ContiGroup Companies, Inc (CGC) was founded by Simon Fribourg in Arlon, Belgium, in 1813 as a grain-trading firm. Formerly known as Continental Grain, ContiGroup has expanded into a multinational corporation with offices and facilities in 10 countries while employing more than 13,500 people worldwide. Today, CGC is one of the largest privately held corporations in the United States.
History
1813: The Company is founded by Simon Fribourg in Arlon, Belgium. 1890–1899: The Company expands into flour milling and builds its first mill in Arlon. 1914–1917: Offices moved to London due to the outbreak of World War I. 1919: Operations resume in Antwerp under the name ‘Compagnie Continentale d'Importation’. 1921: Expanded operations to the United States by establishing ‘Continental Grain’ in Chicago and then in New York. 1928: Continental Grain buys a grain elevator in St. Louis, Missouri. This would be the first of seven it would hold by 1935. 1940: The Fribourg family leaves Europe to settle in the United States. This was due to the outbreak of World War II. 1944: The Company moves its headquarters from Paris to New York and the first CEO (Michel Fribourg) is elected. 1964: Continental Grain makes the first major grain sale by any US company to the Soviet Union. The deal called for the sale of one million tons of wheat to Exportkhleb, a soviet grain-purchasing agency. 1965: Continental Grain ventures into the poultry business with its purchase of a majority interest in Allied Mills. This new division includes livestock production operations as well as processing operations. 1970: Operations at Allied Mills poultry division is expanded to include seven poultry processing facilities as well as three egg production and processing units. 1971: Continental Grain acquired Oroweat, a baking company 1972: Another major sale to the Soviet Union is finalized and 10 million tons of grain is sent overseas. 1974: Continental Grain expands its ownership of Allied Mills and makes it a wholly owned subsidiary. 1975: Coronado Feeders is acquired by the company and establishes its first business venture into cattle feeding. 1978: Another cattle feeding business, XIT Feeders, is acquired by Continental Grain. 1978: A plant in Dobson, North Carolina is acquired by the Poultry Division of Continental Grain. 1979: Colorado Beef is acquired, further expanding the company's cattle feeding business. 1979: In a joint venture with Charoen Pokphand, Continental Grain opens the first foreign-owned feed mill in Chinese history. The new venture is called Conti Chia Tai International (CCTI). 1981: Grant County Feeders is acquired into the company's cattle feeding business. 1981: Oroweat acquired Brownberry 1984: Oroweat is sold to General Foods; Brownberry is sold to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice 1998: Continental Grain ventures into the pork business with its purchase of a majority interest in Premium Standard Farms, Inc. 1999: Continental Grain changes its name to ContiGroup Companies, Inc after the sale of the company's commodity marketing business to Cargill. 2000: The Animal Nutrition Division is sold to Hubbard Feeds of Mankato, Minnesota. 2000: ContiFinancial, an early originator of subprime loans, went bankrupt; ContiGroup was the major shareholder. 2002: Wayne Farms purchases its thirteenth processing facility at College Park, Georgia. 2004: Wayne Farms begins building a new further-processing facility in Decatur, Alabama. 2013: Wayne Farms purchases a processing facility in Dothan, Alabama.
ContiGroup businesses
Headquartered in New York, NY, ContiGroup has offices and facilities in 10 countries while employing more than 13,500 people worldwide. CGC's businesses include ventures into poultry, pork, beef, animal feed, aquaculture, and flour milling. Additionally, CGC also provides investment services in securities, real estate, and private equity through its ContiInvestment business unit.
Wayne Farms
Formerly known as the Poultry Division of ContiGroup Companies, Wayne Farms LLC is the sixth-largest vertically integrated producer and processor of poultry in the United States. Since its spin-off in 1965, Wayne Farms has grown its processing capacity to 250 million chickens annually. Its 13 processing facilities span the southeast region of the United States with its corporate headquarters located in Oakwood, Georgia.
ContiAsia
Headquartered in Hong Kong, ContiAsia has been operating in China for almost three decades. ContiAsia operates more than thirty companies that are classified into one of its four business units: Conti Chia Tai International, ContiFeed Group, Great Wall Northeast Asia Corp, and Meat Merchandising.