International companies that are no longer American

Sunglass Hut

Original Headquarters: Miami, Florida
Purchased By: Luxottica Group
Country: Italy

For eyewear lovers, Sunglass Hut is the one-stop shop to cater to every single need. From clear glasses to tinted, the company has stores in India, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and more. Of course, it originated in Miami, Florida as the brainchild of optometrist Sanford Ziff. 

Five years after opening its 100th store in 1986, Sunglass Hut was sold. These days, it’s part of the Luxottica Group who made the purchase in 2001 for an eye-watering $653 million. At the time, over 1,300 stores existed. Now, close to 2,000 exist across the globe, with 81 of these existing in the United States.

Holiday Inn

Original Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
Purchased By: Intercontinental Hotels
Country: England

It may be hard to imagine now, but back in 1952, Holiday Inn was just a single motel on the way from Memphis to Nashville. Kemmons Wilson first came up with the idea after having a less than desirable experience during a family road trip to Washington D.C. By 1953, Wilson had partnered with Wallace E. Johnson to build more locations. 

At some point in the late ‘80s, the well-established hotel chain was purchased by an English company called the Intercontinental Hotels Group. Holiday Inn locations have continued to pop up and are still owned by IHG to this day, proving it to be a wise investment.