16 brands that seem American but aren't
American Apparel
Despite its name, American Apparel is no longer quite so American. Though the company was started in Los Angeles, a series of missteps — including controversial advertisements and multiple sexual assault allegations against founder Dov Charney — led to slumping sales that caused the company to file for bankruptcy in 2016.
After American Apparel had completely shuttered all its physical locations, the Canadian apparel manufacturer Gildan purchased the beleaguered brand for $88 million in October 2016. It subsequently relaunched the company online in 2017.
Good Humor
Good Humor started in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1920 and by the middle of the century had become a mainstay of the ice cream market, inspiring the movie "The Good Humor Man" starring Jack Carson.
In 1961, Good Humor was acquired by Thomas J. Lipton, a US subsidiary of the Dutch-British consumer goods company Unilever. It has been owned by Unilever ever since.
Popsicle
Popsicle was an accidental innovation created by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905, when he left a stick in a cup of soda before it froze. Originally referred to as the Epsicle, the name was changed to Popsicle and thus, the Popsicle Corporation was bon.
In 1925, Epperson sold the rights to Popsicle and in 1989, it was acquired by Good Humor, a subsidiary of Unilever.
Ben & Jerry’s
After starting from inside a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, the popular ice cream company has become yet another one of the cold confections to join Unilever. The conglomerate purchased Ben & Jerry's in 2000 for $326 million.
Burger King
After opening up shop in Miami in 1954, Burger King went on to become today's second largest hamburger chain in the United States, after McDonald's.
In the decades after its founding, Burger King was owned by several brands, including the Pillsbury Company, which was eventually acquired by the British company Grand Metropolitan and then again by Guinness, the Irish brewer.
Burger King passed through a few more hands before landing at the Canadian doughnut and fast-food chain Tim Hortons, prompting the creation of a new parent company, Restaurant Brands International.
Frigidaire
Frigidaire, the home appliance company, got its start in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Nathaniel Wales and Alfred Mellowes developed the first self-contained refrigerator in 1916. The invention went on to become the basis for the American-based Guardian Refrigerator Co., before it was purchased by the Swedish company AB Electrolux in 1986.
GE Appliances
Though General Electric operates businesses in everything from aviation, healthcare, renewable energy, and digital media, to oil and gas, its appliances business was actually purchased by the Chinese company Haier for $5.4 billion in January 2016.
Hellman’s
Yet another company taken over by Unilever, Hellman's origin story actually began in Europe. German immigrant Richard Hellman introduced the condiment to the states when he began selling his wife's recipe in 1913.
Best Foods purchased Hellman's in 1932, and Unilever subsequently purchased Best Foods in 2000, making the popular mayo brand a subsidiary.
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike started in Virginia in 1871 as part of the R.A. Patterson Company, before it was acquired by the American Tobacco Company. Lucky Strike was one of the most prominent cigarette brands in America throughout much of the 20th century. However, in 1976, the British American Tobacco Company effectively bought out the American Tobacco Company, and Lucky Strike effectively became a British brand.
Purina
Though American pets love Purina, it turns out the brand is actually owned by Nestlé, which acquired the company in 2001, renaming it Nestlé Purina PetCare. Purina was first started in 1894 in St. Louis, Missouri, as a feed company for cattle and farm animals.
Trader Joe's
The humble beginnings of Trader Joe's may have been in Pasadena, California, in 1967, but it's now owned by Aldi Nord. Aldi Nord CEO Theo Albrecht bought Trader Joe's in 1979 as a personal investment.
7-Eleven
7-Eleven may be America's first and oldest convenience store, but in 2005 it was acquired by the Japanese real estate company Seven & I Holdings.
The home of the Slurpee got its start with "Uncle Johnny" Jefferson Green, who started selling everyday staples from the dock of his ice house in Dallas, Texas. When Prohibition ended in 1933, Green's docks began selling beer and liquor, further transforming the convenience store concept. By 1937, the idea had spread to ice docks around Texas, and the company was renamed Tote'm Stores. In 1946, the shops changed their hours to 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and thus the 7-Eleven name was born.
Sunglass Hut
Sunglass Hut began in a Miami mall in 1971, when optometrist Sanford Ziff started his own kiosk. After expanding rapidly it was acquired by the Italian company Luxottica, which purchased it for $462 million in 2001.
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn has roots in Tennessee, where it was started by Kemmons Wilson as a comfortable and affordable hospitality alternative. The InterContinental Hotels Group took over in 1988, keeping it under British ownership ever since.
French's
The popular hot dog condiment French's mustard actually first became a UK-based company back in 1926, when it was first purchased by J&J Colman. Since then, Francis French's beloved brand has been acquired by Reckitt Benckiser.
Budweiser
Budweiser has long been a staple of the American gathering — may it be a beachside weekend, a neighborhood barbecue, or a family reunion — but the popular beer is actually owned by Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch Inbev.
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