Archer Daniels Midland

In 1902, the foundation for a global agricultural giant was laid when John W. Daniels started a linseed crushing business in Minneapolis. A year later, George A. Archer joined him, and the partnership of Archer-Daniels Linseed Company was born. Their business was simple: crushing flaxseed to produce linseed oil for industrial uses like paints and sealants. The company's major turning point came in 1923 with the acquisition of Midland Linseed Products Company, leading to its incorporation as the Archer Daniels Midland Company. This move was quickly followed by a listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 1924, signaling its arrival as a significant player in American agribusiness. Through the decades, ADM methodically expanded by adding new profit centers, moving into flour milling in the 1930s, and later into soybean processing, specialty food and feed ingredients, and nutrition. A pivotal era began in the late 1960s under the leadership of Dwayne Andreas, who transformed ADM into an international powerhouse, dramatically increasing its global footprint and soybean exports. Today, ADM operates hundreds of plants and procurement facilities worldwide, processing grains and oilseeds into a vast array of products for food, animal feed, and industrial and energy markets.