That's how old Kongo Gumi Co., Ltd., A Japanese construction company, was when it was acquired by a larger company. It was the world's oldest, continuously ongoing independent company at the time. It can trace it's origins back to 578 AD when Prince Shotoku brought Korean engineers to Japan to build a Buddhist temple.
These engineers decided to begin their own company. Over the years, it was passed down through 40 generations of the Kongo family. In 2005, it finally hit hard times and was liquidated. It's assets were bought by Takamatsu Corporation.
