How it started
History
The company remodeled itself from a small department store network of 4 locations prior to 1983, in which year Cargills opened the first Food City supermarket in Colombo. In the years that followed, Cargills ventured into the FMCG and quick service restaurant space, successfully establishing itself as a leading player in each of the sectors.
The beginnings
In 1844 British businessman William Milne started Milne & Company, general warehousemen, importers of oilman stores etc, with branches in Kandy and Galle. In 1850 Milne was joined by his friend, David Sime Cargill, and the firm became Milne, Cargill & Co. In 1860, Milne retired from business in Ceylon and moved back to Scotland to form a company in Glasgow to look after the business of Cargill & Co. in the UK. Cargill became the sole partner until he was joined by David MacKenzie and the name was changed to Cargill & Co. The company had a Colombo office at the intersection of Price and York Streets in Colombo Fort, a Kandy office at Upper Lake Road and an office in Galle Fort at 22 Pedlar Street. The Galle office was closed down in 1863.
In 1890 the business expanded with the purchase of Medical Hall, a chemist and druggist company. Cargills also established another company, Sime & Co., which sold lower quality goods. In 1896 Cargill & Co. was converted into a limited liability company registered in Glasgow. Two years later, the company bought James McLaren & Co.’s business in Nuwara Eliya, establishing a branch there.
The Cargills building at York Street, Colombo
From Wikipedia’s article on Cargills Ceylon PLC, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2