Rollups are almost as old as modern commerce, with some early capitalists persuading their competitors to sell out. The trend reached a peak during the 19th century era of the
robber barons, when people like
Andrew Carnegie were consolidating heavy industry and
John D. Rockefeller was aggregating the oil industry.
James Buchanan Duke bought so many manufacturers that at one point he was controlling 80% of the
tobacco business in the US and a huge share of the international trade. These monopolistic attempts concerned authorities and led to a series of anti-trust laws and measures in the early 20th century. Kraft Foods (now renamed
Mondelēz International), created in 1923, was an important rollup in the food industry.
Waste Management was the most notable rollup during the 1970s and 1980s. Waste Management's acquisition of 133 small-time haulers quickly became the largest waste disposal company in the US.
AutoNation was also a rollup effort in the car dealership space spearheaded by
Wayne Huizenga, founder of Waste Management. From 2008 to 2014,
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International acquired over 100 companies in a rollup. ==See also==