46. OmniVision Technologies Inc
Original Headquarters: Santa Clara, CA
Purchased By: Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd.
Country: China
The deal brokered between OmniVision Technologies Inc. and Shanghai-based company Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd was so quiet that it didn’t become public knowledge until a year later in 2019. According to documents published in April of that year, over $2.1 billion exchanged hands.
With little to no fanfare and no public statement released, the details of the sale remain unclear. However, the company first became involved with Chinese investors in 2015 when several chinese companies banded together to pay $1.9 billion for the California-based business. Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd is not a well-known company by any means, making the takeover somewhat of a mystery.
47. Baby Trend Inc
Original Headquarters: Fontana, CA
Purchased By: Alpha Group
Country: China
Baby Trend Inc specializes in all things baby, from highchairs and car seats to travel systems and diaper pails. The business continues to grow, especially after the 2016 purchase made by Canton’s Alpha Group.
“We are excited to offer safe, educational, and entertaining solutions to infants and their caregivers around the world,” said Wang Jing, the VP of Alpha. “Acquiring Baby Trend will allow us to bring our innovative technology and outstanding intellectual properties into a whole new category, while showcasing our existing expertise in the baby and infant market globally.”
48. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Original Headquarters: Houston, TX
Purchased By: Concord Medical Services
Country: China
Back in 2012, many eyebrows were raised when 20% of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Proton Therapy Center was acquired by Beijing-based company Concord Medical services. Although the purchase didn’t directly affect the University’s ownership stakes, it did boost Concord’s profile.
“Proton treatment has become a widely accepted method of radiation therapy,” said Dr. Jianyu Yang, Concord Medical chairman and CEO. “Concord Medical plans to build and operate two proton centers in China. This transaction will enable us to gain valuable experience and knowledge of the operations of a proton therapy center from the world leader in proton therapy cancer care.”
49. Hilton Hotels
Original Headquarters: McLean, VA
Purchased By: HNA Group Co Ltd
Country: China
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been operating since 1919 thanks to founder Conrad “Nicky” Hilton. From a handful of simple locations, Hilton became a worldwide name with 586 hotels in 85 countries by 2018. Hilton’s are everywhere.
In 2016, China’s aviation and shipping titan HNA Group paid $6.5 billion for a 25% stake in the hospitality chain, becoming the biggest shareholder. This was the second purchase that year for HNA who also bought Carlson Hotels Inc. in a bid to spread its wings into the hotel industry. At the time of the purchase, Hilton was worth around $26 billion.
50. Starplex Cinemas
Original Headquarters: Dallas, TX
Purchased By: Dalian Wanda Group Corp Ltd
Country: China
Starplex never had the same power in the industry as AMC did, with only 34 locations across America. As a result, many Americans never set foot in a Starplex theater because there just weren’t any around. The chain was bought by AMC Theaters in 2015 for $175 million, with many locations turned into AMC Classics.
As we discussed earlier, AMC is largely controlled by the Dalian Wanda Group Corp Ltd. As Starplex faded into obscurity when the last of the theaters were changed over to AMC in 2017, the company was swallowed by AMC and Dalian to become another cog in the machine.
51. California Grapes International Inc
Original Headquarters: San Jose, CA
Purchased By: China Food Services Corp
Country: China
California Grapes International Inc was once a homegrown business, but that all changed when it was bought by China Food Services Corp. Once a company focused on distributing wine, California Grapes faded into obscurity after the purchase was made some years ago for an undisclosed amount.
China Food Services Corp describes itself as being “is engaged in marketing, distribution, and selling of food and beverages though-out Asia and the Middle East. It owns and operates Golden Dragon Food & Beverage Import & Export Company of Hong Kong, Ltd.” The company was founded in 1992.
52. Fisher Price
Original Headquarters: East Aurora, NY
Purchased By: Mattel
Country: China
Fisher-Price is a toy-making company that has been around since 1930. Though it has its headquarters in America, the company has a series of contracts with outside vendors. It has eleven factories in China. In 2007, Fisher-Price (via its parent company, Mattel, which bought Fisher-Price back in 1993) made headlines when it recalled one million of its toys, which were made in China.
The reason for the massive recall was that these factories had made the toys with excessive amounts of lead in them, something that can be dangerous to children, especially the young age groups that play with the company’s toys.
55. Barbie
Original Headquarters: Hawthorne, CA
Purchased By: Mattel
Country: China
Ruth Handler made the first Barbie in 1959, launching the famous doll brand. Barbies are still extremely popular, even sixty-one years later, and Mattel, Inc. (the company that owns Barbie) has reported strong sales of 58 million Barbies sold annually. That is over 100 dolls per minute. Mattel’s net revenue is around $1.5 billion a year.
Fun fact: Barbies have never been made in America. Mattel opened its first Barbie plant in 1959 in Japan, when the company was struggling to recover after WWII. Now, it has four factories: two are in China, and the others are in Malaysia and Indonesia.
57. Oakley Sunglasses
Headquarters Original: Lake Forest, CA
Purchased By: Italy
Country: China
Oakley was founded by entrepreneur James Jannard, who used an investment of $300 to start what would later become one of the most iconic sunglass fashion brands in the world. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica, a Milan-based company, but Oakley itself is based in Lake Forest, California.
The company was founded in 1975, and, twenty years later, it had its first IPO and raised $230 million. It expanded into selling chin guards and ski goggles, growing its product line. Its founder, after selling Oakley to Luxottica, went on to create the company, Red Digital Cinema, in 2007.
58. Converse
Headquarters in: Boston, MA
Purchased By: Nike
Country: China
Converse is a shoe company that makes hightop canvas shoes. The company was founded in 1908, but, when WWII occurred, it stopped making shoes for style and instead started making shoes for the military. When it returned, it kept some of those attributes for its new collections.
Converse has been owned by Nike since 2003. Nike has a lot of plants in China (and everywhere), so it makes sense that Converse does too. Converse went bankrupt in 2001, and that ended its American-made status, as well as its solo company status. Now, Converse has factories in Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and China.
"The World is a Corporation" (Network, 1976)
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