The Cargill family name identifies Cargill, the U.S. agricultural trading company founded by William Wallace Cargill in 1865.
Cargill began when William Wallace Cargill bought a grain storage facility in Conover, Iowa, after the American Civil War. The business expanded through grain handling, transportation, food ingredients, animal nutrition, and commodity trading.
The company is privately held rather than listed on a stock exchange. Ownership has traditionally been associated with descendants of the Cargill and MacMillan families, creating one of the world’s largest family-controlled businesses.
Cargill is often confused with Cargill’s food brands or with agricultural equipment manufacturers. Its operations cover a broad supply chain, from farm inputs and grain logistics to ingredients used by food producers.