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Cargill, Incorporated
Cargill is a giant private company that buys, moves, and processes farm goods like grain, meat, and cocoa, and also makes ingredients and animal feed for customers worldwide.
Cargill is one of the world's largest private companies, and it sits quietly in the middle of the global food system. It buys crops from farmers, moves them across oceans, and turns them into things other businesses need: animal feed, cooking oils, starches, sweeteners, and proteins. If you eat bread, chocolate, or chicken, there's a decent chance Cargill touched part of it before it reached you.
The company works in several broad areas. Its biggest engine is trading and processing grain and oilseeds — buying corn, wheat, and soybeans, shipping them, and crushing them into oil and meal. It also runs a large animal-nutrition business making feed, a meat and poultry operation supplying beef, turkey, and cooked proteins to restaurants and food companies, and a ingredients arm that sells cocoa, salt, and specialty food components to manufacturers. It even has a sizable metals trading desk and a financial arm that handles risk for farmers and food producers. Here's the basic problem Cargill solves. A farmer in Brazil grows soybeans, a food company in Europe needs oil, and both face wild price swings and a long supply chain. Cargill owns ships, silos, crushing plants, and trading desks, so it can buy when supply is plentiful, store and move the goods, and sell when buyers need them — pocketing a spread along the way. It also sells farmers advice and risk tools, and helps food companies lock in prices. Customers choose Cargill because it can handle scale and complexity that few others can.
Cargill is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it has stayed private since its founding in 1865 by the Cargill and MacMillan families, who still control it. That privacy lets it think in decades rather than quarters. It has used its cash to buy businesses — including a big push into animal nutrition and a planned acquisition of a major feed company — and to invest in plant-based proteins and sustainable supply chains. The business is exposed to the same thing that makes it powerful: price swings and global trade tension can whipsaw its trading profits, and a serious disease outbreak or export ban can hurt demand. Still, few companies are as deeply woven into how the world eats.
Saved answer · last researched 2 Nov 2026
BIG PICTURE
Cargill holds 7.3% of the specialty oilseed market, trailing Wilmar's 9.2%
- 9.2% Wilmar International
- 7.3% Cargill
- 83.5% Others
Specialty oilseeds cover the fats and oils used in candy, baked goods and frying. Wilmar International led this market in 2025 with 9.2%, and Cargill followed at 7.3%. The rest of the market is split among many smaller players, so no single company runs the show. Cargill is pushing into higher-value specialty fats, including an expanded plant in Malaysia, to win more of this business. Source: Global Market Insights, data from 2025
Timeline
W. W. Cargill Buys a Grain House
In 1865, William Wallace Cargill left his family home in Wisconsin and bought his first grain flat house in Conover, Iowa. His younger brothers Sam and Sylvester joined him, and together they expanded the business. Their simple idea was to pair new storage capabilities with the emerging railroads, which let them move grain from where it was grown to where it was needed. That made them a connector across the global supply chain, and it planted the seeds for everything Cargill became.
John MacMillan Sr. Takes Over
When founder W. W. Cargill died in 1909, John MacMillan, Sr. took over a company in jeopardy. The financial fallout of W. W.'s death, plus years of not-always-profitable expansion into timberlands, mining, ranching and railroads, had put the business at risk. John worked to reassure creditors and dissolved much of its non-grain trading business. The crisis tested Cargill's resiliency, and the company passed.
Cargill, Incorporated Is Formed
In 1930, Cargill merged various businesses and incorporated under its present name, Cargill, Incorporated. The company expanded globally, opening new offices in Canada, the Netherlands and Argentina. That same year, John H. MacMillan, Sr. stepped down due to health issues, and his son John H. MacMillan, Jr. assumed the presidency.
Cargill Buys Nutrena Mills
After World War II, in 1945, Cargill bought Nutrena Mills, a company specializing in scientifically blended animal feeds. Nutrena's marketing knack with catchy jingles and fun packaging inspired Cargill. The move marked Cargill's entry into the animal feed business and its post-war diversification.
First Non-Family President
Following the death of John MacMillan, Jr. in 1960, the family owners looked outside the family for company leadership. They committed to promoting the best management to the top, and Erwin Kelm became the first non-family-member president in the company's history. By bringing in fresh perspectives, Cargill coupled deep experience with leading expertise.
Cargill Acquires Akzo Salt
In 1997, Cargill acquired Akzo Salt, making it one of the largest salt production and marketing companies in the world. The deal deepened Cargill's position in a business it had entered decades earlier by barging salt up the Mississippi River.
Continental Grain Trading Deal
In 1999, Cargill acquired Continental Grain's commodity trading business. The transaction included Continental's grain storage, transportation, export and trading operations across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Cargill Earnings Pass a Billion
In 2003, Cargill's earnings surpassed US$1 billion for the first time. Its global giving exceeded US$22 million, and the company established major partnerships addressing global hunger.
Truvia Sweetener Launches
In 2008, Cargill launched Truvia, a stevia-based natural zero-calorie sweetener. The product responded to evolving consumer preferences and expanded Cargill into branded, health-oriented food ingredients.
Brian Sikes Named CEO
In 2023, Brian Sikes, a Cargill veteran with deep global experience and a focus on people, customers and growth strategies, was named the 10th CEO in Cargill's history.
Cargill Realigns into Three Enterprises
In 2024, Cargill realigned the company into three new business enterprises: Food, Ag & Trading and Specialized Portfolio. The restructuring simplified the company from 23 business groups to 14, reducing complexity and moving decision-making closer to customers.
Revenue Rises to $164 Billion
In 2026, Cargill reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $164 billion, up from $154 billion in 2025. The company is reshaping its portfolio through acquisitions including Brazil animal nutrition firm Mig-Plus and full ownership of Australian beef processor Teys. Cargill invests in AI and digital capabilities while expanding processing capacity in Canada, China, France, Austria and India.