Archer-Daniels-Midland Company
Company History
ADM History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1902 in Minneapolis, United States
When was ADM founded?
ADM was founded in 1902 in Minneapolis, United States by John W. Daniels and George A. Archer, making it 124 years old.
- Founded
- 1902
- Founding place
- Minneapolis, United States
- Founders
- John W. Daniels and George A. Archer
- Headquarters today
- Chicago, Illinois
- Milestones documented
- 14 (1902–2026)
- Current CEO
- Juan R. Luciano
- Acquisitions
- 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1902 | Daniels Linseed Company Founded |
| 1903 | George Archer Joins |
| 1905 | Archer Daniels Linseed Company Named |
| 1923 | Archer Daniels Midland Formed |
| 1924 | NYSE Trading Begins |
| 1996 | Antitrust Guilty Plea |
| 2006 | Patricia Woertz Becomes CEO |
| 2014 | Chicago Headquarters Opens |
| 2014 | WILD Flavors Acquired |
| 2015 | Juan Luciano Becomes CEO |
| 2019 | Neovia Acquired |
| 2021 | Sojaprotein Acquired |
| 2024 | Segment Reporting Restated |
| 2026 | SEC Settlement Announced |
- Where was ADM founded?
- ADM was founded in Minneapolis, United States in 1902. wikidata.org
- Who founded ADM?
- ADM was founded by John W. Daniels and George A. Archer.
- When did ADM start?
- ADM was founded in 1902.
- How old is ADM?
- ADM is 124 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
John W. Daniels formed Daniels Linseed Company in Minneapolis in 1902 to produce linseed oil. George A. Archer joined in 1903, the business became Archer Daniels Linseed Company in 1905, and a 1923 merger with Midland Linseed Products Company created Archer Daniels Midland Company.
Founders
John W. Daniels
ADM's official history identifies Daniels' 1902 company as the starting point of the business. George A. Archer joined in 1903, and the company adopted the Archer Daniels Linseed name in 1905. John W. Daniels was born in 1857 in Piqua. Daniels was born on February 23, 1857 and died on June 8, 1931. He served as chairman of Archer Daniels Midland.
George A. Archer
Archer joined one year after Daniels formed the company. His name was added when the business became Archer Daniels Linseed Company in 1905, before the 1923 Midland merger created Archer Daniels Midland. George A. Archer was born in 1850 in Dayton. Archer was born about 1850 and died on November 12, 1932. He served as chief executive and chairman of Archer Daniels Midland.
Key Milestones
Daniels Linseed Company Founded
John W. Daniels formed Daniels Linseed Company in Minneapolis to produce linseed oil.
Source: investors.adm.comGeorge Archer Joins
George A. Archer joined Daniels' company one year after it was formed.
Source: investors.adm.comArcher Daniels Linseed Company Named
The business changed its name to Archer Daniels Linseed Company.
Source: investors.adm.comArcher Daniels Midland Formed
A merger with Midland Linseed Products Company created Archer Daniels Midland Company.
Source: investors.adm.comNYSE Trading Begins
ADM began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on December 24, 1924.
Source: investors.adm.comAntitrust Guilty Plea
ADM pleaded guilty in lysine and citric acid price-fixing cases and agreed to a $100 million criminal fine.
Source: justice.govPatricia Woertz Becomes CEO
Patricia A. Woertz succeeded G. Allen Andreas as president and chief executive officer in April 2006.
Source: adm.comChicago Headquarters Opens
ADM opened its global headquarters and customer center in downtown Chicago on August 25, 2014.
Source: adm.comWILD Flavors Acquired
ADM completed its acquisition of WILD Flavors, adding natural flavors and specialty ingredients.
Source: investors.adm.comJuan Luciano Becomes CEO
Juan R. Luciano became ADM's ninth chief executive officer on January 1, 2015.
Source: adm.comNeovia Acquired
ADM completed its ~$1.74 billion (EUR 1.544 billion) acquisition of animal nutrition company Neovia.
Source: adm.comSojaprotein Acquired
ADM completed its acquisition of Serbia-based non-GMO soy ingredient producer Sojaprotein.
Source: investors.adm.comSegment Reporting Restated
ADM restated its 2023 Form 10-K and first- and second-quarter 2024 reports to correct historical segment-reporting errors.
Source: investors.adm.comSEC Settlement Announced
ADM agreed to pay a $40 million civil penalty to settle SEC accounting and disclosure charges without admitting or denying the findings.
Source: sec.govMajor Acquisitions
WILD Flavors GmbH
2014Add natural flavor systems, extracts and specialty food and beverage ingredients; ADM announced EUR 2.3 billion enterprise value, about $3 billion at announcement.
Neovia
2019Expand ADM's animal nutrition portfolio and geographic reach; ADM reported a ~$1.74 billion (EUR 1.544 billion) purchase price, while a verified transaction-date USD amount was not disclosed in the opened source.
Sojaprotein
2021Expand ADM's European supply of locally sourced, non-GMO soy protein ingredients for food, pet food and animal feed customers; terms were not disclosed.
Revela Foods
2024Add Wisconsin-based dairy flavor ingredients and solutions to ADM's flavor portfolio; terms were not disclosed.
PT Trouw Nutrition Indonesia
2024Expand functional and nutritional solutions for livestock customers in Indonesia; terms were not disclosed.
Keep researching ADM
ADM Company History FAQ
What are the defining historical milestones for ADM?
Key milestones include the 1902 founding as Daniels Linseed, 1923 incorporation of ADM, 1929 entry into soy processing, 1965 invention of TVP, 1970s commercialization of high-fructose corn syrup, 2014 $3B WILD Flavors acquisition, and 2024 50-year Dividend Aristocrat milestone.
How did ADM pioneer the commercialization of High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in the 1970s?
Under then-CEO Dwayne Andreas in the 1970s, ADM scaled corn wet milling technology to mass-produce HFCS, which major beverage leaders (Coca-Cola, PepsiCo) adopted as the primary sweetener for soft drinks.
What role did ADM play in the development of the American ethanol fuel industry?
In the late 1970s and 1980s, ADM pioneered commercial fuel ethanol production from corn starch, building large distillation infrastructure that supplied clean-burning renewable oxygenates to the U.S. motor fuel market.
How did ADM establish commercial trade with China and the Soviet Union during the Cold War?
Dwayne Andreas leveraged personal diplomatic relationships with leaders including Mikhail Gorbachev to negotiate historic bulk grain and soy export agreements, opening Soviet and Chinese markets to American agribusiness.
Why did ADM relocate its corporate headquarters to Chicago in 2014?
In 2014, ADM moved its global corporate headquarters from Decatur to Chicago, Illinois, to provide closer proximity to international airport hubs, global financial markets, and executive technology talent.
When did ADM complete its carbon capture and sequestration project in Decatur?
In 2017, ADM partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy to launch the Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage project, capturing biogenic CO2 from corn processing and injecting it thousands of feet underground into Mount Simon sandstone.
How did ADM support global food security during the 2022 Ukraine-Russia conflict?
Following Black Sea grain corridor disruptions in 2022, ADM rerouted millions of tons of wheat, corn, and sunflower meal from alternative production hubs in North and South America to prevent severe food shortages in the Middle East and Africa.
What is ADM's strategic roadmap for agricultural innovation in 2026 and beyond?
ADM is expanding precision fermentation, accelerating low-carbon agricultural supply chains, scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks, and delivering specialized functional nutrition for health-conscious global consumers.
When was ADM founded?
The company was founded in 1902 by George A. Archer and John W. Daniels as a linseed crushing business in Minneapolis.
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