Elders Limited
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elders Limited is an Australian based agribusiness company.
It was founded in 1840 in South Australia by Alexander Lang Elder (1815 - 1885) as a trading company and commission agent for wool and other agricultural products for sale back to Britain. Elder believed there were good business opportunities for trade out of the colony which had been newly proclaimed in December 1836.
The company has had a number of name changes, usually as a result of mergers. In 1903, it was known as Elder Smiths. That year, it merged with George Shenton's shipping business to form Elder Shenton and Co. Ltd. In 1974, Elders IXL emerged when Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort & Co Ltd merged with Henry Jones IXL under the managing directorship of prominent businessman John Elliott. The Henry Jones IXL business was subsequently sold in 1989 to The J.M. Smucker Co. based in the USA. The company acquired Carling O'Keefe in 1987. In 1983, Elders acquired Carlton and United Breweries and the combined entity was renamed Foster's Brewing Group in 1990.
In 1995 it was purchased by Futuris Corporation from the Foster's Group.
Today it has a number of trading divisions and subsidiaries:
- Australian Agricultural Company
- BWK Elders
- Elders Rural Bank
As well as an extensive regional branch network throughout Australia, it has offices in Germany, Japan, China and Korea.
[edit] History of Mergers
- 1840 - 1853 A.L. Elder & Co
-
- 1853 - 1856 Elder & Co
-
- 1856 - 1863 Elder, Stirling & Co
-
- 1863 - 1888 Elder Smith & Co
-
- 1888 - 1963 Elder Smith & Co Ltd
- 1903 - 1918 Elders Shenton & Co
- 1855 - 1881 R. Goldsbrough & Co - founded by Richard Goldsbrough
-
- 1881 - 1888 R. Goldsbrough & Co Ltd
- 1849 - 1888 Mort & Co - founded by Thomas Sutcliffe Mort
-
- 1888 - 1963 Goldsbrough Mort & Co Ltd
-
- 1963 - 1982 Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort Ltd
- 1877 - 1881 Australian Agency and Banking Corporation Ltd
- ? - 1965 Western Queensland Pastoral Co Ltd
- 1884? - 1939 Pearson Rowe, Smith & Company Pty Ltd
- 1888 - 1925 Bagot, Shakes & Lewis Ltd
- 1889 - 1920 Younghusband, Row and Company Limited
-
- 1920 - 1971 Younghusband Ltd
- 1882 - 1974 Squatting Investment Co Ltd
- 1888 - 1976 Pitt, Son & Badgery Ltd
- - 1981 Henry Jones (IXL) Ltd
-
- 1982 - 1990 Elders IXL Ltd
