17 Popular Brands You Had No Idea Are Over 50 Years Old

Today's consumer is impressed by the next new and shiny thing. Brands like Apple and Tesla gain a lot of attention for their work to continue producing new and innovative products for the market.

What many of us fail to realize, however, is that some of the most well-loved and consistently used products on the market today are offered by brands that have stood the test of time. While newer brands may come and go, some have been in business for several decades, even centuries.

For example, Fiskars has been making products since 1649 when it began as an iron works company in Finland. That's an astounding 375 years in business. Likewise, the Colgate brand has been selling products since its founding in 1806. Many of the companies on our list are also on the list of brands that are more than 200 years old.

To compile this list of brands that have been in existence for more than five decades, 24/7 Tempo reviewed several sources. These include Forbes and Business Insider as well as corporate histories of each individual brand. Here are 17 popular brands you had no idea were 50-plus years old.

• Established: 1649

As mentioned, Fiskars has been crafting useful home and gardening products for more than 300 years. While you might recognize this brand most for their creation of scissors and gardening shears, Fiskars began as an ironworks company. It then began producing products made of copper and steel before morphing into the company it is today. Fiskars now sells products in over 60 countries, all while maintaining its headquarters in Finland where the company began.

• Established: 1886

Founded by Robert Wood Johnson after the Civil War, Johnson & Johnson has been manufacturing health care items for more than 100 years. Johnson was too young to fight in the war, so he spent his time working at his family's pharmacy before venturing to New York City to sell medical products. Gaining knowledge from the industry, Johnson eventually partnered with two of his brothers to begin producing sterile surgical supplies at their first factory in New Brunswick, New Jersey. What began as medical supplies during the rise of sterile surgeries, is now a global brand that manufactures and sells everything from sutures to Listerine mouthwash.

• Established: 1912

What began with hunting boots has turned into a company that's main focus is outdoor gear. L.L. Bean began with Leon Leonwood, who tinkered with leather and rubber to create a boot that would keep a hunter's feet from getting cold and wet. He launched his boots in the market in 1912, but his product was not met with immediate success as many of the boots fell apart. Leonwood refused to give up, however, and eventually went on to create hunting jackets, knives, and duffle bags. Today, L.L. Bean is known as a premier manufacturer of outdoor gear. Products range from sweaters to boots, bags, and even home goods.

• Established: 1911

The Whirlpool Corporation was founded by Lou Upton with his invention of the very first electric washer in 1911. At the time of Upton's creation, the use of electricity at home was a relatively new idea. As he and his business continued to innovate and create new products, his goal of adding ease to the workload at home never wavered. Today, Whirlpool produces appliances of all kinds. From refrigerators to water heaters and the company's first product, the washing machine, Whirlpool continues to provide advancements to the appliance marketplace.

• Established: 1817

Today, HarperCollins is one of the top consumer book publishers in the world, but the company didn't start that way. Harper & Brothers was established in 1817 by brothers John and James Harper in New York City. Their family printing business grew over the next several decades and eventually evolved into Harper & Row. By 1987, the business was acquired by News Corporation. This company then went on to acquire William Collins & Sons, a British printing company established in 1819. These acquisitions create the name we know today, which is HarperCollins. For more than 200 years, the company has published books by famous authors including Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis.

• Established: 1829

Originally founded by German immigrant David G. Yuengling with the name Eagle Brewery, this company is one of the oldest breweries in the country. When the company's first brewery burned in 1831, a new one was built on Centre Street in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. This building still stands today and is marked as "America's Oldest Brewery." The company has been family owned since its start, with fifth-generation owner Dick Yuengling still at the helm of management. His four daughters are set to take over as the brand continues to grow and expand. Today, you can find Yuengling beer in 26 states.

• Established: 1891

William Wrigley Jr. began selling soap for his father at the age of just 13. After learning about sales and marketing, he ventured to Chicago to continue selling soaps and other items. Most notably, as he worked to sell baking powder, he would add chewing gum as a premium side product. Eventually, his gum sales began to outearn his other product sales and Wrigley expanded his product into a global business. Today, the Wrigley headquarters are still located in Chicago. However, the company is now wholly owned and operated by Mars, Incorporated. The Mars Wrigley Confectionary is one of the leading manufacturers of both chewing gum and chocolates in the world.

• Established: 1889

What began as a creation of bib overalls for railroad workers more than 125 years ago has led to a thriving clothing and gear business. Originally founded as Hamilton Carhartt & Company, "Ham" began making overalls in Detroit. Just over 10 years later, his company had grown to include several other mills and sewing facilities across the country. Eventually, the company would expand globally. During World War I and World War II, the company used its facilities to make uniforms for the United States military. Additionally, the company has been under family leadership until 2013, though Carhartt descendants still remain on the board.

• Established: 1953

What began under the name of Rocket Chemical Company, eventually evolved into what we know today as WD-40. Rocket Chemical was working out of their San Diego facility to create degreasers and solvents to be used in the aerospace industry. After several failed attempts, the company eventually created its Water Displacement Multi-Use Product on the 40th try, leading to the name WD-40. Sales of the product were slow at first, but eventually grew into the huge company we see today.

• Established: 1366

While Yuengling & Son have been brewing beer in America since 1829, Stella Artois has roots that date back to the mid-1300s when the Den Hoorn Brewery was founded in Leuven, Belgium. While the beer itself has undergone several changes in the centuries of its existence, the Stella Artois we know today was first brewed in small batches in 1925. It was released in 1926 as a Christmas beer and has continued to grow ever since. According to the Hensley Beverage Company, you'll find Stella Artois in several countries around the world including Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the United States.

• Established: 1917

If you're browsing the grocery store looking for soy sauce, you'll likely see one popular brand: Kikkoman. The company, originally founded under the name Noda Shoyu Co. Ltd., began in Japan and worked to specialize its soy sauce recipe. After changing the brand name to Kikkoman in 1940, the company had to cease international exports due to World War II. However, distribution resumed in 1949 and this led the company to establish Kikkoman International Inc. with headquarters in San Francisco. Kikkoman has continued to expand globally, recently opening a new facility in Brazil.

• Established: 1944

Marcel Bich and Édouard Buffard began a business partnership in France in the mid-1940s where they sold writing instruments. In 1950, the company improved a ballpoint pen design and created its own product, leading to the Bic brand name. Throughout the 1950s and '60s, the company expanded to several other countries including Belgium, Austria, and Ireland. They continued to grow, eventually entering the North American, African, and Middle Eastern markets. Today, Bic is known for more than just ballpoint pens. In 2020, the company expanded by creating and selling grooming products.

• Established: 1837

What we see today as green tractors on midwestern highways once began with a blacksmith who created a plow. John Deere, a Vermont blacksmith who moved to Illinois in the mid-1800s, saw that farmers were struggling to get their plows through thick soil. He created a new plow blade that would aid in speeding up the plowing process and the manufacturing of plows soon became his business. Before his company was incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868, Deere and his employees were manufacturing 1,000 plows a year. Today, the company line has expanded to include other machinery, but it still remains family-owned.

• Established: 1802

What began as a manufacturing plant for black powder and explosives in 1802 is today known as American chemical manufacturer, DuPont. Founded in Delaware by French immigrant Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, the plan was to begin a business selling and exporting gunpowder. As the company grew and evolved, it began manufacturing dynamite and nitroglycerin. Today, DuPont is known as a large, global company that manufactures everything from industrial chemicals to synthetic fibers, pharmaceuticals, and petroleum-based lubricants.

• Established: 1806

Today, Colgate is known as a leader in the dental health market. However, the company originally began as a candle and soap business when it was founded in the early 1800s by William Colgate. By 1873, the company was officially selling toothpaste and has focused on dental health ever since. Beyond toothpaste, brushes, and other dental-related products, Colgate is also on a mission to educate and improve dental health worldwide.

• Established: 1795

While the official establishment date of the Jim Beam distillery isn't disclosed, the company's website states that the first barrel of corn whiskey called Old Jake Beam Sour Mash was sold in Kentucky in 1795. This original recipe was handed down through generations, and by the mid-1800s, the bourbon was beginning to see national sales. However, Prohibition brought sales to a halt, leading the company to stop all production. When Prohibition ended, James Beauregard Beam, the last owner of the company, rebuilt the distillery to continue sales. By 1935, the company had adopted the name Jim B. Beam Distilling Company and began to call their bourbon Jim Beam.

• Established: 1907

Friends and business partners William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson created their first motorized bicycle in 1903. As the pair worked together to learn more about engineering and single-cylinder engines, they eventually began to see sales of their motorcycles. This led them to incorporate the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in 1907. The company has since gone on to be the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. (For similar content, click here to see 20 Coca-Cola products you never knew existed.)