Archer Daniel Midland- Fortune 500

Archer Daniel Midland

Archer Daniel Midland

Abstract

Archer Daniel’s Midland is a corporation that is one of the world’s largest in the

Agricultural industry. They literally have their hand in processing, trading, and exporting oil

seeds (soy, palm), corn, wheat, cocoa, protein meal, corn sweeteners, flour, ethanol, vegetable

oil, and I am sure I have not mentioned them all. This corporation has weathered quite a bit due

to the effects of good and bad decisions of financial management. They found legal problems

when some of their moneymaking strategies were unethical and illegal. The repercussions

made them an example for the entire world to see of, (What not to do). They have gone on to

propose a few investment projects before pulling out at the last minute such as the case with

Metabolix and Viterra. Perhaps the tables will turn if ADM buys their Australian rival that is

among the last companies in public ownership. It was easy to find articles on-line about

the unfortunate events that have happened to ADM within the last decade, but finding out their

pursuit of different corporate finance strategies today was not as simple. As a result of what I

have read about them, I learned all their misfortunes would have been avoided with better

planning and decision making on their behalf. Despite the overall image that emerges on Archer

Daniel’s Midland, they definitely know enough to realize that they are sitting on a gold mine.

The world will always need their products and the demand grows. They just might become the

“Mecca” of the agricultural industry, if they have turned their weaknesses to strengths.

Archer Daniels Midland is an agricultural processing and fermentation technology corporation. It is one of the world’s largest grain processors and agricultural conglomerates. ADM has had its fair share of ups and downs, but while the downs have become notorious, the ups have always been soon to...