Brown-Forman history

Brown also became the first president of the National Liquor Dealers’ Association in 1894.

George Forman died in 1901, and Brown purchased his stock.

In 1904, Owsley Brown, George Garvin Brown's son, came into the business.

In 1905 Brown-Forman continued their packaging innovations by bottling Old Forester in pear-shaped bottles.

A reputation for Integrity: The Integrity Cup was presented to George Garvin Brown by the Citizens National Bank in 1911 for paying security debts from which he had long been released.

When George Garvin Brown died at the age of 70 in 1917, his son, Owsley, took over as president of Brown–Forman.

To prevent this from happening, Brown-Forman went public just prior to Prohibition (1920--33), but the Browns maintained control of the majority of shares.

1924 - Brown‑Forman moves its whiskey stocks and headquarters to Louisville's West End through the purchase of the G. Lee Redmon company and its warehouses; establishing the current site of our corporate headquarters.

1929 - Brown‑Forman was one of only a handful of companies given permission to distill whiskey to replenish depleting medicinal whiskey stocks.

He had joined Brown-Forman as an engineer in 1935 and advanced through the ranks.

By starting the aging in 1941, they could have Old Forester ready for sale immediately following the war.

In 1945 the management at Brown-Forman implemented an annual training course for ten to 20 selected individuals from outside the firm.

As the competition's bourbon would not be marketable until 1949, Brown-Forman could monopolize the bourbon market for the first four postwar years.

The brewery later became unprofitable, and Brown-Forman sold its interest in the company during the late 1960’s.

By 1962 scotch held nine percent of the liquor market, and the popularity of wine was increasing steadily.

In 1963, however, these smaller companies increased their sales by 70 percent while the larger companies did not increase their sales at all.

In 1964, in order to continue its expansion in the broader market for alcoholic beverages, Brown-Forman purchased all outstanding stock of the Oertel Brewing Co., a small Louisville brewery.

In 1966 Daniel L. Street was appointed president of Brown-Forman, the first time that a man outside the Brown family had been president of the company.

In 1967 he authorized a merger with Quality Importers, which provided Brown-Forman with a 'top scotch and good gin,' according to Street.

By 1968 sales had risen to $180 million as Brown-Forman continued to expand under the direction of Street.

Although Street effectively diversified Brown-Forman, William F. Lucas replaced him as president in 1969.

In December 1970 Schenley Industries, National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, and American Distilling Co. filed an injunction against Brown-Forman to bar introduction and further distribution of Brown-Forman's light whiskey called Frost 8/80.

For this reason, in 1971, Lucas contacted Lester Abdson and Oscar Getz who owned Barton Brands of Canada.

Under government restrictions light whiskey was not permitted to be marketed until July 1972.

By 1973, $6 million had been invested in Frost 8/80 without a profitable return.

In 1979, W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr., was appointed president of Brown-Forman.

Despite overall growth, the company experienced a setback with Southern Comfort in 1982; as competition increased, the share held by Southern Comfort in the market decreased.

After petitioning the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the company was granted permission to begin using the plastic bottle in 1983.

1984: The company's name is changed to Brown-Forman Corporation.

Nevertheless, the company's realignment did not exclude the rearrangement of other alcoholic products; Brown-Forman bought California Cooler Inc. in 1985 for $63 million, and sold Cella Italian Wines to Cosorzio Interprovinciale Vini, an Italian firm, at the end of the decade.

Brown-Forman purchased Denver’s Athalon Products Ltd., a manufacturer of travel and leisure products, in 1989, and supplemented its Lenox operations with the $70 million acquisition of premium giftware maker Dansk International Designs Ltd.

1991: Dansk International, maker of premium giftware, is acquired.

In August 1992, Brown-Forman acquired Fetzer Vineyards, an important producer of premium California wines, for about $80 million.

During this period, Brown-Forman also gained a presence in the hot super-premium vodka category through a 1996 agreement whereby it became the exclusive United States importer of the Finlandia brand.

1999: An 80 percent interest in Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards is acquired.

2000: A 45 percent stake in Finlandia Vodka Worldwide is acquired.

The building is projected to be ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2001.

Finlandia - Brown‑Forman completes the full acquisition of Finlandia Vodka in 2004.

Since then, it has grown into a company that in fiscal 2006 had sales of $2.4 billion.

2007 - Brown‑Forman elevates diversity & inclusion and appoints its first chief diversity officer.

2009 - Employee Resource Groups were first established at Brown‑Forman.

In October 2010, Brown-Forman Corporation received its first perfect score of 100 points on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

In 2011, the company sold Fetzer Vineyards and associated brands to Chilean wine producer Viña Concha y Toro S.A. for $238 million.

Brown-Forman confirms that it reached agreement in principle with the Asahi Group to distribute its brands in Japan as of January 1, 2013.

Brown-Forman Corporation’s CEO and Board Chairman receive the 2014 Family Enterprise Leadership award by Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Center for Family Enterprise.

In 2016, the Southern Comfort and Tuaca brands were sold to Sazerac Company for $543 Million.

2019 - Brown‑Forman re-enters the gin category with the purchase of Fords Gin.

2020 - Brown‑Forman expands its RTD business with the acquisition of Part Time Rangers from New Zealand.