The Guthrie Group’s brand name and origin dated back to 1821 when it was founded by a Scotsman, Alexander Guthrie. He was granted a license to trade in the region by the then British East India Company. Guthrie soon established a reputation as one of the biggest trading houses and was among the pioneers to extend trade between Europe and South East Asia.
In 1968, Guthrie Waugh Bhd was formed to take over the trading businesses of Guthrie & Co and Jardine Waugh. In 1972, Guthrie purchased Jardine Waugh's 50 percent interest and the company was renamed Guthrie Bhd in 1973. It was listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1974 and functioned as the holding company for the Guthrie Group.
In 1983, Mulpha International Trading Corporation Bhd acquired the company, changing its name to Mulpha (Singapore) Ltd. Then in 1988, the company was acquired by the Masagung family of Indonesia and the company name was changed to Guthrie GTS Limited. Since 2007, the Salim Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Asia, and Putra Masagung, jointly own a majority stake in the company.