billion in revenue in 2011.