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Unexpected Origins of Big Companies

Some companies spring from a single idea or a single innovation, while others take a detour.

Some of the biggest brands and biggest companies today were created from a detour.

Originally, they might have made textiles, soap or weapons. In at least one case, they were kind of a cult before planting their corporate roots.

Today, those stories have largely trailed off , and we know them as powerhouses in retail, manufacturing and technology.

Here are the unusual orgins of some big companies.

By Cindy Perman
6 May 2011