The Oldest Family Businesses In The World

From wineries to traditional manufacturers, some family-run businesses continue to thrive for centuries – and in some cases for more than 1,000 years. The latest study from Payroll Prices uncovered the longest-running family business in every country around the world.

Despite the steep economic curve of the first months in business, around 82% of new firms survive past their twelve-month anniversary. However, by their tenth year, only around 35% of new businesses are still active — with the main reasons for closure being low sales, retirement and the sale of the business.

As these reasons suggest, the closure of a business is not always an “ending” but a transition. So in our age of technical and social progress, a “golden age of entrepreneurship” and new opportunities, it’s no surprise that businesses come and go.

But for those starting a business with the long view in mind, there is plenty of inspiration from family businesses that have lasted decades or even centuries. To that end, Payroll Prices has conducted manual research to find the oldest family business that is still operating in every country around the world.

Key Findings

• The world’s oldest existing family business is Hōshi Ryokan, a hotel and spa in Japan founded in 718 AD.

• The oldest existing business in the U.S. is Avedis Zildjian Co., a drum equipment company established in Constantinople in 1623 and relocated to the U.S. in 1929.

• The UK’s oldest business is RJ Balson & Son (1515), a butcher shop that opened during the reign of King Henry VIII.

After manually reviewing news reports in each country’s native language, the team identified the oldest existing family businesses in 125 countries, where the founding family still retains or has regained majority ownership.

Here is a graphic that shows the oldest family business in each country:

The world’s oldest family business still operating is Hōshi Ryokan, a hotel and spa in Komatsu, Japan’s Hokuriku region. The original hotelier, Zengoro, established Hōshi Ryokan at the natural hot springs of Awazu Onsen in 718 AD as “a proper hot spring inn to soothe both the body and mind.” Embedded in nature and attuned to the changing seasons, Hōshi Ryokan has catered to timeless needs and pleasures for over 1,300 years.

The second-oldest is the Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli, the Marinelli Bell Foundry, in Italy. Now run by the 26th and 27th generations of founders, the business was started in the year 1000.

“It’s a job that dates back to the Middle Ages,” Pasquale Marinelli told Great Big Story. “And today we continue to work in the way they used to in the Middle Ages… It’s an art you carry within yourself and must pass on to those who come after you.”

17th-century drum cymbal maker is North America’s oldest family business

North America’s oldest family business is based in the U.S. — although it was established in Constantinople, the city now known as Istanbul in modern-day Turkey, in 1623.

The firm’s story began when 17th-century alchemist Avedis Zildjian was trying to fabricate gold but accidentally invented a “secret alloy” that proved perfect for drum cymbals. His family became cymbal smiths and the Avedis Zildjian Co. was born.

By 1929, the only living family heir was already living in the U.S., so the company was moved to Quincy, Massachusetts, right in time to cater to the drumming needs of the Jazz Age. Avedis Zildjian Co. continues to manufacture and sell drum instruments and accessories to this day.

How To Build A Family Business That Lasts

Establishing or taking the reins of your family business can be a highly rewarding way to earn a living, build something to be proud of and strengthen family bonds. However, it comes with risks, so it is worth considering the following tips if you’d like the business to last across generations.

• Create a shared long-term vision. For full emotional and professional investment from your family partners, it is important to give them a creative stake in the business.
  

• Draw clear boundaries. Approach family, ownership and management as separate aspects of the business. Establish a family council to ringfence family interests and ensure that crossovers between the three aspects are planned and intentional.
  

• Be professional from the start. It’s easy to slip into bad habits when starting out, particularly when business meetings and family mealtimes are one and the same. Set policies, keep records, and evaluate skill sets: customers and other businesses will take you more seriously if you take your business seriously.
  

• Make a succession plan. One day, it will be time to step down, and it’s never too soon to start talking about and planning how to do so. Consider the transfer of assets and roles, and ensure the succeeding generation is trained and prepared as part of a comprehensive continuity plan.

In a few generations’ time, it could be your company that is celebrated as a healthy and longstanding family business.

Methodology

To discover the oldest family-owned business in every country, the team at Payroll Prices manually researched news reports in each nation’s native language.

They required that the companies are currently operating and the founding family still retains the majority of the ownership. They allowed for companies to have switched ownership along their history if they are currently the property of the founding family.

About Payroll Prices

Payroll Prices aims to help businesses simplify payroll solutions and find reliable, cost-effective payroll services. The platform connects business owners with trusted providers, offering unbiased comparisons tailored to each company’s needs and budget.

In addition, the Payroll Prices team also produces original research to complement its Payroll & HR resources and provide broader business insights.

About NeoMam Studios

Founded in 2011 in the UK, NeoMam Studios is a creative studio on a mission to create

digital content that online audiences will want to share for months and years to come. NeoMam was commissioned by Payroll Prices to produce and promote this project on their behalf.

Data is correct as of October 2025.