Unexpected Products Made by Some of the World’s Biggest Brands

Big brands aren't always what they seem. From Michelin's famed restaurant stars to electronics giants that started as noodle traders, some of the world's most recognizable companies quietly build products you'd never think of. Sometimes this comes simply from pivoting to a new market, and other times it happens when a company completely changes the whole paradigm. Either way, we'll take a closer look at companies that make products consumers would never even think they make.

To identify companies making products consumers would be surprised by, we reviewed various companies and market sources. We ordered these companies alphabetically. We included supplemental information about these companies regarding what they do, CEOs, market capitalization, and more.

Here is a look at some surprising products you didn't know these companies made:

3M

Official name: 3M Company (NYSE: MMM)
Date company was founded: June 13, 1902
Industry: Industrial conglomerate
CEO: William Brown
Market cap: $84.6 billion
Products that 3M is known for: Adhesives, tapes and industrial abrasives
Surprising products: Post-it Notes and early roots in mining/abrasive materials

3M is an American diversified industrial conglomerate known for adhesives, tapes, abrasives, medical products and safety equipment. Its product portfolio includes many end markets—healthcare, manufacturing, consumer and transportation. It is anchored by strong R&D capabilities.

Berkshire Hathaway

Official name: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.B / BRK.A)
Date company was founded: March 14, 1955
Industry: Finance & insurance
CEO: Warren Buffett (CEO succession to Greg Abel was announced for late 2025/early 2026)
Market cap: $1.07 trillion
Products that Berkshire Hathaway is known for: Insurance and diversified holdings (modern conglomerate)
Surprising products: Origins as a textile mill

Berkshire Hathaway is famously known as Warren Buffett's diversified holding company. It works with major insurance operations, large equity stakes (including Apple and American Express), and wholly owned businesses across energy, manufacturing and retail. It operates as a long-term investor and conglomerate with substantial cash flows and a wide portfolio of operating subsidiaries.

Canon

Official name: Canon Inc. (CAJPY)
Date company was founded: August 10, 1937
Industry: Imaging & optical products
CEO: Fujio Mitarai
Market cap: $26.0 billion
Products that Canon is known for: Cameras and imaging equipment
Surprising products: Office copiers and medical-imaging systems

Canon is a Japanese multinational specializing in cameras, imaging equipment, office copiers and medical imaging systems. Its business mixes consumer photography products with sizable commercial and industrial imaging segments.

DuPont

Official name: DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (NYSE: DD)
Date company was founded: July 19, 1802
Industry: Specialty chemicals & advanced materials
CEO: Edward D. Breen
Market cap: $32.7 billion
Products that DuPont is known for: Chemicals and industrial polymers
Surprising products: Early explosives business and later inventions like Teflon and Kevlar

DuPont is a diversified chemical and materials company supplying specialty polymers, industrial chemicals, and advanced materials to automotive, electronics, and safety markets. The firm traces its roots to historic DuPont chemical businesses and today emphasizes innovation in high-performance materials and sustainable solutions.

Ferrari

Official name: Ferrari NV (NYSE: RACE)
Date company was founded: September 13, 1939
Industry: Automotive
CEO: Benedetto Vigna
Market cap: $71.0 billion
Products that Ferrari is known for: Sports and luxury cars
Surprising products: Machine tools and components for the Italian air force during WWII

Ferrari is the Italian maker of high-performance sports cars and luxury supercars. It is traded on multiple exchanges as Ferrari N.V. The company is known for its exclusive, low-volume vehicle production as well as its race team.

Fujifilm

Official name: FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (FUJIF)
Date company was founded: January 20, 1934
Industry: Imaging & healthcare
CEO: Teiichi Goto
Market cap: $27.9 billion
Products that Fujifilm is known for: Photographic film, cameras and imaging products
Surprising products: Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical-imaging business (post-film pivot)

Fujifilm is a Japanese imaging and healthcare company that makes photographic film, digital cameras, printers and medical-imaging systems. Since the decline of film, it has diversified into pharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine and diagnostic/imaging solutions.

Goodyear

Official name: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT)
Date company was founded: August 29, 1898
Industry: Tires & rubber products
CEO: Mark Stewart
Market cap: $1.95 billion
Products that Goodyear is known for: Tires and rubber products
Surprising products: Goodyear Blimp airships (promotional airships and lighter-than-air craft)

Goodyear manufactures and sells tires for passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, aircraft and specialty applications worldwide. The company also operates tire-retailing networks and provides fleet services and tire-related technologies.

Hasbro

Official name: Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS)
Date company was founded: December 6, 1923
Industry: Toys, games & entertainment
CEO: Chris Cocks
Market cap: $10.4 billion
Products that Hasbro is known for: Toys and games (e.g., G.I. Joe, Monopoly)
Surprising products: Wartime protective gear and parts for military equipment during WWII

Hasbro is a U.S. toy and entertainment company known for brands such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Monopoly and G.I. Joe. It also operates media and licensing businesses. The company earns revenue from toys, games, consumer products, and increasingly from entertainment content and licensing.

Hershey

Official name: The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY)
Date company was founded: February 8, 1894
Industry: Consumer goods
CEO: Michele Buck
Market cap: $38.4 billion
Products that Hershey is known for: Chocolate and confections
Surprising products: Military rations (the WWII "D-ration" survival chocolate bar designed for soldiers)

Hershey is a U.S. food company that manufactures chocolate, sweets and snack products (Hershey's, Reese's, Kisses). It sells consumer packaged goods worldwide and operates an extensive distribution and retail partnership network.

IBM

Official name: International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM)
Date company was founded: June 16, 1911
Industry: Information technology & services
CEO: Arvind Krishna
Market cap: $261.5 billion
Products that IBM is known for: Computers and enterprise technology
Surprising products: Punch-card tabulators and mechanical data equipment (used for government and wartime data processing)

IBM is a long-established technology and enterprise-services company offering cloud, AI, mainframe systems and software to large enterprises and governments. In recent years it has emphasized hybrid-cloud and AI software platforms.

Kawasaki

Official name: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KWHIY)
Date company was founded: April 1, 1878
Industry: Heavy industry & mobility
CEO: Yasuhiko Hashimoto
Market cap: $11.0 billion
Products that Kawasaki is known for: Motorcycles and recreational vehicles
Surprising products: Heavy industry: ships, rolling stock and aerospace components

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a major Japanese industrial conglomerate that builds ships, rolling stock, aerospace components, industrial machinery and consumer products including motorcycles. The company spans heavy industry and mobility sectors, with businesses ranging from energy systems to transportation equipment.

McDonalds

Official name: McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD)
Date company was founded: May 15, 1940
Industry: Consumer Service & real estate
CEO: Chris Kempczinski
Market cap: $218.0 billion
Products that McDonalds is known for: Fast-food restaurants and franchising
Surprising products: Extensive real-estate holdings

McDonald's is one of the world's largest restaurant chains, operating and franchising quick-service outlets globally under the McDonald's brand. Beyond food sales, the company's business model emphasizes franchise royalties, supply-chain scale and strategic real-estate ownership and leasing.

Michelin

Official name: Michelin North America / Michelin Deutscheland
Date company was founded: May 28, 1889
Industry: Tires & mobility services
CEO: Florent Menegaux
Parent company: Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin Société en commandite par actions (MGDDY)
Market cap: $21.9 billion
Products that Michelin is known for: Tires and rubber products
Surprising products: The Michelin Guide (restaurant ratings and travel guides)

Michelin is a global tire and rubber company producing passenger, truck, aviation and specialty tires, among other related services. It also publishes the influential Michelin Guide and invests in data-driven mobility and fleet services.

Nintendo

Official name: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NTDOY)
Date company was founded: September 23, 1889
Industry: Video games & interactive entertainment
CEO: Shuntaro Furukawa
Market cap: $94.4 billion
Products that Nintendo is known for: Video game consoles and software
Surprising products: Hanafuda playing cards (origins as a 19th-century card maker)

Nintendo is a Japanese video-game company that designs and sells consoles (Switch) and first-party game franchises (Mario, Zelda, Pokémon). It combines hardware, software and IP licensing to generate consumer demand and recurring revenue from game releases and merchandise.

Nokia

Official name: Nokia Oyj (NYSE: NOK)
Date company was founded: May 12, 1865
Industry: Telecommunications equipment & networking
CEO: Justin Hotard
Market cap: $26.07 billion
Products that Nokia is known for: Telecommunications / phones (modern era)
Surprising products: Paper, rubber boots and car tires (origins as a 19th-century paper mill and rubber works)

Nokia is a Finnish multinational corporation focused on telecom equipment, networking, and software (Nokia Networks and Nokia Technologies). This was once a 19th-century paper and rubber company, but it now supplies carriers worldwide with 5G hardware and enterprise networking solutions.

Peugeot

Official name: Automobiles Peugeot
Date company was founded: September 26, 1810 (originally founded by family)
Industry: Automotive
CEO: Antonio Filosa (Stellantis)
Parent company: Stellantis NV (NYSE: STLA)
Market cap: $29.9 billion
Products that Peugeot is known for: Automobiles
Surprising products: Coffee grinders and pepper/salt mills (early product line still sold today)

Stellantis is the multinational automotive group formed from the merger of PSA Group and FCA, housing brands like Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep and Opel. The company manages global vehicle design, production and distribution across mass-market and premium segments.

Philips

Official name: Koninklijke Philips N.V. (AMS: PHIA)
Date company was founded: May 15, 1891
Industry: Healthcare technology
CEO: Roy Jakobs
Market cap: $26.3 billion
Products that Philips is known for: Lighting and consumer electronics
Surprising products: Medical imaging and clinical healthcare equipment (MRI/CT)

Philips is a Dutch multinational focused today on healthcare technology including diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring and clinical informatics. The company positions itself as a provider of integrated healthcare solutions and services for hospitals and care providers.

Raytheon

Official name: RTX Corp. (NYSE: RTX)
Date company was founded: July 7, 1922
Industry: Aerospace & defense
CEO: Christopher T. Calio
Market cap: $210.2 billion
Products that Raytheon is known for: Defense electronics and missiles
Surprising products: The microwave oven (origin story: Percy Spencer's radar-work discovery led to early commercial microwaves)

RTX is a major U.S. aerospace and defense conglomerate formed from the merger of Raytheon and United Technologies' aerospace units. It supplies aircraft engines, avionics, missiles and defense systems worldwide. Its business is a mix of commercial aerospace (engines and services) with defense electronics and guided weapons.

Rolls-Royce

Official name: Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (RYCEY)
Date company was founded: December 23, 1904
Industry: Automotive / Aerospace & power systems
CEO: Tufan Erginbilgiç (Rolls-Royce Holdings)
Parent company: BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) & Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
Market cap: ~$131.0 billion
Products that Rolls-Royce is known for: Luxury automobiles
Surprising products: Jet engines (major aero-engine manufacturing post-WWII)

Rolls-Royce Holdings is a U.K. aero-engine and power systems company (distinct from the historic carmaker's separate businesses). It designs, manufactures and services civil and defense aero engines, power systems and related aftermarket support.

Samsung

Official name: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (005930.KS)
Date company was founded: March 1, 1938
Industry: Consumer electronics & semiconductors
CEO: Jun Young-hyun
Market cap: $449 billion
Products that Samsung is known for: Consumer electronics and smartphones
Surprising products: Dried fish, noodles and general trading (early company activities)

Samsung Electronics is a South Korean tech giant that manufactures memory and logic semiconductors, displays, smartphones and consumer electronics. Its semiconductor business (DRAM, NAND, foundry) is a global leader and the primary driver of the company's profitability and market value.

Sony

Official name: Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY)
Date company was founded: May 7, 1946
Industry: Electronics & entertainment
CEO: Teiichi Goto
Market cap: $171.0 billion
Products that Sony is known for: Consumer electronics and entertainment (PlayStation, TVs)
Surprising products: An early failed rice-cooker experiment (before transistor radios and the Walkman)

Sony is a diversified global entertainment and electronics company—covering gaming (PlayStation), film and music content, image sensors, and consumer electronics. The group has a solid mix of hardware, software and content businesses to create strong cross-platform synergies.

Toyota

Official name: Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM)
Date company was founded: August 28, 1937
Industry: Automotive
CEO: Koji Sato
Market cap: $254.6 billion
Products that Toyota is known for: Automobiles
Surprising products: Automatic textile looms (origin business before cars)

Toyota is a global automotive giant based in Japan that manufacturers cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles. Toyota's umbrella includes brands like Lexus and Subaru. The company remains a leader in hybrid powertrains and is scaling investments in EVs and mobility services.

Virgin Galactic

Official name: Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE)
Date company was founded: 2004
Industry: Commercial spaceflight & space tourism
CEO: Michael Colglazier
Market cap: $260 million
Products that Virgin Galactic is known for: Space tourism and suborbital craft
Surprising products: Part of the Virgin group, which began as a record label

Virgin Galactic is a commercial spaceflight company developing suborbital spacecraft to offer space tourism and small-payload launches. It originally began with Richard Branson as a music and media company but since has shifted. The firm combines vehicle development, spaceport operations and early-stage commercial service offerings as it scales toward routine flights.

Yamaha

Official name: Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (YMHAY)
Date company was founded: October 12, 1897
Industry: Consumer goods
CEO: Takuya Nakata (President / Representative Executive Officer)
Market cap: $3.0 billion
Products that Yamaha is known for: Musical instruments and audio equipment
Surprising products: Motorcycles (Yamaha Motor spun off from the original company)

Yamaha is a diversified Japanese manufacturer best known for musical instruments, audio equipment and pro-audio electronics. The company sells consumer electronics and small motorized products. The company has also branched off into sell motorcycles.