| Type | Closely Held Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality, Travel |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA |
| Key people | Hubert Joly (President and CEO) |
| Products | Hotel, Restaurant and Travel services |
| Employees | About 170,000 |
| Website | http://www.carlson.com |
Carlson (often referred to by its previous name Carlson Companies) is a privately held international corporation in the hotel, restaurant, and travel industries. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, near Minneapolis,[1] Carlson brands and services, including franchised operations, employ more than 170,000 people in more than 150 countries and territories. The company's 2008 sales, including those from franchised operations, totaled $38 billion. It is one of the largest family-held corporations in the United States.
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Carlson was founded in 1938 as the Gold Bond Stamp Company by Curt Carlson, who used a $55 loan to start his venture. Founded during the Great Depression, Mr. Carlson used "Gold Bond Stamps", a consumer loyalty program based on trading stamps, to provided consumer incentive for grocery stores.
Revenue from this business was brisk until the late 1960s, when trading stamps began to lose popularity. The company was renamed "Carlson Companies" in 1973 as it diversified into hospitality and travel industries.
In 1962, Carlson purchased its first Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis. It then went on to purchase T.G.I. Friday's in 1975 and Country Kitchen International in 1977. In 1987 Carlson founded Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. In 2000, Carlson acquired the Park Plaza® and Park Inn® brands.
In 1994 Carlson Travel Group and Paris-based Wagonlit Travel signed an alliance to form Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) — one of the world's largest business travel management companies.
In a return to its roots, the Carlson Companies started an electronic consumer incentive program named GoldPoints.com in 1997. The program later was modified and became goldpoints plusSM, the incentive program of Carlson Hotels. Effective March 31, 2011 Club CarlsonSM will replace the goldpoints plus hotel loyalty program.
In 1998, Curtis L. Carlson named his daughter Marilyn Carlson Nelson as his successor; a year later he died. Hubert Joly became Carlson's president and chief executive officer in 2008, and Nelson continues to serve as chairman of the board.
Carlson's subsidiaries include:
In 2010, for the eighth time in recent history, Carlson was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mother magazine. For four consecutive years, 2006–2009, Carlson was named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” In 2002, Carlson was on Fortune magazine's list of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For.”
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