Fortune Brands, NYSE: FO is a holding company founded in 1969 as American Brands and later re-named in 1997. The corporate headquarters are in Deerfield, Illinois in the United States.
HistoryThe American Tobacco Company was founded in 1890, and in 1969 American Brands became its parent company. Past divisionsACCOIn 1987 American Brands acquired ACCO, a holding company which owned several office supply subsidiaries, which included the Swingline brand. In 2005, the company spun-off ACCO to shareholders, and immediately thereafter ACCO merged with General Binding Corporation. This merged company is now known as ACCO Brands. Present divisionsGolf DivisionThe Acushnet Company (purchased in 1976) is now Fortune Brands' golf division, producing golf balls, shoes, and clubs. Fortune sold off the Acushnet Company's Acushnet Rubber division in 1985, which was Acushnet's original business (circa early 1900s). The Golf Division is made up of the following companies: Home and hardwareIncluded in this division are the following, which have annual sales of over $4 billion:
SpiritsFortune Brands maintains a stable of well known and spirits brands, led by Jim Beam. In July 2005, Fortune Brands and French spirits company Pernod Ricard acquired over 25 additional spirits and wine brands from British holding company Allied Domecq. In November 2007, Constellation Brands announced a purchase of Fortune Brands' wine operations for $885 million USD, a transaction that added 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of vineyards, several major brands such as Clos du Bois, and 2.6 million cases per year of "super-premium" class wine production. Spirits
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