Fyffes of bananas from overseas plantations. In May 1969, the company was renamed Fyffes Group Ltd, recognising the diversity and importance of the then (x-number) subsidiary companies. It became an Irish company following takeover by the Irish group FII plc in 1986. FII plc had been created when Torney Brothers & McCann, (the origins of that company were Charles McCann's apple exporting business founded in 1890) merged with United Fruit Importers Limited to form Fruit Importers of Ireland Limited in 1968. The combined company was initially known as FII Fyffes plc, but became simply Fyffes plc in 1989. In 2002 Fyffes
Boston Fruit Company prices of bananas in comparison to last year's figures." During the Spanish–American War of 1898, some of the ships of the Boston Fruit Co. were re-purposed for war-related functions. "By integrating production, shipping, and marketing, Preston believed that a company could more effectively regulate both the quantity and quality of the fruit reaching U.S. markets and thereby reduce the financial risks associated with trading a highly perishable commodity. In 1899, Preston helped to transform his vision into reality by playing a central role in the formation of the United Fruit Company." In 1899 Preston formed an agreement with Minor C.