Some of the World’s Oldest Companies

The Coca Cola Company was founded in 1888. At more than 120 years old, it is one of the oldest companies in the United States, but that’s nothing when you expand your view to the rest of the world – these 10 are some of the oldest continuously-operating companies ever.

1. Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd, just saw the end of its long run a couple of years ago. Up until 2006, the Japanese construction company had been going strong since 578 A.D. The company was primarily involved in building temples. Things started going downhill in the 1980s, when they borrowed a lot of money to invest in real estate. By 2004, revenues were way down, and by 2006, they were $343 million in debt and ended up being absorbed by Takamatsu construction.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. long run – тривала робота; ек. тривалий період (період, упродовж якого всі фактори виробництва розглядаються як змінні);

2. A.D. [ֽeı`di:] (Anno Domini) [ֽænəu `dOmınaı] / [ֽænou `dα:məni:]– нашої ери, від різдва Христова;

3. temple [`temp^əl] – храм; церква;

4. to go downhill [ֽdaun`hıl] – погіршуватися;

5. real estate [ֽrıəl ı`steıt] / [ֽri:<sup>ə</sup>l ı`steıt] – нерухомість; нерухоме майно; земля;

6. revenues [`revənju:z] – виручка;

7. to be (way) down – скоротитися; знизитися;

8. to end up – припинити своє існування; припиняти(ся), завершувати(ся);

9. to absorb [əb`zO:b] 83% / [əb`sO:b] 17% – поглинати.

2. Hōshi, a traditional Japanese inn in operation since 718, took over the “World’s Oldest Continuously Operating Company” title when Kongō Gumi Co. folded. Located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, the hotel has been in the same family for 46 generations so far.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. inn [ın] – отель (сільський); заїжджий двір;

2. in operation [ֽOpə`reı∫<sup>ə</sup>n] / [ֽα:pə`reı∫^ən] – діючий; функціонуючий;

3. to take over – приймати від когось (нагороду, посаду тощо);

4. to fold [fəuld] / [fould] – припиняти існування;

5. prefecture [`pri:fekt∫ə] – префектура (адміністративно-територіальна одиниця);

6. so far – до цих пір; поки що; допоки;

3. Within the walls of St. Peter’s Archabbey in Salzburg, Vienna, lies Stiftskeller St. Peter, a restaurant and wine cellar that has been feeding the masses since at least 803 A.D. And apparently being in business that long has allowed them to perfect a thing or two, because it consistently gets outstanding reviews from the travelers who pass through its doors – and there are some pretty impressive travelers that are rumored to have eaten here. Supposedly Mephistopheles met Faust at Stiftskeller, Charlemagne liked to eat there, and Christopher Columbus downed a mug of beer there before he hopped on the Santa Maria.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. St. Peter’s Archabbey (otherwise St. Peter’s Abbey) [ֽs ə nt `pi:təz ֽα:t∫`æbi] – a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg (Austria). St. Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg was founded by Saint Rupert in 696 for the mission to the South Alps and is thus considered one of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking world, if not in fact the oldest.

2. Salzburg [`sæltsbə:g] / [`sO:lzbə:g] (German [`zaltsbʊrk]) – a city in western Austria, near the border with Germany. It is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg.

3. Vienna [vi`enə] – the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC.

4. wine cellar [ֽwaın `selə] – винний погріб;

5. apparently [ə`pær ə ntli] – явно; безсумнівно; мабуть, певно, напевне;

6. to perfect [ pə`fekt ] / [ p<sup>ə</sup>r`fekt ] – довести до досконалості;

7. consistently [kən`sıst ə ntli] – постійно; послідовно;

8. outstanding reviews [₍ֽ₎aut`stændıŋ rı`vju:z] – відмінні (запальні) відгуки;

9. pretty impressive [`prıti ım`presıv] – досить вражаючий;

10. rumoured (to) [`ru:məd] / [`ru:m^ərd] – як стверджують; як говорять; за переказами;

11. supposedly [sə`pəuzıdli] – за загальною думкою; припустимо, приблизно;

12. Mephistopheles [ֽmefı`stOfəli:z] / [ֽmefı`stα:fəli:z] (also Mephistophilus, Mephistophilis, Mephostopheles, Mephisto and variants) – is the name of the demon in the Faust legend. The character has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the devil.

13. Faust [faust] or Faustus [`faustəs] (Latin for “auspicious” or “lucky”, but also German for “fist”) is the protagonist of a classic German legend who makes a pact with the Devil in exchange for knowledge. The origin of Faust’s name and persona remains unclear, though it is widely assumed to be based on the figure of Dr. Johann Georg Faust (c. 1480–1540), a magician and alchemist probably from Knittlingen, Würtemberg, who obtained a degree in divinity from Heidelberg University in 1509.

14. Charlemagne [`∫α:ləmeın] / [`∫α:rləmeın] – (742-814), king of the Franks 768-814 and Holy Roman emperor (as Charles I) 800-14; Latin name Carolus Magnus; known as Charles the Great (Карл І Вели́кий). As the first Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne promoted the arts and education, and his court became the cultural centre of the Carolingian Renaissance, the influence of which outlasted his empire.

15. to down – ковтати; випивати залпом;

16. a mug of beer – кружка пива;

17. to hop – стрибати, скакати; ускочити (на ходу);

18. the Santa Maria [ֽsæntə mə`ri: ə] (The Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción – The Imaculate Conception of Mary) was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. Her master and owner was Juan de la Cosa. The Santa María was a small carrack, or “nao”, about 70 feet long, used as the flagship for the expedition. She carried 40 men. The Santa María was constructed from pine and oak which was from the Bialowieza Forest.

4.It should come as no surprise that there is a brewery on the list – the Weihenstephan Brewery[`bru: əri] of Bavaria[bə`veəriə], to be exact, which has been serving patrons since 1040, and maybe even earlier. But that’s the year it was licensed by the city, so we have actual paperwork to prove it. It survived even when the monastery it was attached to was secularized under Napoleon in 1803. These days the brewery not only makes a selection of pale lagers and wheat beers, it’s also a learning facility for students at the Techincal University of Munich.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. brewery [`bru: əri] – пивоварний завод, броварня;

2. patron [`peıtr ə n] – постійний покупець; постійний клієнт;

3. secularized [` sekjuləraızd ] – секуляризований; перетворений на світський; відокремлений від церкви;

4. pale lager [peı^əl `lα:gə] – лагер, світле пиво (приготовлене методом низового бродіння);

5. wheat beers [ֽwi:t `bıə] – пшеничні сорти пива;

6. a learning facility [`lə:nıŋ fə`sıləti] – навчальний заклад;

7. the Techincal [`teknık<sup>ə</sup>l] University of Munich [`mju:nık] (the Technische Universität München – TUM) – a research university with several campuses. TUM is among the highest acclaimed universities in Germany, producing several Nobel Laureates including Gerhard Ertl who in 2007 received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and was ranked as 35^th in the world in 2009 according to Global University Ranking.

5. The Wieliczka Salt Mine in the Krakow [`krækau] area of Poland is another one that had been going strong until very recently. And it sort of still is – although it’s no longer producing salt, it is still a popular tourist spot, attracting about 1.2 million visitors every year. Since it has been open since 1044, some of those visitors have included Copernicus [kə u `pə:nıkəs], Goethe [`gə:tə], Mendeleyev, Pope John Paul II and Bill Clinton.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. it sort of still is – частково таким до цих пір є;

2. popular tourist spot – популярне туристичне місце;

3. Copernicus (Nicolaus) [kə u `pə:nıkəs] / [kə`pə:nɪkəs] (1473-1543) – a Polish astronomer; Latinized name of Mikołaj Kopernik. He proposed a model of the solar system in which the planets orbited in perfect circles around the sun, and his work ultimately led to the overthrow of the established geocentric cosmology.

4. Goethe (Johann Wolfgang von) [`gə:tə] / [`geıtə] (1749-1832) – a German poet, dramatist, and scholar. Goethe is considered by many to be the most important writer in the German language and one of the most important thinkers in Western culture as well.

5. Mendeleyev (Dmitri Ivanovich)(8 February [old style 27 January] 1834 – 2 February [old style 20 January] 1907) – a Russian chemist and inventor. He is credited as being the creator of the first version of the periodic table of elements. Using the table, he predicted the properties of elements yet to be discovered.

6. Pope [pəup] John Paul II (1920-2005) – a Polish cleric, pope 1978-2005; born Karol Jozef Wojtyla. The first non-Italian pope since 1522, he upheld the Roman Catholic Church’s traditional opposition to artificial means of contraception and abortion, homosexuality, the ordination of women, and the relaxation of the rule of celibacy for priests.

7. Bill Clinton (William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton, born William Jefferson Blythe III) (August 19, 1946) was the 42^nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office. Clinton was described as a New Democrat and was largely known for the Third Way philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president.

6.Although it’s now owned by Heineken, Affligem Abbey brewery[`bru: əri]of Belgium retained its name, therefore keeping the not-quite 1000-year-old company in the running as one of the oldest companies ever. It was founded in 1074 by Benedictine monks and is still brewed using that original recipe, even since Heineken bought them in 2000.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. Heineken [`haınık ə n] (Heineken International) – a Dutch brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. As of 2007, Heineken owns over 119 breweries in more than 65 countries and employs approximately 54,004 people.

2. to retain – зберігати; утримувати; підтримувати;

3. running – робочий стан; ведення (справи тощо);

4. not-quite – майже; не повністю; не цілком;

5. Benedictine monk [ֽbenı`dıktın mAŋk] – чернець-бенедиктинець;

6. recipe [`resəpi] – рецепт.

7. Aberdeen Harbour[ֽæbə`di:n `hα:bə], the principal harbour in northern Scotland, has been in operation since 1136. It hasn’t always been so successful, though – with a gravel bar at its entrance, it actually deterred trade in the region for years. Major renovations have taken place since 1773, though, and today it continues to help trade thrive instead of hindering it (which, you know, is the whole point of a harbour).

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. gravel bar [`græv^əl bα:] – нанос (намул) гравію;

2. to deter [dı`tə:] – зупиняти; стримувати, утримувати;

3. renovation [ֽrenə u `veı∫^ən] – відбудова; ремонт; поновлення;

4. to thrive [θraıv] – процвітати; мати успіх; буйно розростатися;

5. hindering [`hınd ə rıŋ] – перешкоджання; чинення перепон.

8. Michael Scott would be delighted to know that a paper company has been in business since 1288, although it’s not Dunder Mifflin. It’s called Stora Enso and the company actually started out mining copper, not pressing paper from pulp. In fact, it didn’t end up diversifying into paper until the end of the 19th century. Stora finally ceased the copper mining business in 1992 and merged with Enso in 1998 to become the world’s second-largest pulp and paper manufacturer (in terms of production, anyway – in terms of revenue it’s only fifth).

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. Michael Scott (Michael Gary Scott) – a fictional character on NBC’s The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell. Michael, the central character of the series, is currently the co-manager of the Scranton branch of paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin. In the fifth season, Michael Scott briefly left his position to start his own company, The Michael Scott Paper Company.

2. Dunder Mifflin (Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc.) – a fictional paper sales company featured in the United States television series The Office. It supposedly trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DMI.

3. to start out – амер. починати; розпочинати професійну діяльність;

4. to mine copper [ֽmaın `kOpə] – видобувати мідь;

5. pulp [pAlp] – целюлоза; деревна маса;

6. to cease [si:s] business – припиняти бізнес;

7. to merge (with) [mə:G] – зливатися; об’єднуватися;

8. pulp and paper – целюлозно-паперовий;

9. revenue [`revənju:] – річний дохід (особл. державний).

9. Another brewery. Augustiner Brewery of Munich[O:`gAstınə `bru: əri əv `mju:nık], Germany, dates all the way back to 1328. It was probably earlier, but as with the Weihenstephan Brewery, we only have proof dating from 1328. Also like Weihenstephan, the monastery-operated brewery fell under Napoleon’s reforms during 1803 and was only allowed to be sold within the monastery walls. When the state took it over, the monks protested by walking out. In 1829, the brewery was bought by a private owner and remained more or less unchanged until World War II, when it suffered a lot of damage during the war. But not even heavy artillery can keep a good brewery down, and today it’s still brewing brands which some people would drink just for the name – Augustiner Helles, Edelstoff, Oktoberfestbier and Augustiner Dunkles.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. to walk out – бастувати; виходити; демонстративно залишити (залу тощо);

2. to keep smth. down – затримувати зростання; заважати розвитку;

10. The Kremnica Mint in Slovakia first started producing florins and ducats in 1328, when Hungarian King Charles Robert of Anjou decided that Kremnica would be a free royal town that would operate a mint. Kremnica ducats became somewhat famous, producing coins of such quality that they were known as the hardest currency in Central Europe. During World War II, German soldiers blew up the Mint’s equipment, but dedicated workers rallied to bring the machinery and building back up to par.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. florin [`flOrın] / [`flO:rın] – флорин (монета в різних країнах); золота монета = 8 шилінгам 6 пенсам; була в обігу в 14 столітті;

2. ducat [`dAkət] – дукат (старовинна золота монета);

3. Charles Robert of Anjou [ֽα:n`ჳu:] / [ֽα:n` d ჳu:] (Charles I, also known as Charles Robert, Charles Robert of Anjou, and Charles Robert of Anjou-Hungary) – reigned as King of Hungary (1308-1342). Charles carried out numerous important political and economical reforms, for example he introduced new coins with a consistently high purity of gold.

4. Kremnica (German: Kremnitz, Hungarian: Körmöcbánya) – a town in central Slovakia. It has some 5,700 inhabitants. Kremnica was among the major mining towns of the world during the Middle Ages and in Modern Times due to the abundant gold ore deposits in the Kremnica Mountains. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mint in the world.

5. a mint [mınt] – монетний двір;

6. to blow up – висаджувати в повітря;

7. dedicated – відданий;

8. to rally [`ræli] – знову збирати(ся) (для спільних зусиль); відновлювати боротьбу після поразки;

9. to bring up to par [pα:] / [pα:r] – привести у належний (початковий) стан;

Task 8. a) Which company in list A is described in list B?

List A 1. Hōshi 2. Stora Enso 3. the Kremnica Mint 4. Aberdeen Harbour 5. Stiftskeller St. Peter 6. Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd 7. the Wieliczka Salt Mine 8. Augustiner Brewery of Munich 9. Affligem Abbey brewery of Belgium 10. the Weihenstephan Brewery of Bavaria

List B a)a Bavarian brewery; b)a famous Slovakian mint; c)a traditional Japanese inn; d)a Japanese construction company; e)an Austrian restaurant and wine cellar; f)the principal harbour in northern Scotland; g)a Finnish-Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer; h)a not-quite 1000-year-old brewery company in Belgium; i)a popular tourist spot in Poland that once was a salt mine; j)once a monastery-operated brewery in Munich which is still brewing popular brands;

b) Which of the above companies was founded in …

_____ 578 A.D.;	_____ 1040;	_____ 1136;
_____ 718 A.D.;	_____ 1044;	_____ 1288;
_____ 803 A.D.;	_____ 1074;	_____ 1328?

Task 9. Give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words.

1.to fold;	14.to merge with;	27.to be rumoured to;
2.to rally;	15.to be owned by;	28.to feed the masses;
3.to end up;	16.to be way down;	29.to help trade thrive;
4.to survive;	17.to be attached to;	30.to retain one’s name;
5.to blow up;	18.to be in business;	31.to fall under reforms;
6.to start out;	19.to be licensed by;	32.to pass through doors;
7.to take over;	20.to be founded by;	33.to lie within the walls;
8.to date back;	21.to suffer damage;	34.to popular tourist spot;
9.to be in debt;	22.to cease business;	35.to start going downhill;
10.to deter trade;	23.to be in operation;	36.to bring back up to par;
11.to press paper;	24.to be absorbed by;	37.to become somewhat famous;
12.to get reviews;	25.to cause problems;	38.to see the end of one’s long run;
13.to mine copper;	26.to attract annually;	39.to keep a company in the running.

Task 10. Seek answers to the following questions.

1. When did things in Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd start going downhill? What were the problems caused by?

2. Were the company’s revenues way down by 2004?

3. By what year were the company’s revenues $343 million in debt?

4. When did this Japanese company see the end of its long run?

5. Did it end up being absorbed by another construction company?

6. Which company took over the “World’s Oldest Continuously Operating Company” title when Kongō Gumi Co. folded?

7. Since what time has this traditional Japanese inn been in operation?

8. Is Hōshi a family business?

9. For how many generations has it been in the same family so far?

10. What restaurant and wine cellar lies within the walls of St. Peter’s Archabbey in Salzburg, Vienna?

11. Since what time has it been feeding the masses?

12. What reviews does the redtaurant consistently get from the travelers who pass through its doors?

13. What pretty impressive travelers are rumored to have eaten at Stiftskeller St. Peter?

14. What Bavarian brewery was licensed by the city in 1040?

15. Was the Weihenstephan Brewery of Bavaria attached to the monastery?

16. What happened to the monastery in 1803? Did the brewery survive in the times of Napoleon?

17. What distinguishes Weihenstephan Brewery of Bavaria from other establishments of the kind?

18. What Polish salt mine has become a popular tourist spot?

19. Where is it located?

20. How many visitors does it attract annually? Are there famous people among its visitors?

21. Since what time has the Wieliczka Salt Mine been open?

22. Is it still producing salt?

23. Who was Affligem Abbey brewery of Belgium founded by?

24. What company is this brewery now owned by?

25. Did the brewery retain its name? Did it help to keep the not-quite 1000-year-old company in the running?

26. What is the principal harbour in northern Scotland?

27. Since what time has it been in operation? Has it always been successful?

28. Why did Aberdeen Harbour deter trade in the region for years?

29. Does it deter trade or help it thrive these days?

30. Is Michael Scott a television character?

31. Why would he be delighted to know that a paper company has been in business since 1288?

32. Has Dunder Mifflin or Stora Enso been in business since 1288?

33. Did Stora Enso start out pressing paper or mining copper?

34. When did Stora finally cease the copper mining business? When did it merge with Enso?

35. What year does Augustiner Brewery of Munich date back?

36. Did this monastery-operated brewery fall under Napoleon’s reforms during 1803?

37. What did the monks do when the state took over this monastery-operated brewery?

38. Did it suffer a lot of damage during World War II?

39. What are some of the brands brewed by Augustiner Brewery of Munich, which some people would drink just for the name?

40. Why did Kremnica ducats become somewhat famous?

41. Who blew up the Kremnica Mint’s equipment?

42. Who rallied to bring the machinery and building back up to par?

Task 11. Translate the following sayings. Choose one to comment on.

1. “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.” (Mary Kay Ash)

2. “Band for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” (Jeff Bezos)

3. “Today, many companies are reporting that their number one constraint on growth is the inability to hire workers with the necessary skills.” (Bill Clinton)

4. “If we only have great companies, we will merely have a prosperous society, not a great one. Economic growth and power are the means, not the definition, of a great nation. (Jim Collins)

5. “Small and mid-sized companies in this country historically have been responsible for creating the overwhelming majority of new jobs in the private sector. One of the most-common misconceptions about our private enterprise system is that large companies, such as the Fortune 500, are integral to the process of job creation in this country. The truth is quite the opposite.” (Michael Milken)

6. “The future of our country is not found in our boardrooms, but in our classrooms.” (Michael Milken)

7. “Successful enterprises are usually led by a proven chief executive who is a competent benevolent dictator.” (Richard Pratt)

8. “Globalization has gone wrong, as it has no rules. Multinationals are almost above the law. They are so huge they are bigger than governments. ” (Dick Smith)

9. “If we are not careful, capitalism will self-destruct. We will destroy it as the companies have no conscience and do not really compete. They are so big they can’t go broke, so they simply acquire everything.” (Dick Smith)

10. “The fact of the matter is that today, stuff-selling mega-corporations have a huge influence on our daily lives. And because of the competitive nature of our global economy, these corporations are generally only concerned with one thing… the bottom line. That is, maximizing profit, regardless of the social or environmental costs.” (David Suzuki)

Task 12. Say what you know about …

1. Subsidiaries and groups of companies.

2. Some of the oldest companies and their present-day activities.