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- America is the place where countless brands were born, but mergers and acquisitions over the years have transported several brands overseas.
- We compiled a list of the 16 most unexpected brands that actually aren’t US-based.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
America is the birthplace of a plethora of brands, but you might be surprised to learn that even some of the most popular brands stateside are actually based elsewhere.
Business can be volatile and fast moving, and mergers and acquisitions are part of the game. As a result, today several iconic brands common in American culture are now based elsewhere.
We took a look at some of the most surprising companies that are actually based overseas.
Take a look below:
American Apparel
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Current owner: Gildan Activewear, Canadian apparel company
Despite its name, American Apparel is no longer quite so American. Though the company was started in Los Angeles, a series of missteps — including controversial advertisements and multiple sexual assault allegations against founder Dov Charney — led to slumping sales that caused the company to file for bankruptcy in 2016.
After American Apparel had completely shuttered all its physical locations, the Canadian apparel manufacturer Gildan purchased the beleaguered brand for $88 million in October 2016. It subsequently relaunched the company online in 2017.
Good Humor
AP Images for Unilever
Current owner: Unilever, Dutch-British consumer goods company
Good Humor started in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1920 and by the middle of the century had become a mainstay of the ice cream market, inspiring the movie "The Good Humor Man" starring Jack Carson.
In 1961, Good Humor was acquired by Thomas J. Lipton, a US subsidiary of the Dutch-British consumer goods company Unilever. It has been owned by Unilever ever since.
Popsicle
Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images
Current owner: Unilever, Dutch-British consumer goods company
Popsicle was an accidental innovation created by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905, when he left a stick in a cup of soda before it froze. Originally referred to as the Epsicle, the name was changed to Popsicle and thus, the Popsicle Corporation was bon.
In 1925, Epperson sold the rights to Popsicle and in 1989, it was acquired by Good Humor, a subsidiary of Unilever.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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SEE ALSO: 11 American companies that are no longer American
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Bethany Biron)