Made in the US, Not Really

The international nature of the following companies might surprise you...

Ben & Jerry's

9 Years ago the image of happy Vermont cows faded. The company was sold to Dutch-British conglomerate Unilever for $326 million. The sale put it in the hands of the world's largest ice cream manufacturer, right beside other formerly American ice cream icons Good Humor and Breyers.

Gerber Baby Food

In 1927, Dorothy Gerber had a brilliant idea: Mass-produce the baby food that women mashed, pulped and strained in their kitchens. In 1994, Sandoz, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, bought Gerber for about $3.7 billion. The merger of Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy in 1996 created Novartis (NVS), a drug company without a place for baby food. Gerber finally got a new home in 2007, when Swiss conglomerate Nestlé (NSRGY) bought the division from Novartis for $5.5 billion.

Rawlings

The sporting goods maker was founded in St. Louis in 1887 by brothers George and Alfred Rawlings. Baseball is as American as apple pie. But baseballs themselves -- the actual leather-covered spheres hurled in the major leagues -- are only as Americanas gallo pinto, the national dish of Costa Rica, where Rawlings balls have been made since 1986.

Trader Joe's

The first Trader Joe's opened its doors in 1967 in suburban Los Angeles, and today it has more than 300 locations in the United States. So it may be a surprise to know that Trader Joe's is actually German: Since 1979, Trader Joe's has been owned by German billionaire Theo Albrecht. The grocery chain has experienced massive growth in recent years, with sales expected to hit $7.2 billion this year by one estimate, three times what they were five years ago.

Levi's

Nearly a century ago Levi's invented the modern bluejeans, hand-stitching each pair in San Francisco. Levi's has since responded to the global marketplace by opening more than 50 plants and offices in 35 countries. Today it sells its products in 60,000 retail outlets around the world and derives nearly half its revenue from operations in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

From: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/made-in-america-no-longer.aspx