How it started
Foundation and early years (1834–1945)
Established in 1876, Ayala y Compañía traces its origins to Casa Róxas, a partnership founded in 1834 by Domíngo Ureta Róxas and Antonio de Ayala. The enterprise began with Ayala Distillery (originally Destileria y Licoreria de Ayala y Compañía) the producer of Ginebra San Miguel. The distillery was later acquired by Carlos T. Palanca-owned La Tondeña, Inc. in 1929.
In 1888, the company introduced the first tramcar service in the Philippines. The company participated in the construction of the Ayala Bridge over the Pasig River in Manila. Originally built of wood in 1872, the bridge was reconstructed in steel in 1908 to become the first steel bridge in the Philippines.
Post-war development and incorporation
Under the leadership of Colonel Joseph Ralph McMicking - who was married to Mercedes Roxas Zobel-McMicking the company was also responsible for the urban development of Makati after World War II.
Ayala y Compañía shifted from a partnership to a corporation with the establishment of Ayala Corporation in 1968. It welcomed the minority investment of Mitsubishi Corporation as its strategic partner in 1973 -1974. The Ayala Corporation later became a public company in 1976.
From Wikipedia’s article on Ayala Corporation, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3