The death of small businesses

POSTED BY: SignyM
UPDATED: Monday, August 10, 2026 21:52
VIEWED: 4646
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SIGNYM

Thursday, March 19, 2009 1:07 AM

Ben& Jerry's? Bought up by Unilever in 2000.

Burt's Bees? Yeah, there really was a beekeeper named Burt, but the company has since been sold to Chlorox in 2007.

Tom's of Maine? Used to be a small company and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Colgate-Plamolive.

Horizon Organic milk was bought out by the largest diary company in the U.S., Dean Foods Co., in 2005.

Odwalla? Now Coca-Cola (2001).

Naked Juice? How about PepsiCo? (2005)

It turns out that most of the "alternate" cereals are owned by Kellogs or General Mills. Dagoba Chocolate is owned by Hershey's.

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It's one big giant company. Pretty soon they'll all be owned by Bue Sun... er, I mean Walmart. At least, it's beginning to feel that way.

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/131910/burt%27s_bees%2C_tom%27s
_of_maine%2C_naked_juice%3A_your_favorite_brands_take_another_look_--_they_may_not_be_what_they_seem/?page=3

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It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

RUE

Thursday, March 19, 2009 1:27 AM

I guess the fake capitalists - the one who don't worship the bottom line - just couldn't hold out against the real ones.

I'm sure Geezer will have something to say about this. How upstart start-ups are the lifeblood of capitalism, how they prove that the biggest one doesn't always win. He told us Ben&Jerry's was - different. A beacon of light showing us all the true way of capitalism.

Yep. Apparently so.

***************************************************************

ADM

GEEZER

Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
I'm sure Geezer will have something to say about this. How upstart start-ups are the lifeblood of capitalism, how they prove that the biggest one doesn't always win. He told us Ben&Jerry's was - different. A beacon of light showing us all the true way of capitalism.

Yep. Apparently so.

Actualy, it is. The idea is to start a company that's so successful you can sell it for a mint, and then go do something else. If that doesn't happen, you may still have a company that provides you a good living.

But I keep forgetting, making a good living by being innovative or risking all your capital is evil. You shouldn't want to better yourself.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
I'm sure Geezer will have something to say about this. How upstart start-ups are the lifeblood of capitalism, how they prove that the biggest one doesn't always win. He told us Ben&Jerry's was - different. A beacon of light showing us all the true way of capitalism.

Yep. Apparently so.

Actualy, it is. The idea is to start a company that's so successful you can sell it for a mint, and then go do something else. If that doesn't happen, you may still have a company that provides you a good living.

But I keep forgetting, making a good living by being innovative or risking all your capital is evil. You shouldn't want to better yourself.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

I've always felt Luigino (Jeno) Paulucci was a decent success story - maybe not everybody thinks so.
I'd still consider Ben&Jerry to be sell-outs, but nice to see the liberals capitulate.

FREMDFIRMA

Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:00 AM

Oh don't even get me started on Hersheys...

Not after they started having a rough time and so many folks did everything in their power to save them since they were an american icon - and then in 2007 they went and started outsourcing to mexico, laying off many workers who'd bitten the bullet regarding wages and benefits to keep a unique american company up and running ?

Especially grating is that doin such a thing is just about pissing on the grave of Milton Hershey himself, who honestly and firmly believed that the company and community were parts of an integral whole - a form of corporate responsibility all but forgotten in the modern era.

Hershey can "kiss" my ass, pun intended.

-Frem
It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

SIGNYM

Thursday, March 19, 2009 1:28 PM

Quote:
Actualy, it is. The idea is to start a company that's so successful you can sell it for a mint

Hey Geezer, just so's you don't take that old argument out of context: The argument started over whether capitalism contains an inherent drive towards monopolism. It was Walmart versus the mom & pop, remember?

THANKS for proving my point for me!

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It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

RIPWASH

Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Quote:
Actualy, it is. The idea is to start a company that's so successful you can sell it for a mint
Hey Geezer, just so's you don't take that old argument out of context: The argument started over whether capitalism contains an inherent drive towards monopolism. It was Walmart versus the mom & pop, remember?

THANKS for proving my point for me!

---------------------------------
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

Ah yes . . . the "Big, Evil Wal-Mart" routine. It's not their fault that Americans want to buy things for less. Everybody wants a bargain. That's the way we operate. We all want a bigger bang for our buck. If Wal-mart provides that, then that's where the supermajority of American shoppers will go. So it's not really Wal-mart that's evil, but Americans in general.

I agree with Geezer (big surprise, I guess). The goal of many, many people who start a company is to MAKE money. Anyone who does this is, yes, taking advantage of Capitalism. Why is that such a horrible thing to some people? Sell out or not. If someone comes along and offers you a ton of money for your business and it doesn't go against your core principals, then why not take the money? There's a lot of good that can be done in those situations. Charitable donations, form a foundation to help others, etc.

Zoe: "Get it running again."
Mal: "Yeah"
Zoe: "So not running now"
Mal: "Not so much"
- Out of Gas

CITIZEN

Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RIPWash:
Ah yes . . . the "Big, Evil Wal-Mart" routine. It's not their fault that Americans want to buy things for less. Everybody wants a bargain. That's the way we operate. We all want a bigger bang for our buck. If Wal-mart provides that, then that's where the supermajority of American shoppers will go. So it's not really Wal-mart that's evil, but Americans in general.

Ah, so it wasn't Stalin who was evil, it was the Russian people who didn't stop him. Was Stalin just misunderstood?

I was reading in the paper today about this dwarf that got pickpocketed. How could anyone stoop so low?

RIPWASH

Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by citizen:
Quote:
Originally posted by RIPWash:
Ah yes . . . the "Big, Evil Wal-Mart" routine. It's not their fault that Americans want to buy things for less. Everybody wants a bargain. That's the way we operate. We all want a bigger bang for our buck. If Wal-mart provides that, then that's where the supermajority of American shoppers will go. So it's not really Wal-mart that's evil, but Americans in general.

Ah, so it wasn't Stalin who was evil, it was the Russian people who didn't stop him. Was Stalin just misunderstood?

I was reading in the paper today about this dwarf that got pickpocketed. How could anyone stoop so low?

Oh yeah . . . I forgot the whole "Stalin = Wal-mart" equation. But Stalin wasn't a Capitalist and the majority didn't want to buy what he had to offer. We have a CHOICE where to shop, not so much a government dictatorship which is FORCED upon you. So your point is moot.

Zoe: "Get it running again."
Mal: "Yeah"
Zoe: "So not running now"
Mal: "Not so much"
- Out of Gas

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RIPWash:
We have a CHOICE where to shop

LOL, You're funny, Rip.

The laughing Chrisisall

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