You can learn more about our selection of companies, including how they started and where they are today.
Menards began with John Menard Jr.’s building work in 1958 and developed into a privately held home-improvement chain through retail expansion, internal manufacturing, and decades of regional growth.
Lowe’s evolved through contractor-focused selling, DIY growth, warehouse-format expansion, international ventures, portfolio exits, and recent investments that expanded its reach with professional customers.
Home Depot began with a warehouse-style home-improvement concept in the late 1970s. Its history includes North American expansion, a major supply-business refocus, interconnected retail investment, and a renewed buildout of professional distribution.
Hankook Tire’s business lineage began in 1941 and grew through exports, overseas factories, technical centers, and a 2012 spin-off. Its recent history includes EV-focused tires, Formula E, and Hanon Systems.
Yokohama Rubber began in 1917 as a Japanese-American joint venture. Its history includes rebuilding after the 1923 earthquake and wartime destruction, international expansion, and a later shift toward a larger off-highway tire business.
Pirelli began with elastic-rubber goods in Milan in 1872. Its history includes international expansion, major strategic setbacks, portfolio restructuring, and a long shift toward today’s consumer-tyre business.
Founded as Continental-Caoutchouc- und Gutta-Percha Compagnie, Continental grew from rubber products into tires and automotive systems. Its history includes war, technological setbacks, acquisition-led growth, takeover pressure, and the later separation of major businesses.
Michelin’s history began with an 1889 family-business restart and grew through removable and radial tires, road-travel services, international expansion, major acquisitions, and a broader materials strategy.
Bridgestone began as a Japanese tire manufacturer in 1931 and grew through postwar modernization, overseas production, and the Firestone acquisition. Its later history includes a major recall crisis, compliance failures, fleet-management acquisitions, and portfolio restructuring.
Goodyear’s history includes rapid early growth, a financial crisis that ended founder control, a costly shift to radial tires, and a 1986 takeover fight that reshaped the company’s portfolio.