The story
Foundation and early years (1834–1945)
Established in 1876, Ayala y Compañía traces its origins to Casa Róxas, a partnership founded in 1834 by Domíngo Ureta Róxas and Antonio de Ayala. The enterprise began with Ayala Distillery (originally Destileria y Licoreria de Ayala y Compañía) the producer of Ginebra San Miguel. The distillery was later acquired by Carlos T. Palanca-owned La Tondeña, Inc. in 1929.
In 1888, the company introduced the first tramcar service in the Philippines. The company participated in the construction of the Ayala Bridge over the Pasig River in Manila. Originally built of wood in 1872, the bridge was reconstructed in steel in 1908 to become the first steel bridge in the Philippines.
Post-war development and incorporation
Under the leadership of Colonel Joseph Ralph McMicking - who was married to Mercedes Roxas Zobel-McMicking the company was also responsible for the urban development of Makati after World War II.
Ayala y Compañía shifted from a partnership to a corporation with the establishment of Ayala Corporation in 1968. It welcomed the minority investment of Mitsubishi Corporation as its strategic partner in 1973 -1974. The Ayala Corporation later became a public company in 1976.
21st-century leadership and diversification
In January 2006, the board of directors publicly announced the decision by Jaime Zóbel de Ayala to retire as chairman of the corporation by April 2006, appointing him chairman emeritus upon his retirement. He formally stepped down during the annual stockholders' meeting on April 7, 2006, concluding a 49-year career with the company and a 22-year tenure as its chairman. His eldest son, Jaime Augusto Zóbel de Ayala, succeeded him as chairman and chief executive officer, while his younger son, Fernando Zóbel de Ayala, assumed the position of president and chief operating officer. The Zobel de Ayala family's holding company, Mermac, Inc., retained (and to this day continues to have) the controlling stake in Ayala Corporation.
In 2011, the Ayala Corporation began building its renewable energy portfolio, beginning with a joint venture with Mitsubishi for solar power and Sta. Clara Power for run-of-the-river hydro power, and the purchase of the iconic Northwind farm for wind power. Ayala will contribute 1000 MW to the Philippine power supply by 2015. FinanceAsia named Ayala Corporation as the best-managed company in the Philippines in 2010 and 2015, as well as Best for Corporate Governance and Best for Corporate Social Responsibility.
From Wikipedia’s article on Ayala Corporation, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.6