Less than one-fifth of company startups survive over the long term. A few, on the other hand, have lasted for a long time, showing robust longevity. However, the number of businesses that survive for a prolonged period of time is quite limited. The average company lasts for 21 years.
James Dooley (Searcharoo) has explained to Digital Journal about the oldest companies still operating today. How have these companies weathered the storms that have brought down many others? Does the answer fall in specific economic sectors? What about countries? (what is so special about Japan?)
The answers may not be immediate, yet there are some interesting data points to be drawn from pinpointing the great survivors.
The ten oldest functional companies are:
| Company | Country | Year Founded (C.E.) | Age (In Years) |
| Kongō Gumi | Japan | 578 | 1446 |
| Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan | Japan | 705 | 1319 |
| Koman | Japan | 707 | 1317 |
| Hōshi Ryokan | Japan | 718 | 1306 |
| Genda Shigyō | Japan | 771 | 1253 |
| Stiftskeller St. Peter | Austria | 803 | 1221 |
| Staffelter Hoff | Germany | 862 | 1162 |
| Monnaie De Paris | France | 864 | 1160 |
| Tanka-Iga | Japan | 885 | 1139 |
| The Royal Mint | UK | 886 | 1138 |
The oldest on the list is Kongō Gumi.
The construction company, Kongō Gumi was founded in 578. Its first project was building the Shitennō-ji temple, which still stands today and is one of Osaka’s most important Buddhist temples.
The company was also involved in constructing the Osaka Castle. Kongō Gumi focuses mainly on building and maintaining shrines, temples, and cultural heritage buildings.
Second is Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this hotel is the oldest in the world. Located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan Hotel is a hot spring hotel nestled in the foothills of the mountains, around a 3-hour drive from central Tokyo. The hotel is now 1,319 years old and as popular as ever. Until 2017, the hotel was continuously operated, across 52 generations, by one family.
In third place is Koman, which is a traditional Japanese inn. Private rooms are constructed of tatami-matted floors, and there are communal areas for guests to sit and talk, as well as communal baths.
With some of the others:
- Stiftskeller St. Petera is a restaurant located within the walls of St Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg.
- Staffelter Hoff is a family-run guest house is also a winery and distillery and has been based in the small German town of Kröv since the year 862.
- The Royal Mint is responsible for producing all legal coins for the United Kingdom and, as such, is wholly owned by the UK government.
Historically, businesses handed down within the family from generation to generation survive longer.
