30 companies that use the name of their founders

While there are some founders who don't brand their own names, there are many who see more value in naming companies after their own names.

Let's take a look at 30 companies named after their founders.

Tata Group

Founder's name: Jamsetji Tata

Year of foundation: 1868

Current CEO: Cyrus Pallonji Mistry

Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai. It encompasses seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals.

Tata Group was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Tata as a trading company. It has operations in more than 80 countries across six continents.

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Godrej Group

Founder's name: Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Godrej

Year of foundation: 1897

Current CEO: Adi Godrej

Godrej Group is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. It was founded by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Godrej in 1897, Lalbaug, Mumbai.

It operates in diverse sectors such as real estate, consumer products, industrial engineering, appliances, furniture, security and agricultural products,to name a few. Its turnover is in excess of $3.3 billion.

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Kirloskar Group

Founder's name: Laxmanrao K Kirloskar

Year of foundation: 1888

Current CEO: Sanjay Kirloskar

The Kirloskar Group is an Indian conglomerate with sales exceeding $2.5 billion. The Kirloskar Group today exports to over 70 countries over most of Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe.

The flagship & holding company, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd established in 1888, is India's largest maker of pumps and valves and also undertakes construction projects through its subsidiary Aban Construction.

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Mahindra Group

Founder's name: JC Mahindra, KC Mahindra and Ghulam Mohammed

Year of foundation: 1945

Current CEO: Anand Mahindra

The Mahindra Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered at Mahindra Towers in Mumbai, India, with operations in over 100 countries across the globe.

The group has a presence in aerospace, agribusiness, aftermarket, automotive, components, construction equipment, defense, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers.

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ArcelorMittal

Founder's name: Lakshmi N Mittal

Year of foundation: 1976

Current CEO: Lakshmi Mittal

ArcelorMittal is a multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Avenue de la Liberte, Luxembourg. It was formed in 2006 from the takeover and merger of Arcelor by Mittal Steel.

ArcelorMittal is the world's largest steel producer, with an annual crude steel production of 97.2 million tones as of 2011. It is ranked 70th in the 2012 Fortune Global 500 ranking of the world's biggest corporations.

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Bajaj Group

Founder's name: Jamanalal Bajaj

Year of foundation: 1926

Current CEO: Rahul Bajaj

Bajaj Group is an Indian conglomerate founded by Jamnalal Bajaj in 1926 in Mumbai. Bajaj Group is one of the oldest & largest conglomerates based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The group comprises 34 companies & its flagship company Bajaj Auto is ranked as the world's fourth largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer.

Some of the notable companies are Bajaj Electricals, Mukand Ltd & Bajaj Hindusthan Ltd. Involvement in various industries include automobiles (two- and three-wheelers), home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance.

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Hinduja Group

Founder's name: Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja

Year of foundation: 1914

Current CEO: S P Hinduja

The Hinduja Group is a global conglomerate company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1914 by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, initially operating in Mumbai, India, and setting up its first international operation in Iran in 1919.

Srichand Hinduja and his brother Gopichand moved to London in 1979 to develop their father's export business.

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Dr Reddy's Laboratories

Founder's name: Dr K Anji Reddy

Year of foundation: 1984

Current CEO: Anji Reddy

Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd is an integrated pharmaceutical company focused on providing medicines through its three business segments: Global Generics segment, Pharmaceutical Services and Active Ingredients segment and Proprietary Products segment.

The company was founded by Anji Reddy, who had previously worked in the publicly owned Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited, of Hyderabad, India.

The company has over 190 medications, 60 active pharmaceutical ingredients for drug manufacture, diagnostic kits, critical care, and biotechnology products.

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Jindal Group

Founder's name: OP Jindal

Year of foundation: 1952

Current CEO: Sajjan Jindal, JSW

The Jindal group is a $16.5 billion conglomerate, which over the last three decades has emerged as one of India's most dynamic business groups.

Founded in 1952 by OP Jindal, a first-generation entrepreneur, it is today a leading steel producer, with interests spanning across the spectrum, from mining iron ore, to manufacturing value-added steel products.

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Aditya Birla Group

Founder's name: Ghanshyam Das Birla

Year of foundation: 1857

Current CEO: Kumar Mangalam Birla

The Aditya Birla Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. It operates in 33 countries with more than 133,000 employees worldwide.

The group interests in sectors such as viscose staple fibre, metals, cement, viscose filament yarn, branded apparel, carbon black, chemicals, fertilisers, insulators, financial services, telecom, BPO and IT services.

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Bose Corporation

Founder's name: Amar Bose

Year of foundation: 1970

Current CEO: Amar Bose

Bose Corporation is an American privately held corporation, based in Framingham, Massachusetts, that specialises in audio equipment.

Founded in 1964 by Amar G Bose, the company operates eight plants, 126 retail stores, and an automotive subsidiary in Stow, Massachusetts.

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TVS Group

Founder's name: TV Sundaram Iyengar

Year of foundation: 1911

Current CEO: Venu Srinivasan, TVS Motors

TVS Group is an Indian diversified industrial conglomerate with its principal headquarters located in Chennai and Coimbatore. Almost all holdings of the group are private. The largest and most visible subsidiary is TVS Motors, fourth largest two-wheeler manufacturers in India.

TVS Group, headquartered in Chennai, with group revenue of more than $4 billion is a automotive conglomerate company, specialised in manufacturing of two-wheeler, three-wheeler, auto-electricals components, high tensile fasteners, die casting products, brakes, wheels, tyres, axles, seating systems, fuel injection components, electronic and electrical components and many more.

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Philips

Founder's name: Gerard and Frederik Philips

Year of foundation: 1891

Current CEO: Jeroen van der Veer

Philips Electronics is a Dutch multinational electronics company headquartered in Amsterdam. It was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik.

It is one of the largest electronics companies in the world and employs around 122,000 people across more than 60 countries.

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McAfee

Founder's name: John McAfee

Year of foundation: 1987

Current CEO: Michael DeCesare

McAfee is an American global computer security software company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and the world's largest dedicated security technology company.

As of February 28, 2011, McAfee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel.

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Swarovski

Founder's name: Daniel Swarovski

Year of foundation: 1895

Current CEO: Markus Langes-Swarovski

Swarovski is the brand name for a range of cut lead glass ("crystal") and related luxury products produced by Swarovski of Wattens, Austria.

The company is split into two major industry areas, the Swarovski Kristall business unit that primarily works with luxury items and design crystals and the Tyrolit Schleifmittel business unit that manufactures related tooling and machinery.

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Nestle

Founder's name: Henri Nestle

Year of foundation: 1866

Current Chairman: Peter Brabeck-Letmathe

Nestle is a Swiss multinational nutritional, snack food, and health-related consumer goods company headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It is the largest food company in the world measured by revenues.

Nestle's products include baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, pet foods and snacks.

It has around 450 factories, operates in 86 countries, and employs around 328,000 people. It is one of the main shareholders of L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company.

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Kellogg Company

Founder's name: Will Keith Kellogg

Year of foundation: 1906

Current CEO: James M Jenness

The Kellogg Company is a multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods.

The company's brands include Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Special K, Pringles, Pop-Tarts and Nutri-Grain.

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McDonald's

Founder's name: Ray Kroc, Richard and Maurice McDonald

Year of foundation: 1940

Current CEO: Andrew J McKenna

McDonald's is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries.

Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948 they reorganised their business as a hamburger stand using production line principles.

Businessman Ray Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth.

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The Hershey Company

Founder's name: Milton S Hershey

Year of foundation: 1894

Current CEO: John P Bilbrey

The Hershey Company is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World.

It was founded by Milton S Hershey in 1894 as the Hershey Chocolate Company, a subsidiary of his Lancaster Caramel Company. Hershey's products are sold in about 60 countries worldwide.

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Gillette

Founder's name: King C Gillette

Year of foundation: 1901

Current CEO: Patrice Jean Louis Louvet

Gillette is a brand of men's safety razors, among other personal care products owned by Procter & Gamble. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was one of several brands originally owned by the Gillette Company, a supplier of products under various brands, which was merged into P&G in 2005.

The Gillette Company was founded by King Camp Gillette in 1901 as a safety razor manufacturer.

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Tiffany & Co

Founder's name: Charles Lewis Tiffany

Year of foundation: 1837

Current CEO: Michael Kowalski

Tiffany & Co. is a luxury American multinational jewelry and silverware corporation, with headquarters in New York City. Tiffany sells jewellery, sterling silver, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances, personal accessories, as well as some leather goods. Many of these goods are sold under the Tiffany name at Tiffany stores and through direct-mail and corporate merchandising.

Tiffany is renowned for its luxury goods, especially for its diamonds: diamond jewellery, and especially its diamond engagement rings. Tiffany markets itself as an arbiter of taste and style.

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Wrigley Company

Founder's name: William Wrigley Jr

Year of foundation: 1891

Current CEO: William Wrigley, Jr II,

The Wrigley Company is a company headquartered in the Wrigley Building in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded on April 1, 1891, originally selling products such as soap and baking powder.

In 1892, William Wrigley Jr, the company's founder, began packaging chewing gum with each can of baking powder. The chewing gum eventually became more popular than the baking powder itself and Wrigley's reoriented the company to produce the popular chewing gum.

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Tupperware Brands

Founder's name: Earl Tupper

Year of foundation: 1946

Current CEO: Rick Goings

Tupperware Brands Corporation, formerly Tupperware Corporation, is a multinational direct sales company based in Orlando, Florida.

Tupperware has become so familiar that the word is often used, uncapitalised, as a generic term for any resealable plastic container.

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Ben & Jerry's

Founder's name: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield

Year of foundation: 1978

Current CEO: Jostein Solheim

Ben & Jerry's is an American ice cream company, a division of the Anglo-Dutch Unilever conglomerate, that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream novelty products.

These are manufactured by Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Burlington, Vermont, United States, with the main factory in Waterbury, Vermont.

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Bausch & Lomb

Founder's name: John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb

Year of foundation: 1853

Current CEO: Fred Hassan

Bausch & Lomb, an American company based in Rochester, New York, is one of the world's largest suppliers of eye health products, including contact lenses, lens care products, medicines and implants for eye diseases.

Its Ray-Ban brand of sunglasses was sold in 1999 to the Italian Luxottica Group. Today, the company employs about 13,000 people in 36 countries. The company was founded in 1853 by two Germans, John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb.

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Baskin-Robbins

Founder's name: Burton Baskin and Irvine Robbins

Year of foundation: 1945

Current CEO: Nigel Travis

Baskin-Robbins is an American global ice cream parlor based in Canton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1945 by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in Glendale, California.

The company is known for its "31 flavors" slogan, more than the 28 flavours then famously offered at Howard Johnson's restaurants, with the idea that a customer could have a different flavour every day of any month.

The company has introduced more than 1,000 flavours since 1945.

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Colgate-Palmolive

Founder's name: William Colgate

Year of foundation: 1806

Current CEO: Nigel Travis

Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products (including toothpaste and toothbrushes).

Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of veterinary products. The company's corporate offices are on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

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Bacardi

Founder's name: Don Facundo Bacardi Masso

Year of foundation: 1862

Current CEO: Edward D Shirley

Bacardi is the largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world. Its brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including the eponymous Bacardi rum.

Founded on February 4, 1862, and family-owned for the past seven generations, Bacardi now employs nearly 6,000 people, manufactures its brands at 27 facilities in 16 markets on four continents, with sales in more than 150 countries.

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Horlicks

Founder's name: William and James Horlick

Year of foundation: 1873

Current CEO: N/A

Horlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink developed by the founders James and William Horlick.

It is now manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia.

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Cadbury

Founder's name: John Cadbury

Year of foundation: 1824

Current CEO: N/A

Cadbury is a British confectionery company owned by Mondelez International Inc. and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated.

With its headquarters in Uxbridge, London, England, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide.