The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK or U.K.) or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of the European mainland. It includes the island of Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In the 18th century the UK was the first country to
industrialise,[22][23] and during the 19th century it had a dominant role in the global economy,[24] accounting for 9.1% of the world's GDP in 1870.[25] The
Second Industrial Revolution was also taking place rapidly in the United States and the
German Empire; this presented an increasing economic challenge for the UK. The costs of fighting
World War I and
World War II further weakened the UK's relative position. In the 21st century, the UK has faced the challenges of the 2008 banking collapse and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[26][27][28][29]
Largest companies
This list shows the UK companies in the
Fortune Global 500, which ranks firms by total revenues reported as of September 2019. Only the top five firms are included as a sample.[30]
British multinational oil, gas, and renewable energy company including exploration, production, refining, transport, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation, trading, biofuels, wind power, energy-kite, and hydrogen power. It was established in 1907, and is headquartered in London, and incorporated in the UK. Formerly known as Royal Dutch Petroleum Co, and The Shell Transport and Trading Company of the United Kingdom, it has 12 subsidiaries.
British multinational oil, gas, and renewable energy company including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading, biofuels, wind power and solar technology. It was established in 1909, and is headquartered in London. Formerly known as
Anglo-Persian Oil Company,
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and BP Amaco plc, its subsidiaries include Amaco, and Castrol.
British multinational investment bank and financial services holding company. It was first established in 1865 in British Hong Kong, but is now headquartered in London. Former names include The Hong Kong and Shanghei Bank, and The Hong Kong and Shanghei Banking Corporation. As of 2019 it has 12 subsidiaries.
British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer, petrol retailer, software provider, financial services provider, and telecoms and internet services provider. It was first established in 1919 in
Hackney, London, first named Tesco in 1924, and is now headquartered in
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
British multinational consumer goods company with more than 400 brands including food and beverages, cleaning agents, beauty products, and personal care products. Established in 1929 by the merger of
Margarine Unie and
Lever Brothers, it is headquartered in London.
Notable companies
This is a list of companies of the United Kingdom as well as those first established in the
United Kingdom that are no longer British owned, and also including defunct UK companies. Only companies with articles in Wikipedia are included.
104 Films — is a film production company headquartered in
Birmingham. It was founded in 2004 by director Justin Edgar and producer Alex Usborne.
24seven — was an energy company supplying electricity, which operated from 2000 to 2003. Its parent companies were
London Electricity, and TXU Europe. In 2003 it became part of
LE Group.
3i Group plc — is a British multinational private equity and venture capital company based in London. It invests in mid-market buyouts, growth capital, and infrastructure. It was founded in 1945 by the
Bank of England and the main British banks as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation (ICFC). Its purpose was to provide long-term investment funding for small and medium-sized companies. Later it was renamed as Finance for Industry (FFI) and then Investors in Industry (3i). 3i Group was formed as a public company in 1987 when the banks sold their stocks. In 2022 it had a net income of £4 billion.
3 Mills Studios — is a centre for film and TV production. It is located in London. It has its roots in the 1980s founding of Bow Studios, Three Mills Island Studios, and Edwin Shirley Productions. In the mid-1990s, the three studios were merged to become 3 Mills Studios, under the management of Workspace Group. In 2004 the studios were acquired by the London Development Agency (LDA) until 2010 when ownership transferred to the London Legacy Development Corporation.
99p Stores — was a company that operated a discount store chain. It was a family-run business founded in 2001 by Nadir Lalani. Its subsidiary store chain was Family Bargains. In 2015 it was acquired by
Poundland who rebranded the stores to Poundland.
A
A.G. Barr – is a soft drinks manufacturer best known for the drink
Irn-Bru. Established in 1875 by Robert Barr in
Falkirk, Scotland, it is now headquartered in
Cumbernauld, Scotland. Its production sites are in Cumbernauld,
Forfar, and
Milton Keynes. In 2022 it acquired
Boost Drinks. In 2022 its revenue was £268 million, with a net income of £27 million.
AAH Pharmaceuticals — is a pharmaceuticals wholesaler. It was formerly an
anthracite producer and supplier, and supplier of building materials, transport, warehousing, and environmental services. Established in 1892, its headquarters is in
Coventry. It was formerly named Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries. It is owned by Hallo Healthcare Group.
Aardman Animations – is a film studio producing animation films and television programmes. Established in 1972, its headquarters is in
Bristol.
Abbey National — was a financial services company (banking, and investment) that operated from 1944 to 2010. It was initially a building society and later also an estate agent. Its headquarters was in London. Also known as Abbey, it was formed by the merger of the Abbey Road Building Society with the National Building Society. In 2010 it was subsumed into
Santander UK.
AbbottVision — is a film and TV production company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in
Manchester.
ABC Cinemas — was a cinema chain from 1927 to 2017.
Abcam — is a biotechnology and life sciences company that produces protein research tools. It was established in 1998.
Abcodia — is a biotechnology company focused on biomarkers for cancer screening. Established in 2010, its headquarters is in
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.
Aberdeen Asset Management — was an investment management company from 1983 to 2017. Its headquarters was in
Aberdeen, Scotland. In 2017 it was merged with Standard Life to form Standard Life Aberdeen, since renamed as
Abrdn.
Abrdn — is a global investmemt and financial services company. Established in 1825, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It was formerly known as the Standard Life Assurance Company. In 2017 it was merged with
Aberdeen Asset Management to form Standard Life Aberdeen plc. In 2021 it was renamed Abrdn. In 2022 its revenue was £1.5 billion, with a net income of £549 million.
Abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on private equity funds and companies with a European range. It was founded in 2001 as Standard Life Private Equity Trust. It is managed by
Abrdn.
Academy Films — is a film and TV production company. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
Acteon Group — is a subsea services company mainly supplying the oil, gas, and renewable industries. Established in 2004, its headquarters is in
Norwich, Norfolk. It was formed from the UWG Group.
Adam & Company — is a financial services company (private banking and investment management). Established in 1983, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2018, the retail banking assets of
Royal Bank of Scotland were transferred to Adam and Company, which was renamed Royal Bank of Scotland, with Adam and Company continuing as a trading name of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Adelphi Films — is a film production and distribution company. It was established in 1939.
Admiral Group plc — is a financial services company headquartered in
Cardiff, Wales. It provides insurance products, and operates price comparison websites. It was founded in 1991 as a division of the Brockbank Group. In 1999
Henry Engelhardt led a management buyout of Admiral Group from the Brockbank Group. In 2022, its revenue was £1.4 billion, with a net income of £371 million.
AfriMobile — was a telecommunications company providing a mobile virtual network. It operated from 2012 to 2020.
AGA Rangemaster Group Ltd — is a manufacturer of range cookers including the
AGA cooker, kitchen appliances, and interior furnishings. Its brands include: AGA,
La Cornue, Rangemaster, Divertimenti, Fired Earth, and Marvel. Its North American subsidiary is AGA Marvel. It is headquartered in
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The roots of the business date back to the 1920s when the AGA cooker was invented and initially produced in Sweden. Then, in the 1930s, they were produced under license in the UK and since 1957 most production has continued in the UK. In 1969 the manufacturers of AGA cookers, Allied Ironfounders, was acquired by Glynwed. In 1997 Glynwed was acquired by Mueller Industries Inc, and the AGA division was renamed AGA Foodservice Group, and then Aga Rangemaster in 2008. In 2015 it was acquired by
Middleby Corporation.
Air Navigation and Engineering Company — was an aircraft, and cyclecar manufacturer from 1919 to 1927. Its headquarters was in
Addlestone, Surrey. It was formerly the Bleriot & SPAD Manufacturing Company.
Airtel Africa plc — is a multinational company that provides
telecommunications and
mobile money services in 14 African countries. Headquartered in London, it is majority owned by
Bharti Airtel. In 2022 its revenue was £4.7 billion, with a net income of £750 million.
AJ Bell plc — is a financial services company that provides online investment platforms and stockbroker services. It is headquartered in
Manchester. It was founded in 1995 by Andy Bell and Nicholas Littlefair. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 2018. In 2022 its revenue was £163 million, with a net income of £46 million.
Aldemore Bank plc — is a bank offering personal and business financial services with a focus on small and medium sized businesses. Headquartered in
Reading, Berkshire; it was founded in 2009. From 2015 it was listed on the
London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by South African banking company
FirstRand in 2017.
Alex Wilson & Company — was an engine manufacturering company, see
Vauxhall Motors.
Allen & Hanburys — was a pharmaceuticals manufacturer from 1715 to 1958. Headquartered in London, it was absorbed by
Glaxo Laboratories in 1958.
Alliance & Leicester — was a financial services company providing banking and insurance, that was formerly a building society. It operated from 1985 to 2011. Its headquarters was in
Narborough, Leicestershire. It was formed by the merger of the Alliance Building Society with the Leicester Building Society. In 2011 it was subsumed into
Santander UK.
Alliance Trust plc — is an investment and financial services company headquartered in
Dundee, Scotland. It was founded in 1888 by the merger of 3 Dundee-based mortgage and loan companies: the Dundee Investment Company, the Dundee Mortgage and Trust Investment Company, and the Oregon and Washington Trust. In 1986 it began offering pensions. In 2006 it was merged with the Second Alliance Trust. In 2022 its revenue was £95 million, with a net income of £78 million.
Allied Film Makers — was a film production company. Established in 1959, it is defunct.
Allied Stars — was a film production company. It was established in the late 1970s.
Al Rayan Bank plc — is a bank offering
Sharia compliant financial services. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 2004 as the Islamic Bank of Britain plc. Since 2014 it is owned by Islamic bank Masraf Al Rayan, and renamed Al Rayan Bank plc.
Amersham plc — was a manufacturer of
radiopharmaceutical products for
nuclear medicine from 1946 to 2003. Its headquarters was in
Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It was previously known as The Radiochemical Centre (RTC) Amersham, Amersham International, and Nycomed Amersham. In 2003 it was acquired by
General Electric and incorporated into
GE Healthcare.
Anglian Water Authority — was a state owned utility company providing water supply and sewage disposal from 1974 to 1979. It was succeeded by
Anglian Water.
Anglo-Amalgamated — was a film production and distribution company from 1945 to 1971.
Anglo—EMI Film Distributors Ltd — was a film production and distribution company, see
EMI Films.
Anglo American — is a British multinational mining company. Established in 1917, its headquarters are in London, UK and
Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2022 its revenue was $35 billion, with a net income of $6 billion.
Aon PLC — is a financial services company. Established in 1982, its headquarters are in London. Founded in Chicago by Patrick Ryan, Aon was created when the Ryan Insurance Group merged with the Combined Insurance Company of America.
AP Films — (APF) was a television and film production, and publishing company from 1957 to 1977. Its headquarters was in
Maidenhead, Berkshire. It later became
Century 21 Productions.
Arash Motor Company — is an automobile manufacturer. Established in 1999, its headquarters is in
Newmarket,
Suffolk. It was formerly named Farboud Limited.
Arbikie distillery — is a producer of Scotch whisky, vodka, and gin located in
Inverkeilor, Scotland. It was established in 2013 by the Stirling family.
Arbuthnot Latham & Co. Ltd — is a
private and
merchant bank offering private banking, commercial banking, and wealth management. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1833 by
Alfred Latham and
John A. Arbuthnot. In 2022 its revenue was £120 million, with a net income of £16.5 million.
Argos — is a catalogue retailer with a chain of shops and an online store. Established in 1972, its headquarters is in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Its parent company is
Sainsbury's. Its 2016 revenue was £4.1 billion and its 2016 operating income was £83.1 million.
Aria Films — is a film production, finance, and consultancy company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in London.
Aricom — was a mining and metals company from 2003 to 2009/10. Its headquarters was in London. It was formerly part of
Peter Hambro Mining who, as
Petropavlovsk reacquired it in 2009.
Ariel Motor Company — is an automobile and motor bike manufacturer. Established in 1991 its headquarters is in
Crewkerne,
Somerset. It was formerly named Solocrest Ltd.
Armitage Shanks — is a manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and plumbing supplies headquartered in
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It was founded in 1817 by Thomas Bond in
Armitage, Staffordshire. In 1907 it was
incorporated as Armitage Ware Ltd, and, in 1969, it was merged with Shanks Holdings Ltd to form Armitage Shanks. Since 1999 it is part of the
Ideal Standard group.
Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd — is a retail company that operates a car dealership network in the UK. It is headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1954 by
Arnold Clark. The Phoenix Car Company is one of its divisions and it has two subsidiaries: Arnold Clark Finance, and Harry Fairbairn.
Arrival — is an electric vehicle manufacturer, specialising in commercial vehicles. Established in 2015, its headquarters is in
Yarnton,
Oxfordshire. It was formerly named Charge Automotive.
Arrol-Johnston — was an automobile manufacturer from 1895 to 1931. Its headquarters was in
Glasgow, Scotland. It was formerly the Mo-Car Syndicate. In 1927 it merged with
Aster to become
Arrol-Aster.
Arrol-Aster — was an automobile manufacturer from 1927 to 1931. Headquartered in
Dumfries, Scotland, it was formed by the merger of
Arrol-Johnston and
Aster.
Ascari Cars — was an automobile manufacturer from 1995 to 2010. Its headquarters was in
Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Ascential plc — is a business-to-business media company providing exhibitions and festivals, and information services in product design, marketing, sales, and built environment and policy. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1947 by Richard Pattinson Winfrey as a newspaper publisher named the East Midlands Allied Press (EMAP). It took over the newspapers created or bought by
Richard Winfrey. It later diversified into magazine publishing, and radio broadcasting. In 1996 it sold its newspaper titles to
Johnston Press. In 2008 it sold its radio, television, and consumer media division
EMAP Radio to
Bauer Media Group. In 2012 it was renamed Top Right Group and in 2015 renamed Ascential. In 2017 it sold its business magazine brands to
Metropolis International including the EMAP name as EMAP Publishing. In 2022 its revenue was £524 million, with a net income loss of £105 million.
Asda Stores - is a supermarket chain also offering some financial services, and a
mobile phone virtual network through its subsidiary
Asda Mobile. Established in 1949, its headquarters is in
Leeds. In 1999 it was acquired by
Walmart, then in 2021 it was acquired by
EG Group and
TDR Capital. Its 2019 revenue was £22.8 billion, with an operating profit of £584.2 million.
Aspall Cyder Ltd — is a producer of cider, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and apple-based balsamic vinegar. It also imports and markets some other vinegars. It is located in
Aspall, Suffolk, and was established in the early 18th century. In 2018 it was purchased by
Molson Coors.
Ashtead Group plc — is an industrial equipment rental company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1947 in
Ashtead, Surrey as Ashtead Plant and Tool Hire. Its main subsidiary is Sunbelt Rentals which operates in the United States. In 2022 its revenue was £7.9 billion with a net income of £1.2 billion.
Ashtons — was a housebuilding company in Yorkshire. It was founded in 1933 by Norman Ashton in
Leeds, and incorporated in 1938 as Norman C. Ashton Ltd. It was acquired by Orme in 1972.
ASOS plc — is an online clothing and cosmetics retailer mainly aimed at young adults. It produces clothing and accessories for its own brand. It also has a marketplace platform for independent boutiques, vintage collectors, individuals, and designers to trade online. It is headquartered in
Camden Town, London. I was founded in 2000 by
Nick Robertson,
Andrew Regan, Quentin Griffiths, and Deborah Thorpe. It was first named AsSeenOnScreen because it sold imitations of clothing from film and television. In 2001 it joined London's
Alternative Investment Market. In 2004 it was renamed ASOS. In 2021 it acquired the brands
Topshop,
Topman,
Miss Selfridge, and HIIT from
Arcadia Group with the first three becoming subsidiaries. In 2022 its total revenue was £3.9 billion, with a net income loss of £30 million.
Associated British Foods plc (ABF) — is a British multinational food processing and retailing company. Headquartered in London, it was established in 1935. In 2022 its revenue was £16.9 billion, with a net income of £1 billion.
Aster — was an automobile, and aircraft engines manufacturer from 1913 to 1931. It was headquartered in
Wembley, London, then
Dumfries, Scotland. It was formerly Begbie Engineering. In 1927 it merged with
Arrol-Johnston.
Aston Martin — is a manufacturer of automobiles, luxury goods, and previously aircraft components during WWII. It also has a motorsport subsidiary named Aston Martin Racing. Established in 1913, its headquarters is in
Gaydon, Warwickshire. Its 2022 revenue was £1.3 billion, with a net income loss of £527 million.
Astra Films — was a film production and distribution company. Its headquarters was in
Leeds, Yorkshire.
AstraZeneca — is a UK-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and
biopharmaceutical company. Established in 1999, its headquarters is in
Cambridge. It was formed by the merger of
Astra AB and
Zeneca. Its 2022 revenue was $44.3 billion, with a net income of $3.2 billion.
Atom Bank plc — is an
online bank offering savings, mortgages, and loans. Headquartered in
Durham, County Durham; it was founded in 2013 by Anthony Thomson and Mark Mullen.
Auction Technology Group plc — is a company that operates the digital marketplaces the-saleroom.com which presents auctions, and ibidder.com that presents industrial equipment auctions. It also publishes Antiques Trade Gazette in print and online. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1971 by Ivor Turnball who created the Antiques Trade Gazette. In 2016 it changed its name from ATG Media to Auction Technology Group. In 2022 its revenue was £119 million, with a net income loss of £6 million.
Aunt Bessies — is a producer of frozen food products including
Yorkshire puddings, potato products, meal accompaniments, ready meals, vegetables, and desserts. It is based in
Hull and
Leeds. It was founded in 1995 by the
William Jackson Food Group as Tryton Foods before being renamed Aunt Bessies. In 2018 it was acquired by
Nomad Foods.
Austin Motor Company — was a manufacturer of automobiles, and wartime manufacturer of aircraft, shells, heavy guns and military vehicles from 1905 to 1952. Its headquarters was in
Longbridge, Birmingham. In 1952 it merged with
Morris Motors to become the
British Motor Corporation.
Auto Trader Group plc — is an automotive online marketplace and classified advertising company headquartered in
Manchester. It was founded in 1975 by
John Madejski,
Paul Gibbons, and Peter Taylor as the publisher of the magazine Thames Valley Trader. In 1988 it was rebranded as Auto Trader. The online marketplace was launched in 1996. In 2022 its revenue was £432 million, with a net income of £244 million.
AVI Global Trust plc — is an investment trust headquartered in London. It was founded in 1889 as the Transvaal Mortgage Loan and Finance Company. It was renamed the British Empire Land, Mortgage and Loan Company in 1906, the British Empire Securities and General Trust in 1964, the British Empire Trust in 2015, and then AVI Global Trust in 2019. In 2023 it had £1.2 billion of assets under management.
Aviva — is a British multinational insurance company. It was established in 2000 when
Norwich Union merged with insurer
CGU plc, its headquarters is in London.
B&M European Value Retail(trading as B&M) — is a variety store chain including B&M Bargains, and B&M Homestore. Established in 1978 as Billington & Mayman, its headquarters are in
Speke, Liverpool (operations) and
Luxembourg (registration).
Heron Foods is its subsidiary company. In 2022 its revenue was £4.6 billion, with a net income of £422 million.
B&Q Ltd — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering
DIY and home improvement products, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, gardening supplies, and plants. It is headquartered in
Eastleigh, Hampshire. It is named after its founders Richard Block and
David Quayle who started the business in 1969. In 1980 it was acquired by the
F. W. Woolworth Company. In 1982 the English subsidiary
Woolworths Ltd including B&Q was acquired by Paternoster which became
Kingfisher plc and remains the owner of B&Q. In 2022 its revenue was £3.8 billion, with a net income of £603 million.
Babcock International Group plc — is a defence and engineering company headquartered in London. Its contracts include ship building and maintenance for the
Royal Navy, and decommissioning nuclear power stations. It was founded in 1891 as Babcock & Wilcox Ltd by the US company
Babcock & Wilcox Company. Initially it was a steam boiler manufacturer but diversified and expanded into ship repair, defence equipment, development of nuclear power stations, materials handling, ship building, and business services. Its helicopter operations were disposed of in the 2020s. In 2022 its revenue was £4.1 billion, with a net income of £167 million.
BAE Systems — is a British multinational defence, security, and aerospace company producing civil and military aircraft, defence electronics, naval vessels, munitions, and land warfare systems. Established in 1999, its headquarters are in London, and
Farnborough, Hampshire. It was formed from the merger of
British Aerospace and
Marconi Electronic Systems. In 2022 its revenue was £21.2 billion, with a net income of £1.6 billion.
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence — is an international
cyber security and cyber intelligence company. Established in 1971, its headquarters is in
Guildford, Surrey. It was formally known as Smith Associates, Detica, and BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Its parent company is
BAE Systems.
Baillie Gifford & Co — is an investment management company. Established in 1908, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It manages 9 investment trusts. As of 2022 its assets under management were valued at £223 billion.
Balfour Beatty plc — is an international infrastructure company providing construction services, support services, and infrastructure investments in the public and private sectors. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1909 by
George Balfour and Andrew Beatty as a tramway constructor. It expanded into electric power infrastructure, tram services, and bus services. The tram and bus operations were divested later. It also built power stations, rail workings, and housing. In 1969 it was acquired by cable manufacturer
BICC. Its homes division was sold to
Westbury in 1995. BICC divested its cable business and was renamed Balfour Beatty in 2000. It made a number of acquisitions in the UK, US, and Canada. In 2022 its revenue was £8.9 billion, with a net income of £287 million.
Bamforth & Co Ltd - was a film production, and postcards publishing company. Established in 1870 in
Holmfirth, Yorkshire, its headquarters was in
Leeds, Yorkshire.
Bank of Scotland — is a financial services company providing banking, insurance, and banknote production. Established in 1695, its headquarters is at
The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was previously part of
HBOS. Its parent company is
Lloyds Banking Group.
Bank of Wales(Welsh: Banc Cymru) — was a commercial bank offering financial services to small and medium-sized businesses in Wales. Headquartered in
Cardiff, Wales; it was founded in 1971 by
Sir Julian Hodge as Commercial Bank of Wales (Welsh:Banc Masnachol Cymru) . In 1986 it was acquired by
Bank of Scotland plc and has ceased trading as a separate entity.
Banks Group — is a mining, energy, and property development company. Established in 1976, its headquarters is in
Durham.
Barclays plc — is a financial services company providing banking, investment management, and wealth management. Established in 1690, its headquarters is in London. In 2022 its revenue was £24.9 billion, with a net income of £5.9 billion.
Barratt Developments — is a residential property development company headquartered in
Coalville, North West Leicestershire. It was founded in 1958 by
Lawrie Barratt and Lewis Greensit as Greensit Brothers, located in
Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1973 it was renamed Barratt Developments. Its acquisitions include Arthur Wardle, Janes,
Wilson Bowden, and Oregon Timber Frame. Its brands include Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, Barratt London, and Wilson Bowden Developments. In 2022 its revenue was £5.2 billion, with a net income of £515 million.
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) — is a public service broadcasting statutory corporation that produces and broadcasts television and radio programming and provides online services. Established in 1922, its headquarters is at
Broadcasting House, London. It was first formed as the
British Broadcasting Company. In 2022 its revenue was £5.3 billion, with a net income of £206 million.
BBC Film — is a film production company. Established in 1990, its headquarters is in London. Its parent company is the
BBC.
BBC Studioworks — is a television studios, post-production, and related services company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London. Formerly known as BBC Resources Limited, and BBC Studios and Post Production Limited, its parent company is the
BBC.
Beazer Group — was an international house building, construction, and building materials company. It was headquartered in
Bath, Somerset. It was founded and owned by the Beazer family for six generations. C.H. Beazer was incorporated in 1956. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 1973 as C.H. Beazer (Holdings). Its acquisitions included Mortimer & Sons, R.M. Smith, Monsell Youell, Second City Properties, M.P. Kent, Westbrick,
F. Pratten and Co Ltd,
William Leech, Cohn Communities,
French Kier, Gifford Hill, and
Koppers. Beazer Europe was floated off and the USA operations became a separate business as
Beazer Homes USA. Beazer was acquired by
Hanson in 1991 who floated a new Beazer Group consisting solely of the UK house building business in 1994. It acquired
Charles Church Developments in 1996. Beazer Group was acquired by
Persimmon plc in 2001.
Beazley — is a specialist insurance company headquartered in London. It manages six
Lloyd's of London syndicates. In 2022 its revenue was £3.4 billion, with a net income of £160 million.
Bedlam Productions — is a film and TV production company. Established in 2009, its headquarters is in London.
Beecham Group — was a manufacturing company producing pharmaceuticals, drinks, toothpaste, and men's grooming products from 1859 to 1989. Its headquarters was in London. In 1989 Beecham Group and
SmithKline Beckman merged to form
SmithKline Beecham, and in 2000, they merged with
GlaxoWellcome to form
GlaxoSmithKline.
Beefeater — is a licensed restaurant chain. Established in 1974, its headquarters is in
Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Its parent company is
Whitbread.
Bellway plc — is a residential property developer and housebuilder headquartered in
Newcastle upon Tyne. It was founded in 1946 by
John Thomas Bell and his sons as John T. Bell & Sons. In 2022 its revenue was £3.5 billion, with a net income of £242 million.
Bell Pottinger — was a public relations, and advertising company that operated from 1988 to 2017. Its headquarters was in London.
Be Military Fit (also known as BMF) — is a company that runs outdoor group fitness classes across the UK. It was founded in 1999 by Robin Cope, Harry Sowerby, and William Skinner as British Military Fitness. In 2018 it was acquired by NM Capital, and
Bear Grylls Ventures and was renamed 'Be Military Fit'.
Bentley — is an automobile manufacturing company producing luxury cars and racing cars. Established in 1919 in London, its headquarters is in
Crewe. Between 1931 and 1970 it was owned by
Rolls-Royce. From 1980 to 1998 it was owned by
Vickers. From 1998 it is owned by
Volkswagen.
Beowulf Mining — is a mining company. Established in 1978, it was formerly known as Beowulf Gold.
Berkeley Group Holdings plc — is a property developer and house building company headquartered in
Cobham, Surrey. It was founded by
Tony Pidgley and Jim Farrer in
Weybridge, Surrey in 1976 as Berkeley Homes. In 2022 its revenue was £2.3 billion, with a net income of £482 million.
bet365 — is an online gambling company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in
Stoke-on-Trent.
Betable — is a gambling, and social gaming company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.
Betfair — is an online gambling company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London. It is owned by
Flutter Entertainment.
Betfred — is a gambling company. Established in 1967 in
Salford, its headquarters is in
Warrington.
BetonSports — was an online gambling company. It operated from 1995 to 2006. Its headquarters was in London.
Bettys and Taylors Group Ltd — is a producer of tea, coffee and other products, and operates a small chain of
tea rooms. Headquartered in
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, it was founded in 1962 when Bettys merged with Taylors of Harrogate. Its brands include
Yorkshire Tea, Taylors Coffee, and Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms.
BFCS — was a commercials film production company that operated from 1966 to 2001. Headquartered in London, it was first named Brooks Baker Fulford.
BH Macro — is an investment company focused on the global
fixed income and foreign exchange markets. Founded in 2007, it is a feeder fund into a fund managed by
Brevan Howard.
BHP — is a multinational mining, metals, and petroleum company. Established in 1885, its headquarters is in
Melbourne, Australia. It was formerly known as BHP Billiton.
Big Talk Productions — is a film and TV production company. Established in 1994, its headquarters is in London. It is owned by
ITV Studios.
Big Yellow Group plc — is a self-storage company that operates storage sites in the UK, 19 of which use the name Armadillo Self Storage. It is headquartered in
Bagshot, Surrey. It was founded in 1998 by Nicholas Vetch, Philip Burks, and
James Gibson. In 2007 it was converted into a
real estate investment trust. In 2022 its net income was £697 million.
Biocompatibles — is a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Established in 1984, its headquarters is in
Farnham, Surrey. In 2010 it was acquired by
BTG plc which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2019.
Bio Products Laboratory — is a pharmaceuticals company producing human blood plasma products. Established in 1954 in
Elstree. It was formerly part of the
NHS; but is now owned by Permira and the Marcucci family who announced that its operations will be merged with Kedrion.
Birmingham Midshires — was a financial services company providing banking and insurance. It was formerly a building society founded in 1986 by the merger of the Birmingham and Bridgwater Building Society with the Midshires Building Society. It has become a brand of
Lloyds Banking Group.
Bisichi Mining — is a mining and property corporation. Established in 1910, its headquarters is in London.
BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on European companies. It was founded in 2004 as The Merrill Lynch Greater Europe Investment Trust. It was given its current name in 2008 when
BlackRock took over its management.
BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc — is a British investment trust focused on investments in smaller companies. It is headquartered in London. It was established in 1906 as the North British Canadian Investment Company. It is managed by
BlackRock.
BlackRock Throgmorton Trust plc - is an investment trust focused on investing in small and mid-sized companies. It was founded in 1962 as The Throgmorton Trust. In the 1980s it had a subsidiary named Capital for Industry which invested in consumer businesses. Since 2008 the trust has been managed by
BlackRock.
BlackRock World Mining Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on mining and metals. It was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in London. It is managed by
BlackRock.
Blakeley's Productions - was a film production company. See
Mancunian Films.
Bleep — is an online record store company. Created by
Warp Records), it was established in 2004.
Blink — is a media production company creating content for advertising, and music videos. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
Bloor Homes — is a house building company headquartered in
Measham, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1969 by
John Bloor. Its parent company is Bloor Holdings.
Blueprint Pictures — is a film production company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
BMF — is an alternative name of the fitness company Be Military Fit.
Bodycote plc — is an engineering services company that supplies
heat treatments, metal joining,
hot isostatic pressing, and
coatings services. It is headquartered in
Macclesfield, Cheshire. It was founded in 1923 by Arthur Bodycote in
Hinckley as a textile business named G.R. Bodycote Ltd. In the 1970s it refocused on engineering services. It has 2 business divisions. The Aerospace, Defence & Energy division (ADE) serves the aerospace, defence, power generation, and oil and gas industries. The Automotive & General Industrial division (AGI) serves the automotive, construction, machine building, medical, and transportation industries. In 2022 its revenue was £743 million, with a net income of £74 million.
bolexbrothers — was an animation film production company. Established in 1993, its headquarters was in Bristol.
Bolckow, Vaughan — was a mining, ironmaking, and steel production company that operated from 1840 to 1929. Its headquarters was in
Middlesbrough.
Bonmarché — is a company that operates a womenswear store chain, and retail website. It is headquartered in
Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It was founded in 1982 by Parkash Singh Chima. It was acquired by the
Peacock Group in 2002, then by
Sun European Partners in 2012. In 2019 it was acquired by
Philip Day in 2019 before being put into
administration later that year. It is now a subsidiary of
Edinburgh Woollen Mill which is owned by Purepay Retail.
Booths — is the trading name of E. H. Booth & Co Ltd, a supermarket retailer.
Boots UK Ltd(trading as Boots) — is a pharmaceutical, and health and beauty products supplier and manufacturer, and provides photography services. It operates a retail stores chain, and a retail website. Established in 1849, its headquarters is in
Nottingham. It was formerly known as Boots the Chemists, and Boots Pure Drugs Company. Since 2014 it is a subsidiary of
Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Boots Opticians Ltd — is an
optometry company that operates a retail chain of dispensing opticians clinics. The clinics are either company-owned or franchises. It is headquartered in
Beeston, Nottinghamshire. It was founded in 1983 and became a subsidiary of
Boots in 1987. In 2009 it was merged with
Dollond & Aitchison. It is now a subsidiary of
Walgreens Boots Alliance. Its acquisitions include Clement Clarke Ltd, and Curry and Paxton Ltd.
Bourne Leisure — is a leisure company that operates caravan parks, holiday camps, and hotels. Established in 1964 in
Whitstable, its headquarters is in
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
Bovis Construction — was a construction company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1885 by Charles William Bovis as C.W. Bovis & Co. It was later known as Bovis Holdings and then Bovis Construction. It had a number of retail clients such as
Marks & Spencer. In the 1950s it moved into housing through Bovis Homes. In the 1970s it diversified into banking with the acquisition of Twentieth Century Banking. After a banking crisis
P&O rescued the company in 1974 and Bovis became a subsidiary of P&O. Bovis Homes was demerged in 1997. In 1999 Bovis Construction was acquired by
Lendlease Group and became Bovis Lend Lease until the brand was discontinued.
Bradford & Bingley — was a financial services banking company that operated from 1964 to 2010. Formerly a building society, its headquarters was in
Bingley, West Yorkshire. It was formed by the merger of the Bradford Equitable Building Society with the Bingley Permanent Building Society. It was nationalised in 2008, and in 2010 the savings business was subsumed by
Santander Group, while the mortgage business was merged with
Northern Rock (asset management) to form
UK Asset Resolution.
Brazil Iron — is a metals and mining company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London.
BrewDog plc — is a multinational brewery, and pub chain. It produces various types of ales, lagers, and spirits. It is headquartered in
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie in
Fraserburgh.
Brewers Fayre — is a hospitality company operating a licensed restaurant chain. Established in 1979, its headquarters is in
Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Its parent company is
Whitbread.
Bridgepoint Group plc — is a private investment company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1984 as NatWest Equity Partners, a private equity division of
NatWest. In 2000 it was the subject of a management buyout and renamed Bridgepoint Capital. It was later renamed Bridgepoint Advisors, and then Bridgepoint Group. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 2021. In 2022 its revenue was £307 million, with a net income of £120 million.
Bristol Water — is a utility company supplying water. Established in 1846, its headquarters is in
Bristol. It was formerly known as the Bristol Waterworks Company. In 2021 it was acquired by
Pennon Group.
Britannia Building Society — was a
mutual building society providing savings products and mortgages that operated from 1856 to 2009. Its headquarters was in
Leek, Staffordshire. It was formed as the Leek and Morlands Permanent Benefit Building Society. Through a series of mergers it later became the Leek and Westbourne, the Westbourne and Eastern Counties, and in 1975 the Britannia Building Society. In 2009 it was merged into
The Co-operative Banking Group.
British Aluminium — was an aluminium production company that operated from 1894 to 2007. It was also known as British Alcan Aluminium.
British American Tobacco — is a cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company that previously also operated in retailing, and financial services. Established in 1902, its headquarters is in London. It was formed when the
Imperial Tobacco Company and the
American Tobacco Company created a joint venture, the British-American Tobacco Company. Its 2022 revenue was £27.6 billion, with a net income of £6.8 billion.
British and Colonial Films — was a film production company that operated from 1908 to 1924. Headquartered in London, it was first named British and Colonial Kinematograph Company.
British Biotech — was a biotechnology company producing pharmaceuticals, that operated from 1986 to 2003. Its headquarters was in
Oxford. In 2003 it was merged into Ribo Targets and then into
Vernalis plc.
British Coal — was a nationalised coal mining corporation that operated from 1946 to 1997. It was formerly known as
The National Coal Board. It was privatised and succeeded by
UK Coal.
British Energy — was an energy company generating electricity, that operated from 1995 to 2009. Its headquarters was in London. It was acquired and subsumed by
Electricite de France (EDF).
British Gas Corporation — was a state owned energy company supplying and distributing gas, that operated from 1972 to 1986. It was formed from the 12 regional
gas boards. In 1986 it was privatised to become
British Gas plc.
British Gas plc — was an energy company supplying gas, and home services, that operated from 1986 to 1997. It was formed from the privatisation of the British Gas Corporation. In 1997 it was demerged into
Centrica,
BG Group, and
Transco.
British Home Stores (BHS) — was a multinational department store chain offering clothing, homewares, furniture, electronic products, entertainment products, fragrance and beauty products, and groceries. It also had in-store restaurants. It was headquartered in London. It was founded in 1928 in Brixton by a group of US entrepreneurs. The store chain was increased and, in 1933, the company was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. The expansion increased and there was a joint venture from 1977 with
Sainsbury's to create a hypermarket chain called
SavaCentre which Sainsbury's bought out in 1989. In 1986 BHS was merged with
Habitat and
Mothercare to form
Storehouse plc. In 2000 it was acquired by
Philip Green who took the company private and , in 2009, included it in
Arcadia Group. In 2015 BHS was sold to Retail Acquisitions. In 2016 it was put into
administration and then
liquidated. The non-UK franchise stores were acquired by the Al Mana Group, while the BHS website is owned and operated by Litecraft Group Ltd who use the BHS logo and brandname under license.
British Land — is a real estate investment trust active in property development and investment. Established in 1856, its headquarters is in London. It was formed as an offshoot of the National Freehold Land Society. In 2022 its revenue was £430 million, with a net income of £958 million.
British Leyland — was an automobile manufacturing and engineering company that operated from 1965 to 1986. Its headquarters were in
Longbridge, Birmingham, and
Cowley, Oxfordshire. Also known as BLMC Ltd, it was first established with the merger of
Leyland Motors, and
British Motor Holdings.It was part nationalised in 1975. In 1986 it was renamed as
The Rover Group and was privatised as a subsidiary of British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994.
British Rail — was a government owned railway company that operated from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the
Big Four British railway companies and was privatised in stages between 1994 and 1997.
British Steel Limited — is a steel company manufacturing long steel products). Established in 2016, it was formed from the sale of long steel production by
Tata Steel Europe to
Greybull Capital. Its parent company is Jingye Group.
British Steel plc — was a steel production company that operated from 1967 to 1999. Formerly known as the British Steel Corporation, it was formed from the nationalisation of 14 private steel companies. It was privatised in 1988, and in 1999 it was merged with
Koninklijke Hoogovens to form
Corus Group.
British Sugar plc — is a producer of sugar from sugar beet as well as medicinal
cannabis,
bioethanol, animal feed, topsoil, and soil conditioners. It is headquartered in
Peterborough. It was founded in 1936 when the UK government nationalised all of the sugar beet processing industry into the British Sugar Corporation. In 1972 it began selling its sugar products under the name Silver Spoon. In 1982 its name was shortened to British Sugar plc, and it was acquired by
Beresford International. In 1991 it was sold to
Associated British Foods of which it is a subsidiary. It acquired sugar producer Billingtons in 2004. In 2021 its revenue was £714 million, with a net income of £35 million.
British Transport Films — was a railway documentary film production company. It operated from 1949 to circa 1986.
British United Provident Association Ltd (Bupa) — is a multinational health insurance and healthcare company headquartered in London. It is a private
company limited by guarantee. Its healthcare operations include: hospitals (mainly in Spain, Poland, and Chile), outpatient clinics, dental centres, digital services, and aged care facilities. It was founded in 1947 when seventeen British
provident associations amalgamated to provide healthcare. Since then it has expanded internationally with many acquisitions. In 2021 its revenue was £12.9 billion, with a net income of £423 million.
Britvic plc — is a producer of
soft drinks that is headquartered in
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. It has over 40 brands including:
Robinsons,
MiWadi,
Tango,
Club,
Purdey's,
R. White's Lemonade,
Cidona,
J2O, and
Teisseire. It is also the UK franchise holder and licensed bottler for
PepsiCo drinks. It was founded in 1845 in
Chelmsford as the British Vitamin Products Company. In 1938 it began producing fruit juices and in 1949 marketed them under the Britvic name. The company itself was renamed Britvik in 1971. In 1986 it was merged with Canada Dry Rawlings. In 2022 its revenue was £1.6 billion, with a net income of £140 million.
Brompton Bicycle Limited — is a manufacturer of folding bicycles based in
Greenford, London. It was founded in 1976 by
Andrew Ritchie. In 2019 its revenue was £42 million, with an operating income of £3.4 million.
Brooke Cars — is a manufacturer of sports cars. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in
Honiton,
Devon.
Brooke Marine — was a ship building company, including civilian, commercial, and warships. It operated from 1874 to 1992. It was also an automobile manufacturer from 1901 to 1913, and a car engines manufacturer until 1938. Headquartered in
Lowestoft,
Suffolk, it was also known as JW Brooke & Co, and Brooke Yachts.
Brora distillery — is a producer of Scottish whisky based in
Brora, Scotland. It was founded in 1819 by the
Marquess of Stafford as Clynelish until the
Clynelish distillery opened in 1968 when it was renamed Brora distillery. In 1983 production ended until 2021 when it was reactivated. It is owned by
Diageo.
Broseley Estates Ltd — was a house building company headquartered in
Leigh, Lancashire. It was founded in 1953 by Daniel Horrocks. In 1960 it was re-formed as the Broseley Investment Company. It expanded until in the early 1980s it was the UK's fourth largest housebuilder. In 1986 its majority owner Guardian Royal Exchange kept the commercial property operation but sold Broseley Estates to
Trafalgar House where it became part of
Ideal Homes.
Brothers Drinks Company Ltd — is a producer of fruit ciders and a bottling company. It is headquartered in
Shepton Mallet, Somerset. It was founded in 1992 by four Showering brothers whose father invented
Babycham. In 2021 the Babycham brand was acquired for the company.
Bryanston Films (UK) — was a film production company that operated from 1959 to 1963.
BT Group — is a British multinational telecommunications company providing fixed line telephony, mobile telephony, broadband internet, and digital television. Established in 1969 as a public corporation, it was privatised in 1984. Its headquarters is in London. Formerly known as Post Office Telecommunications, British Telecom, and then trading as BT, it has 7 divisions and 3 subsidiaries. In 2022 its revenue was £20.8 billion, with a net income of £1.2 billion.
Buckinghamshire Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages and savings. It is based in
Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1907 as the Chalfont & District Permanent Building Society. In 1961 it was renamed the Buckinghamshire Building Society.
Budgen Stores Ltd(trading as Budgens) — is a company that operates a retail chain of franchise
convenience stores. It is headquartered in
Harefield, London. It was founded in 1872 by John Budgen. Formerly trading as Budgen, it was renamed Budgens circa 1990. In 2002 it was acquired by
Musgrave. In 2015 it was acquired by
Booker Group which is now owned by
Tesco plc.
Bulb Energy — is an energy company supplying electricity and gas. Established in 2013, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Regent Power, and Hanbury Energy. In 2022 it was acquired by
Octopus Energy.
Bunzl plc - is a British multinational distribution and outsourcing company headquartered in London. It was established in 1940 in London by the Bunzl family as Tissue Papers Ltd. At first it manufactured cigarette filters, crepe, and tissue paper. It later produced fibres, pulp, paper, building materials, and plastics before it was restructured as a distribution company. In 2022 it had a revenue of £12 billion, with a net income of £474 million.
BUPA — is a multinational health insurance and healthcare company. See British United Provident Association Ltd.
Burberry Group plc — is a luxury fashion manufacturer and retailer. Founded in 1856 in
Basingstoke, it is now headquartered in London. In 2022 its revenue was £2.8 billion, with a net income of £397 million.
Burton's Biscuit Company — is a biscuit and savoury snack manufacturer. It was founded in 1935 by Joseph Burton; previously the first Burton's Biscuits were baked for sale by his grandfather George Burton in
Liverpool. Headquartered in
St Albans, it has had a number of different owners and in June 2021 it was bought by
Ferrero SpA.
Bushey Studios — was a film studio that operated from 1913 to 1985. Its headquarters was in
Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Business Stream — is a utility company supplying water, and sewage disposal for non-domestic sites. Established in 2006, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. Its parent company is
Scottish Water.
Butlins — is a leisure company that operates holiday camps and hotels. Established in 1936, its headquarters is in
Hemel Hempstead. Since 2022 it is owned and run by Butlins Skyline Ltd which is owned by The Harris Family Trust.
Bytes Technology Group — is a re-seller of computer software. It is headquartered in
Leatherhead, Surrey. It was founded in 1982 in a shop in
Epsom. In 1998 it was acquired by Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron). In 2020 it was demerged from Altron and floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2022 its revenue was £447 million, with net income of £32 million.
C
C. & J. Clark International Ltd(trading as Clarks) — is an international shoe manufacturer and retailer. It operates a multinational shoe store chain that is a mixture of company owned stores and franchises, as well as a retail website. It is headquartered in
Street, Somerset. It was founded in 1825-1828 by brothers Cyrus and James Clark. Later in the 19th century the shoe making process was automated. Also, the business funded a number of social initiatives in Street such as a school, theatre, library, swimming pool, and town hall. In 1903 it was incorporated. In 1937 it acquired the Abbotts store chain and used the retail brand name 'Peter Lord'. In the 1970s it acquired 'Ravel, Pint and Mondaine' and 'K shoes'. The Clark family ran the company until 1993, and owned it until 2020 when LionRock Capital took overall control. In 2021 Viva China Holdings (renamed Viva Goods Co. Ltd) took control of LionRock Capital including Clarks.
Cadbury - formerly named "Cadburys" and "Cadbury Schweppes " is a British multinational confectionery company. It was established in 1824 by
John Cadbury in
Birmingham. Its headquarters are now in
Uxbridge, London. Cadbury merged with
J. S. Fry & Sons in 1919, and with
Schweppes in 1969 to form Cadbury Schweppes until Schweppes was demerged in 2008. Cadbury was bought by
Kraft Foods Inc. in 2010, and is now a brand of
Mondelez International.
Caffè Nero Group Ltd — is a company that operates a multinational
coffeehouse chain and has its own roastery. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1997 by
Gerry Ford who remains the owner. In 2001 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange before going private again in 2007. Its subsidiaries are
Harris + Hoole,
Coffee#1, and Aroma Coffee.
Caffia Coffee Group — is a supplier of coffee machines and coffee products to the workplaces and restaurants market. It is a family-run business headquartered in
Falkirk, Scotland. It was founded in 1985 as Lomond Coffee Services. In 2013 it was renamed Caffia Coffee Group.
cahoot — is a financial services company providing online banking. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. Formerly part of
Abbey National, it is now part of
Santander UK.
Cake Entertainment — is a TV series production and distribution company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in London.
Cala Group (Holdings) Limited — is a house building company. It was founded in 1875 as the City of Aberdeen Land Association. In 2014 it acquired Banner Homes. In 2018 it was acquired by
Legal & General. In 2022 its revenue was £1.2 billion, with a net income of £93 million.
Caledonia Investments plc — is an investment trust headquartered in London. It originated in 1928 as The Foreign Railways Investment Trust Ltd. The
Cayzer family acquired it in 1951 to hold their business interests, and it was renamed Caledonia Investments. In 2003 it was converted into an investment trust company.
Cambridge & Counties Bank Ltd — is a bank offering property finance, asset finance, specialist car finance, and savings accounts for small to medium-sized businesses and credit unions. Headquartered in
Leicester, Leicestershire; it was founded in 2012. It is owned by
Trinity Hall and Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Scheme.
Camelot Group — is a lottery company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in
Watford.
Caparo Vehicle Technologies — was an automotive and aerospace design and engineering and sports car production company. It operated from 2006 to 2019.
Capital Gearing Trust plc — is an investment trust established in 1973. Since 1982 it has been managed by Capitol Gearing Asset Management, an employee ownership trust.
Capitol Films — was a film production and distribution company that operated from 1989 to 2013.
Card Factory plc — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail websites offering greetings cards, calendars, and small gifts. It also produces cards and calendars. It is headquartered in
Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It was founded in 1997 by Dean and Janet Hoyle. In 2010 it was acquired by
Charterhouse Capital Partners, and in 2014 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange.
Carpetright Ltd — is a multinational company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering carpets, other floor coverings, beds, mattresses, curtains, blinds, and artificial grass. It is headquartered in
Purfleet, Essex. It was founded in 1988 by
Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham. In 1993 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2019/2020 it was acquired by Meditor, and returned to private ownership. Its acquisitions include: Mays World of Carpets, Storey Carpets, and Sleepright UK.
Cater Allen — is a financial services company providing private banking. Established in 1816, its headquarters is in London. Its parent company is
Santander Group.
Caterham Cars — is an automobile company manufacturing sports cars and F1 cars. Established in 1973 at
Caterham,
Surrey, its headquarters is in
Crawley,
Sussex. It has also traded as Seven Cars Limited. In 2021 it was acquired by VT Holdings.
Celltech — was a biotechnology company that operated from 1980 to 2004. Its headquarters was in
Slough. In 1999 it was acquired by
Chiroscience to briefly become Celltech Chiroscience. Celltech was acquired by
UCB in 2004.
Central Electricity Generating Board — was an electricity generation and transmission company that operated from 1957 to 2001. It began as a government owned body until it was privatised in the 1990s. Its headquarters was in London.
Centrica — is a multinational energy company supplying electric and gas, as well as a services company. Established in 1997, its headquarters is in
Windsor, Berkshire. It was formed when
British Gas plc was split into Centrica,
BG Group, and
Transco. Its trading names include British Gas, Scottish Gas,
Bord Gais Energy, and Phoenix Gas. In 2022 its revenue was £33.6 billion, with a net income loss of £636 million.
Century 21 Productions - was a television and film production company. See
AP Films.
CeX Ltd (Complete Entertainment eXchange; trading as CeX Entertainment Exchange) — is a multinational second hand retail store chain and retail website buying and selling technology, computer goods, video games, dvds, cds, and providing technology repair. It is headquartered in
Watford, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1992 in London as 'Computer Exchange'. The store chain is a mixture of franchises and centrally owned stores. In 2013 CeX Group founded 'Designer Exchange' as a second hand store chain buying and selling items such as luxury leather goods, jewellery, and handbags.
Charge Automotive — was the former name of electric vehicle manufacturing company
Arrival.
Charles Church Developments Ltd — is an upmarket house building company headquartered in
York, North Yorkshire. It was founded in 1965 by Charles JG Church as Burke and Church. In 1972 it was renamed Charles Church Developments. It acquired County Homes in 1987. In 1996 it was acquired by
Beazer Group plc. In 2001 Beazer was acquired by
Persimmon plc which retained Charles Church Developments as a subsidiary.
Charles Urban Trading Company — was a film production company that operated from 1903 to 1914/1918. Its headquarters was in London.
Chemring Group plc — is a manufacturer of advanced technology products for the aerospace, defence, and security markets. It is headquartered in
Romsey, Hampshire. It was founded in 1905 as The British, Foreign & Colonial Automatic Light Controlling Company which manufactured timers for gas street lightings. In 1974 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. It has made a number of acquisitions in the UK, US, and continental Europe. Its subsidiaries include
Roke Manor Research. In 2022 its revenue was £442 million, with a net income of £47 million.
Chester Waterworks Company — was a utility company supplying water that operated from 1838 to 1997. Headquartered in
Chester, it was formerly known as the City of Chester Waterworks Company. In 1997 it became part of
Dee Valley Water.
Child & Co. — was a financial services company providing private banking and wealth management. Formerly a goldsmiths, it was established in 1664 and was the oldest bank in the U.K. Headquartered in London, it became a brand of the
Royal Bank of Scotland until 2022.
Children's Film Unit — was a film production company that operated from 1981 to 2011.
Chime Communications Limited — is a marketing services company. Established in 1989, its headquarters is in London.
Chiroscience — was a biotechnology company that operated from 1991 to 1999. In 1996 it was merged with Darwin Molecular Corporation. In 1999 it was acquired by
Celltech who, in 2004, were acquired by
UCB.
C. Hoare & Co(also known as Hoares) — is a
private bank offering mortgages, savings, and loans to mainly
high-net-worth clients. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1672 by
Sir Richard Hoare and is still owned by his descendants.
Chorion — was a media, film and TV production and distribution company. It operated from 1998 to 2012.
Chorley and District Building Society(trading as Chorley Building Society) — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, and insurance. It is headquartered in
Chorley, Lancashire. It was founded in 1859 as The Chorley Permanent Benefit Building Society and was incorporated in 1874.
Churchill Mining — is a coal mining company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
Cineguild Productions — was a film production company that operated from 1944 to 1951.
Cineworld — is an international cinema chain company. Established in 1995, its headquarters is in London. In 2022 its revenue was £1.8 billion, with a net income loss of £565 million.
Cirkle — is a public relations company. Established in 1986, its headquarters is in
Beaconsfield. In 2022 it was acquired by Accordience.
CiteAb — is a biotechnology and life sciences data company that provides a search engine for research antibodies. Established in 2014, its headquarters is in
Bath, Somerset.
City of London Investment Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on UK equities. Headquartered in London, it is listed on both the
London Stock Exchange and the
New Zealand Stock Exchange. It was founded in 1861 as the City of London Brewery Company Ltd in order to acquire Calverts (a brewery in the City of London). In 1932 it was renamed The City of London Brewery and Investment Trust Ltd to reflect that parts of the business had been sold and the proceeds invested in securities. In 1968 the remnants of the brewery business were sold in order to focus solely on investment. It is managed by
Janus Henderson.
Clarks — is the trading name of C. & J. Clark International Ltd, an international shoe manufacturer and retailer.
Clarkson plc — is a provider of shipping services including shipbroking, finance, support, and research. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1852 by Horace Anderton Clarkson. In 2022 its revenue was £603 million, with a net income of £79 million.
Clearwater Features — was a film and TV production company that operated from 1979 to 1990. Its headquarters was in London.
Clerical Medical — is a financial services company providing life insurance, pensions, and investment. Established in 1824, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as the Medical, Clerical and General Life Assurance Society. Its parent company is
Lloyds Banking Group.
Clinton Cards Ltd (trading as Clintons) — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering greetings cards, soft toys, and small gifts. It also produces cards and other items. It is headquartered in
Loughton, Essex. It was founded in 1968 by
Don Lewin. In 1988 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2004 it acquired
Birthdays Ltd. In 2012 it went private again and from 2012 to 2018 it was owned by
American Greetings; from 2018 to 2019 by the Weiss family; and from 2019 by Esquire Retail Ltd.
Close Brothers Group plc — is a merchant banking company that provides lending, takes deposits, manages wealth, and trades in
securities. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1878 by
William Brooks Close and his brothers Fred and James Close in
Sioux City, Iowa, US. In 2022 its revenue was £936 million, with a net income of £165 million.
Cloud Eight Films — is a film and television production company. Established in 2009, its headquarters is in London.
Coalite Company — was a coke, petrol, and oils production company that operated from 1917 to 2004. Established in London, its headquarters was in
Bolsover. It was also known as The Coalite Chemicals Company.
Cocoa Mountain — is a producer of chocolate confectionery. It also operates two cafes. Headquartered in
Durness, Scotland; it was founded in 2006 by James Findlay and Paul Maden.
Codex Pictures — was a film production company that operated from 2008 to 2013. Its headquarters was in London.
Colne Valley Water — was a utility company supplying water. It operated from 1873 to 1994. In 1994 it was merged into Three Valleys Water.
Comben Homes — was a house building company. It was founded in 1907 by James White Comben and William Henry Wakeling as Comben & Wakeling. In 1972 it acquired Ryedale Homes and was renamed Comben Group, trading as Comben Homes. In 1984 it was acquired by
Trafalgar House and became part of its
Ideal Homes house building operation.
Compass Group — is a British multinational contract
food service, cleaning, and facilities management company. Established in 1941, its headquarters is in
Chertsey. It was formerly known as Factory Canteens Limited, and Bateman Catering. In 2022 its revenue was £25.1 billion, with a net income of £1.1 billion.
Computacenter plc — is a multinational provider of computer services to the public-sector and private-sector. It is involved in the supply, implementation, support, and management of information technology systems. It is headquartered in
Hatfield, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1981 by
Philip Hulme and
Peter Ogden. In 2022 its revenue was £6.4 billion, with a net income of £184 million.
Computer Film Company — was a film visual effects company. Established in 1986, its headquarters was in London. In 1997 it was merged with
Framestore.
Consolidated Gold Fields — was a gold mining company that operated from 1887 to 1988. Headquartered in London, it was acquired by
Hanson.
Convatec — is a medical devices company. Established in 1978, its headquarters is in
Reading, Berkshire. It was formerly a division of
E.R. Squibb & Sons, Inc. In 2022 its revenue was $2 billion, with a net income of $62 million.
Co-op Funeralcare — is the trading name of Funeral Services Ltd, a provider of funeral services.
The Co-operative Bank plc — is a financial services company offering banking services. Established in 1872, its headquarters is in
Manchester. It was first formed as the Loan and Deposit Department of the
Co-operative Wholesale Society. In 2009, it merged with the
Britannia Building Society. In 2018, it had an operating income of £369 million. It is owned by The Co-operative Bank Holdings Ltd.
The Co-operative Group — trading as Co-op is a consumers' co-operative retail group offering food, e-pharmacy, insurance services, legal services, funeral care, and land and property management. Established in 1844, its headquarters is
One Angel Square,
Manchester. First established as the
Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, in 1872 it became The Co-operative Wholesale Society. In 2020 its revenue was £11.5 billion, with a net income of £77 million.
Co-operative Retail Trading Group — was the central buying group for co-operative retail societies in the United Kingdom. It operated from 1993 to 2015 when it was succeeded by Federal Retail Trading Services. Headquartered in Manchester, it was managed by
The Co-operative Group.
Cooper Car Company — is a manufacturer of racing cars, and sports cars. Established in 1947, its headquarters is in
Surbiton,
Surrey.
COPA90 — is a football media company. Headquartered in London, it was founded in 2012. It was previously named Bigballs Media.
Coral — is a gambling company. Established in 1926, its headquarters is in London. It is owned by
Entain plc.
Corbyn, Stacey & Company — was a pharmaceuticals, and retail chemists company that operated from 1726 to 1927. It was headquartered in London.
Countryside Partnerships plc — is a house building company headquartered in
Brentwood, Essex. It was founded in 1958. In 2014 it was merged with Millgate. In 2022 its name was changed from Countryside Properties to Countryside Partnerships. In June 2022 it was acquired by Inclusive Capital Partners (In-Cap), and then in November it was acquired by
Vistry Group plc.
Coutts & Company — is a financial services company offering private banking and wealth management. Established in 1692, its headquarters is in London. Its parent company is
NatWest Holdings which is owned by the
NatWest Group. In 2018 its revenue was £681 million, with a net income of £268 million.
Cove Energy plc — was an oil and gas exploration company that operated from 2009 to 2012. Its headquarters was in London. In 2012 it was acquired by
PTT Exploration and Production.
Coventry Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, and banking. It is headquartered in
Coventry, West Midlands. It was founded in 1884 by Thomas Mason Daffern and became the Coventry Permanent Economic Building Society. It was later renamed the 'Coventry Economic' and then the 'Coventry Building Society'. Its acquisitions include: the Coventry & District Permanent Money Society in 1970, the Stourbridge, Lye & District Permanent Building Society in 1976, the Coventry Provident Building Society in 1983, and the
Stroud & Swindon Building Society in 2010.
Cow & Gate — was a manufacturer of dairy products, and babyfood. Established in 1882, its headquarters was in
Guildford, Surrey. It was formerly known as West Surrey Dairy, and West Surrey Central Dairy Company Limited. In 1959 it merged with
United Dairies to form
Unigate which became
Uniq plc and was acquired by
Greencore. The Cow & Gate brand continues as a specialist baby food brand, owned by
Danone.
Cranswick plc — is a food producer and supplier of mainly meat products. It is headquartered in
Hull. It was founded in 1974 by a number of Yorkshire farmers as a pig feed producer named Cranswick Mill. Diversifying into food production, it now breeds and rears pigs for its products. Its brands include Bodega, Weight Watchers, Woodall's, Simply Sausages, Red Lion Foods, and The Black Farmer. In 2022 its revenue was £2 billion, with a net income of £103 million.
Crest Nicholson plc — is a house building company headquartered in
Weybridge, Surrey. It was founded in 1963 by Bryan Skinner as Crest Homes. A number of unrelated acquisitions included the yacht maker Camper & Nicholsons leading to the renaming as Crest Nicholson. In 2022 its revenue was £913 million, with a net income of £26 million.
Croda International plc — is a chemicals company that produces consumer and industrial products. Established in 1925, its headquarters is in
Snaith,
East Riding of Yorkshire. In 2022 its revenue was £2 billion, with a net income of £653 million.
Crookes Healthcare — is a manufacturer of healthcare products and pharmaceuticals. Established in 1918 in London, its headquarters is in
Lenton, Nottingham. It was formerly known as Crookes Collosols, and The Crookes Laboratories. In 1960 it was acquired by
Arthur Guinness Son and Company, then in 1971 it was acquired by
Boots, and, in 2006, it was acquired by
Reckitt Benckiser.
Crosby Homes — was a house building company headquartered in
Solihull, West Midlands. It was founded in the mid 1920s by James Crosby. In 1986 the Crosby family accepted a management buyout. In 1991 it was acquired by
Berkeley Group Holdings who, in 2003, sold it to its management. In 2005 it was acquired by
Lendlease and renamed Crosby Lend Lease.
Crosslé Car Company — is a racing car manufacturing company. Established in 1957, its headquarters is in
Holywood, Northern Ireland.
Crown Film Unit — was a government-owned film production company that operated from 1940 to 1952. It was formerly the
GPO Film Unit.
Cumberland Building Society(trading as The Cumberland) — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, banking, investments, and insurance. It is headquartered in
Carlisle, Cumbria. It was founded in 1850 as a
freehold land society named the Cumberland Co-operative Land and Benefit Building Society. Its subsidiaries include: Cumberland Estate Agents, and Borderway Finance.
Currys plc — is a multinational electrical and telecommunications retail and services company. It was established in 2014 by the merger of
Dixons Retail and
Carphone Warehouse Group to form Dixons Carphone. Its headquarters is in London. In 2021 it was renamed Currys plc and the Currys brand also replaced the PC World, Team Knowhow and Carphone Warehouse brands. In 2022 its revenue was £10.1 billion, with a net income of £222 million.
Curzon Cinemas — is a cinema chain, film distributor, and video on demand company. It was established in 1934. In 2019 it was acquired by
Cohen Media Group. Its subsidiary is
Curzon Film.
D
Darktrace plc — is a cybersecurity company headquartered in
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and
San Francisco US. It was founded through cooperation between British intelligence agencies and Invoke Capital (owned by
Mike Lynch). In 2022 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. Its revenue for 2022 was $415 million, with a net income of $1.5 million.
Davrian Developments — was an automobile manufacturing company that operated from 1967 to 1983. It was headquartered in
Clapham, London, then
Tregaron, Wales, and then
Lampeter, Wales.
Debenhams plc — was a company that operated a department store chain offering clothing, beauty products, household items, furniture, and formerly food. It also had instore restaurants, provided store card and credit card services, offered insurance products, and had a retail website. It was headquartered in London. It was founded in 1778 by William Clark as a London
draper's store. In 1813
William Debenham became a partner and it was renamed 'Clark & Debenham'. Its product range was expanded and new shops opened. It was renamed: 'Debenham, Pooley & Smith', then 'Debenham, Son & Freebody' in the 1850s, then 'Debenham & Hewitt' in 1876. In 1905 it was incorporated as Debenhams Ltd. In 1927 it acquired the
Drapery Trust, and in 1928 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. By 1948 it had become the biggest department store chain in the UK. In 1986 it was acquired by the
Burton Group. In 1998 it was demerged from the Burton Group, and in 2003 was acquired by Baroness Retail Ltd which was a consortium of investment companies and Debenhams management. In 2020 it went into
administration and then
liquidation so that it was defunct in 2021. In 2021
Boohoo acquired the Debenhams brand and website but not the stores. The franchised store chain of Debenhams in the Middle East which is owned by
Alshaya Group is still trading.
Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc — is a pharmaceutical company that develops and markets
veterinary medicine products. It is headquartered in
Northwich, Cheshire. It was founded in 1997 by a management buy-out from
Lloyds Chemists. In 2023 it was acquired by
EQT Partners. In 2022 its revenue was £681 million, with a net income of £58 million.
Deloitte — is a multinational professional services network. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1845.
Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company — was a pencil making company based in
Keswick, Cumbria. It was founded in 1832 as Banks, Son & Co and renamed the Cumberland Pencil Company in 1916. In 1980 it was acquired by Rexel (now
ACCO Brands) to become one of their brands. It produces pencils, paints, pastels, pens, and other art accessories.
Derwent London plc — is a property investment and development company headquartered in London. It was established in 1984 by
John Burns using
Derwent Valley Holdings as a shell company. In 2007 it was merged with London Merchant Securities plc to form Derwent London. In 2022 its revenue was £248 million, with a net income loss of £280 million.
DFS Furniture plc — is a company that operates a multinational furniture retail store chain and retail website, and is also a furniture manufacturer. It is headquartered in
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. In 1969 Graham Kirkham founded Northern Upholstery. In 1983 Kirkham purchased DFS Furniture ltd which had been founded by the Hardy family, and renamed Northern Upholstery as 'DFS'. In 1993 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange before going private again in 2004. In 2010 it was acquired by
Advent International. In 2015 it was floated on the London Stock Exchange again. Its acquisitions include: Sofa Workshop,
Dwell, and
Sofology.
Dial-a-Phone — was a mobile phone retail company that operated from 1995 to 2014. Its headquarters was in
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
Diploma plc — is a distributor of specialised technical products and services in the sectors of controls, seals, and life sciences. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1931 and was a distributor of electronic components, building products, and special steels. In 2022 its revenue was £1 billion, with a net income of £95 million.
DiscoverIE Group plc - is an international designer and manufacturer of specialised electronic components for industrial use. It is headquartered in
Guildford, Surrey. It was founded in 1986 by John Curry as Acal plc. In 2017 it was renamed discoverIE Group (short for discover Innovative Electronics). Its acquisitions include: BFI Opticals, Myrra Group, Trafo Holdings SA, and Foss As Fiberoptisk Systemsalg. In 2022 its revenue was £379 million, with a net income of £25 million.
DNA Bioscience — was a biotechnology company offering a DNA paternity testing service. It operated from 2003 to 2005.
DNA Films — is a film and television production company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1997 by
Andrew Macdonald and
Duncan Kenworthy. The television division with Walt Disney Television is named DNA TV Limited.
DNEG — is a film visual effects, animation, and stereo conversion company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Double Negative.
Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd — is a company that operates a chain of
garden centres, a number of which also include an in-store restaurant, and food hall. It also operates several tourist attractions such as Anker Wood. Headquartered in
Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland; it was founded in 1865 by James Dobbie as a seeds business. In 1997 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2007 it was acquired by
Tesco plc who, in 2016, sold it to an investors group led by Midlothian Capital Partners, and Hattington Capital.
Dolomite Bio — is a biotechnology company that creates products for high throughput single cell research. Established in 2016, its headquarters is in
Royston, Hertfordshire. It is part of Blacktrace Holdings Ltd.
Domino's Pizza Group plc — is a UK based
master franchise of international pizza delivery chain
Domino's. Headquartered in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, it was founded in 1985. In 2011 it acquired a majority stake in the master franchise for Domino's in Germany. In 2012 it acquired Domino's Pizza Switzerland AG but sold it in 2021. In 2022 its revenue was £600 million, with a net income of £81 million.
Douglas Equipment — was a company manufacturing support vehicles for airports, aircraft, and docks. Established in 1947, its headquarters was in
Cheltenham. It was formerly known as FL Douglas. It was later purchased by
Textron and survives as a brand.
Dr. Martens plc — is a footwear and clothing manufacturer headquartered in
Wollaston, Northamptonshire. It was first known as R. Griggs Group who, in 1960, had bought the UK patents rights for the boots. In 2013 R. Griggs was bought by
Permira. In 2022 Dr. Martens plc had total revenue of £908 million, with a net income of £181 million.
Drax Group plc — is a power generation company that operates some power stations including the
Drax Power Station. It also runs a
biomass production and distribution business named Drax Biomass. It owns electricity supplier Haven Power, and electricity and gas supplier
Opus Energy. It is headquartered in
Drax, North Yorkshire. Its roots begin with the construction and running of the Drax Power Station by the state owned
Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). When the CEGB was privatised in 1990 it was transferred to
National Power which sold it to the
AES Corporation in 1999. In 2003 it was acquired by a number of financial institutions and in 2005 it became part of the Drax Group. In 2022 its revenue was £8.1 billion, with a net income of £82 million.
Dreams Ltd — is a company that manufactures and sells beds, mattresses, bedroom furniture, and bed linen. It operates a retail store chain, and retail website. It is headquartered in
Loudwater, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Clare. In 2013 it was put into
administration and then acquired by Sun European Partners who sold it to
Tempur Sealy in 2021.
Drimnin Distillery Company — is a producer of Scotch whisky that owns the Nc'nean distillery located in Drimnin,
Morvern, Scotland. The distillery was founded in 2017 by Annabel Thomas.
Drum Films — was a film and TV production company. See
Rogue Films.
Drummonds Bank — is a financial services company offering private banking and wealth management. Established in 1717, its headquarters is in London. It is a branch of the
Royal Bank of Scotland.
DS Smith plc — is a multinational manufacturer of fibre-based packaging with recycling, and paper manufacturing. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1940 by cousins David Gabriel Smith and David Solomon Smith. In 2022 its revenue was £7.2 billion, with net income of £315 million.
Dunelm Group plc — is a home furnishings retailer that operates a chain of stores, and a webstore. It also manufactures curtains, blinds, and accessories. It is headquartered in
Syston, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1979 by
Bill Adderley and Jean Adderley as a market stall before the first store opened in 1984. Its acquisitions include: Bellbird, Dorma bed linen brand, and World Stores including
Kiddicare. In 2022 its revenue was £1.5 billion, with a net income of £171 million.
E
Eagle-Lion Films — was a film production and distribution company that operated from 1945 to 1950.
Ealing Studios — is a film and television production company with a number of studios for hire. It is based in
Ealing, London.
Early Learning Centre — is a company that operates a multinational retail store chain and retail website offering toys for younger children, and baby equipment such as prams and cots. It also produces toys for its own brand. It is headquartered in
Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1974 by David John Beale. It was acquired by
John Menzies in 1985. In 2001 it was the subject of a management buyout. It was acquired by Eagle Retail Investments in 2004, then by
Mothercare in 2007. In 2019 it was acquired by
The Entertainer through its parent company Teal Group Holdings.
Eastern Electricity — was an energy company distributing and supplying electricity. It operated from 1948 to 1995. Headquartered in
Wherstead Park, Suffolk, it was also known as Eastern Group. In 1995 it was acquired by
Hanson plc.
EasyGroup Holdings — is a multinational brand licensing company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in
Kensington, London.
EasyMoney — is the trading name of financial services company E-Money Capital Ltd.
Ecology Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, and savings. It is focused on environmental sustainability. Headquartered in
Silsden, West Yorkshire; it was founded in 1981.
Ecora Resources plc — is a mining finance company. Established in 1967, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Diversified Bank Shares Limited, and until 2022 Anglo Pacific Group.
Ecosse Films - is a film and television production company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1988 by
Douglas Rae.
Edinburgh Investment Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on investments in larger companies. It is headquartered in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1899.
The Edrington Group Ltd — is an international spirits company headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland. It produces Scotch whisky, American whisky, gin, and rum. It was founded in 1961 by the Robertson sisters (Elspeth, Agnes, and Ethel) who had inherited the Scotch whisky interests developed by their grandfather and father. Its brands include
Highland Park,
Glenrothes,
Macallan,
The Famous Grouse,
Brugal rum, and others.
E. H. Booth & Co Ltd(trading as Booths) — is a company that operates a supermarket chain in
Northern England offering food, beverages, and household products including its own-brand products. It also has in-store restaurants. It is headquartered in
Ribbleton, Lancashire. It was founded in 1847 by
Edwin Henry Booth, and incorporated in 1896. In 1920 shares were offered to the employees, and in 2023 the company remains owned by the Booth family and employees.
Elstree Film Studios Ltd — operates Elstree Studios which is a film and TV production centre that was established in 1925. It is located at
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The company was founded in 2000 as Elstree Film and Television Studios Limited and is owned by
Hertsmere Borough Council. It has a partnership with
BBC Studioworks.
E-Money Capital Ltd(trading as EasyMoney) — is a banking and financial services company offering investments, savings, and loans based on peer-to-peer lending in the property sector. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 2001 by
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou as a credit card company.
Endeavour Mining - is a multinational mining company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1988 as Endeavour Financial, a mining finance company. In the early 21st century it diversified into mining operations. In 2022 its total revenue was $2.5 billion, with a net income of $21.9 million.
Energean plc — is an international oil and gas exploration and production company focused on natural gas. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 2007 as Agean Energy SA, a Greek owned business. In 2010 it was renamed Energean Oil and Gas, and in 2020 renamed Energean plc. It owns the
Karish gas field and the
Tanin gas field. In 2022 its revenue was $732 million, with a net income of $17 million.
Energie Group — is a company that operates two health club
franchises: énergie Fitness Clubs, and énergie Fitness for Women. Headquartered in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire; it was founded in 2003 by Jan Spaticchia. Its parent company is Empowered Brands.
English China Clays — was a company involved in mining
china clay, stone quarries, building, and housing development. It operated from 1919 to 1999. Headquartered in
St Austell, Cornwall, it was acquired by
Imetal.
Entain plc — is a multinational sports betting and gambling company headquartered in
Douglas, Isle of Man. It was founded in 2004 in Luxembourg as Gaming VC Holdings. In 2010 it was renamed GVC Holdings, and in 2019 renamed as Entain plc. Its brands include
bwin,
Coral,
Ladbrokes,
partypoker, and
Sportingbet. In 2022 its revenue was £4.2 billion, with a net income of £19.5 million.
Ernst & Young — is a multinational professional services partnership that mainly provides accounting services such as
assurance (which includes
financial audit), tax, consulting and advisory services. It is headquartered in London. Established in 1989, it was formed from the merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co.
Eros Films — was a film production and distribution company that operated from 1947 to 1961. Headquartered in London; it was founded by brothers Philip, Sydney, and Michael Hyams.
esbs — is the trading name of Earl Shilton Building Society.
Essex and Suffolk Water — is a utility company supplying water. Established in 1994, it was formed from the merger of Essex Water Company and Suffolk Water Company. It is headquartered in
Durham. Since 2000 it is part of
Northumbrian Water.
European Opportunities Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on investments in European companies. It was founded in 2000 and is managed by Devon Equity Management Ltd. It was formerly known as Jupiter European Opportunities Trust.
Everyman Media Group plc — is a cinema chain company operating Everyman Cinemas. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 2000 by Daniel Broch.
Extra Energy — was a utility company supplying gas and electricity that operated from 2014 to 2018. Its headquarters was in
Birmingham.
F
F & C Investment Trust plc — trading as Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, is an investment trust headquartered in London. It was founded in 1868 by
Philip Rose. In 1981 it created
Graphite Capital, a private equity company. In 2022 its revenue was £96.2 million, with a net income of £72 million.
FatFace Ltd — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering clothing and accessories. It also produces a number of brands. It was founded in 1988 by Tim Stade and Jules Leaver. In 2007 it was acquired by
Bridgepoint Capital. In 2020 ownership passed to its lenders and then in 2023 it was acquired by
Next plc.
Farboud Limited — is the former name of automobile manufacturer
Arash Motor Company.
Farmcare Trading Ltd — is a farming and wholesale company. Established in 1896, it was formerly part of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, and then
The Co-operative Group. It was also known as The Co-operative Farms. In 2014 it was sold to the
Wellcome Trust.
FDM Group — is an international recruitment company headquartered in London. It trains mainly graduates, returners to work, and ex-military personnel in its academies before sending them as consultants to its clients who are mainly banks and other financial institutions. It was founded in 1990 by Rod and Jacqueline Flavell as Flavell Divett. It focused on IT recruitment until it acquired Mountford Software in 1995. In 1998 it was renamed FDM Group. In 2022 its revenue was £330 million, with a net income of £34 million.
Ferguson plc — is a building materials company that is a distributor of plumbing and heating products. It was previously also a manufacturer of plumbing and heating products, and originally was a manufacturer of sheep shearing equipment. It was founded in 1887. It was formerly known as Wolseley plc. In 2021 it sold its UK operations and moved its main listing to the US.
Fidelity European Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on long-term investments in continental Europe. Founded in 1991, it was formerly named Fidelity European Values. It is managed by
Fidelity International.
Fine Arts Films — was a film and TV production company specialising in animation. It was founded in 1955 by
John David Wilson and operated until 1996.
Fingercuff Productions — was a film production company specialising in short films and corporate promotional films. It was founded in 2000 by James Webber and Jamie Hooper. It is now defunct.
Finsbury — was a public relations company. Established in 1994, its headquarters was in London. In January 2021, Finsbury,
The Glover Park Group (GPG), and Hering Schuppener completed a merger to become Finsbury Glover Hering. In December 2021, Finsbury Glover Hering and Sard Verbinnen & Co. merged and rebranded as
FGS Global,
Firmus Energy — is an energy company supplying gas and electricity. Established circa 2005, its headquarters is in
Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was formerly a subsidiary of
Bord Gáis. In 2019 it was acquired by Equitix.
First Choice Holidays Limited — is a travel company operating a travel agency, a tour operator, airlines, hotels, and cruise ships. Established in 1973, its headquarters is in
Luton, Bedfordshire. It was formerly known as Owners Abroad. Its parent company is
TUI AG.
Fisons — was a multinational pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and horticultural chemicals company. It operated from 1843 to 1995. Headquartered in
Ipswich, Suffolk, it was formerly known as Edward Packard and Company Ltd, and Packard and James Fison (Thetford) Limited. It was acquired by
Rhône-Poulenc in 1995.
Flow Energy — was an energy company supplying gas and electricity, and boilers. Established in 1998, its headquarters was in
Ipswich. It was originally part of Flowgroup plc. In 2018 it was acquired by
Co-op Energy and became defunct in 2020.
Focus Films — is a film production company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1982 by
David Pupkewitz and Marsha Levin.
FoolishPeople — is a theatre company, film production, and book publishing company. It was founded in 1989 by John Harrigan.
Fortnum & Mason plc — is a company that operates a luxury department store on
Piccadilly, London, four other stores, and a retail website. It is known for offering high quality food products such as food hampers. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason. It is owned by
Wittington Investments Ltd.
Foster Yeoman — was a construction materials company involved in quarrying and supplying stone and asphalt materials. It also operated a rail haulage line. Headquartered in
Marston Bigot, Somerset, it operated from 1923 to 2006 when it was merged into
Aggregate Industries.
Framestore — is a film visual effects company. Established in 1986, its headquarters is in London. It was merged with
Computer Film Company.
Frank PR — is a public relations company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London.
Frasers Group plc — is a retail, sport, and intellectual property company headquartered in
Shirebrook, Derbyshire. It owns the department store chain
House of Fraser, Sports Direct,
Jack Wills,
Game, Flannels,
USC,
Lillywhites,
Evans Cycles and others. Its intellectual property includes the brands
Everlast,
Lonsdale,
Slazenger, and
No Fear. It was established in 1982 by
Mike Ashley as Mike Ashley Sports. Later it was renamed Sports Direct International plc and in 2019 renamed Frasers Group plc. In 2022 its revenue was £4.6 billion, with a net income of £256 million.
Free Seed Films — is a film production company, established in 2012.
Freestream — is the former name of
Caparo Vehicle Technologies, an automotive and aerospace engineering company.
French Connection — is a manufacturer, retailer, and wholesaler of women's and men's clothing, accessories, perfumes, watches, eye glasses, and homeware. It operates an international retail store chain for the French Connection brand, and 12 stores for the Toast brand. Its other brands are YMC, Great Plains, and formerly
Nicole Farhi. It also has concessions in UK department stores, and supplies its products to other multi-brand retailers. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1972 by Stephen Marks. In 1984 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2021 it was acquired by MIP Holdings Ltd.
Freud Communications — is a public relations company. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
Fuel Juice Bars Ltd — is a company that operates a chain of juice bars offering fruit juices and smoothies. It is headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland, and was incorporated in 2004. It was previously named Skykirk Ltd.
Fulhold Pharma — is a pharmaceuticals company. Established in 2014, its headquarters is in
Macclesfield, Cheshire. It was formerly known as Fulhold Ltd.
Fulton's Foods — was a company that operated a frozen food retail chain. It was headquartered in
Darton, South Yorkshire. It was founded in 1960 by Jack Fulton as a poultry business. It diversified into frozen food in 1974 as Frozen Value Ltd. In 1997 it was the subject of a management buyout. In 2013 it was rebranded as Fulton's Foods. In 2020 it was acquired by
Poundland who later closed all of the remaining stores.
Funeral Services Ltd (trading as Co-op Funeralcare) — is a funeral services company providing funerals, burials, cremations, memorial masonry, and coffin production. Headquartered in
Manchester, its parent company is
The Co-operative Group.
Furness Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, investments, loans, credit cards, and insurance. Headquartered in
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria; it was founded in 1865. Its subsidiaries include: Furness Mortgage Services, and Furness Independent Financial Advisers.
Furniture Village — is a company that operates a furniture retail store chain and retail website. It is headquartered in
Slough, Berkshire. It was founded in 1989 by Peter Harrison and David Imrie with
Cadogan Estates. In 2001 Cadogan Estates sold its stake to the company management.
Fuse Universal — is an online education company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.
Future plc — is an international media company that has over 200 brands in magazine and internet publications, video production through Future Studios, and sales, marketing, and distribution through Marketforce. It is headquartered in
Bath, Somerset. It was founded in 1985 by
Chris Anderson as Future Publishing. Its brands include:
TechRadar,
PC Gamer,
Tom's Guide,
Tom's Hardware,
Marie Claire,
GamesRadar+, CinemaBlend, Android Central, IT Pro, Windows Central, How it Works, and many others. In 2022 its revenue was £825 million, with a net income of £122 million.
Gala Bingo — is a bingo company, established in 1991. It is owned by
Entain.
Gallagher Group — is a house building, civil engineering, quarrying, and property company. It is headquartered in
Aylesford, Kent. It was founded in 1973 by Pat Gallagher as a civil engineering and groundworks contractor. Its services include: building, civil engineering, plant and transport, building materials, landfill and restoration, property development, and farming and estate management.
Galliard Group Ltd — is a property development company that operates residential, hotel, and commercial projects. It is headquartered in
Loughton, Essex. It was founded in 1992 by
Stephen Conway. It has 3 divisions: Galliard Homes, Galliard Commercial, and Galliard Construction.
Galpharm International — is a pharmaceuticals company producing non-prescription medicine. Established in 1982, its headquarters is in
Dodworth, Barnsley. In 2008 it was acquired by
Perrigo Group.
Games Workshop plc — is a manufacturer of
miniature wargames headquartered in
Lenton, Nottingham. Its best known products are
Warhammer Age of Sigmar,
Warhammer 40,000, as well as The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit tabletop battle games. It also operates a chain of Games Workshop retail stores. It was founded in 1975 by
John Peake,
Ian Livingstone, and
Steve Jackson as a manufacturer of wooden boards for games. It later became an importer of
Dungeons & Dragons, and then published its own wargames and role-playing games. In 2022 its revenue was £386 million, with a net income of £128 million.
Gamesys — is a software development and gaming company. Established in 2001, its headquarters is in London. In 2021 it was acquired by
Bally's Corporation.
Gas Light and Coke Company — was an energy company that produced and supplied coal gas and coke. It operated from 1812 to 1949. Headquartered in
Westminster, London, it was also known as the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company, and as Chartered Gas Light and Coke Company. In 1949 it was nationalised to become part of the
North Thames Gas Board.
Gate Studios — was a film studios company that operated from 1924 to circa 1954. It was situated in
Borehamwood. It was previously named Whitehall Studios, Consolidated Studios, J.H. Studios, and M.P. Studios.
Gaumont British Picture Corporation — was a film company producing and distributing films, operating a cinema chain, and manufacturing film projection equipment. Established in 1898, its headquarters was in London. In 1941 it was acquired by
The Rank Organisation.
Gaymer Cider Company — was a producer of cider and other alcoholic drinks. It was established in the 18th century by Robert Gaymer. In 1961 it was acquired by
Showerings which merged with
Allied Breweries in 1968. In 1992 it was de-merged in a management buyout. In 1994 it was acquired by
Matthew Clark plc which was acquired by
Constellation Brands in 1998. In 2010 it was acquired by
C&C Group plc who subsumed it into the parent company.
GCM Resources — is a mining company with interests in open cast coal mining in
Bangladesh. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Asia Energy plc, and as Global Coal Management.
Gemfields — is a mining and jewellery company, established in 2007.
Genuit Group plc — is a manufacturer of plastic piping systems for the residential, commercial, civil, and infrastructure sectors. It is headquartered in
Edlington, South Yorkshire. It was founded in 1980 by Kevin McDonald and Geoff Harrison as Polypipe. In 1999 it was acquired by
IMI plc who sold it to
Castle Harlan in 2005. In 2007 it was the subject of a management buyout. In 2014 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange, and in 2021 it was renamed Genuit Group. In 2022 its revenue was £622 million, with a net income of £36 million.
Genus plc — is a producer of genetics and other biotechnology products for cattle and pigs. Established in 1933, its headquarters is in
Basingstoke, Hampshire. It was formerly the Breeding and Production Division of the
Milk Marketing Board. In 2022 its revenue was £593 million, with a net income of £36 million.
George Lister Engineering — was an automobile manufacturing company. See
Lister Motor Company.
George Wimpey — was a multinational construction company involved in housebuilding, civil and commercial construction, and formerly road surfacing. Established in 1880, its headquarters was in London. In 2007 it was merged with
Taylor Woodrow to form
Taylor Wimpey.
Ginetta Cars — is an automobile manufacturing company producing racing and sports cars. Established in 1958, its headquarters is in
Garforth,
Leeds.
GK Films — is a British-American film and television production company. It is headquartered in
Santa Monica, California, US. It was founded in 1990 by
Graham King and was formerly known as Initial Entertainment Group.
Glencore — is a Swiss / British multinational commodities trading, and mining company. Established in 1974, it was formerly known as Marc Rich + Co AG. Its headquarters is in
Baar, Switzerland. In 2019 its revenue was $215 billion, with net income of $1.5 billion.
GlenWyvis distillery — is a producer of Scotch whisky and gin located in
Dingwall, Scotland. It was founded in 2015 by John McKenzie.
Globe-Trotter — is a manufacturer of luxury luggage. It is headquartered in
Mayfair, London. It was founded in 1897 in
Dresden, Germany, and was formerly named Stabilist. In 1987 production was moved to
Waltham Forest, London.
Glory Film Co. — is a film and television production company.
Goldcrest Films — is a film company involved in film production, distribution, marketing, and financing. It was founded in 1977 by
Jake Eberts as Goldcrest Films International. Its headquarters is in London.
Grainger plc — is a residential property development and management company headquartered in
Newcastle upon Tyne. It was founded in 1912 by the Dickinson family as the Grainger Trust. In 2022 its revenue was £279 million, with a net income of £229 million.
Grand Metropolitan — was a leisure, manufacturing, and property
conglomerate. It operated hotels, holiday centres, catering, restaurants, brewing, dairies, bingo, and gambling concerns. It operated from 1934 to 1997. Headquartered in London, it was formerly known as Mount Royal Metropolitan Association (MRMA), and Grand Metropolitan Hotels. In 1997 it was merged with
Guinness Brewery to form
Diageo plc.
Grantura Engineering — was a sister company of sports car manufacturer
TVR.
Gray-Nicolls — is a
cricket equipment and clothing manufacturing company. Established in 1855 as H.J. Gray and Sons, it merged with L.J. Nicolls in the early 1940s. Headquartered in
Robertsbridge, East Sussex; its parent company is
Grays International.
Grays International — is a sports equipment manufacturing company, providing equipment for cricket, field hockey, rugby union and tennis. Headquartered in
Robertsbridge, East Sussex; its brands are
Gray-Nicolls, Gilbert Netball,
Gilbert Rugby, Grays Hockey, and Grays of Cambridge.
Graze — is a snack food company headquartered in London. Founded in 2008, it was purchased by
Unilever plc in 2019.
Great Portland Estates — is a property development and investment company. Most of its assets are in London where it is headquartered. It was founded in 1959 by Howard and
Basil Samuel to invest in properties first developed by the
Dukes of Portland. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange the same year. In 2007 it was converted into a
real estate investment trust. In 2021 it was rebranded as GPE. In 2022 its revenue was £84 million, with a net income of £167 million.
Great Western Railway (GWR) — was a British railway company that connected London with the south west, west, and West Midlands of England, and most of Wales. It was headquartered at
Paddington station, London. It was founded in 1833, was enabled by an Act of Parliament in 1835, and ran its first trains in 1838. The routes were engineered by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In 1921 the Railways Act amalgamated it with the remaining independent railways in its area. Many of its locomotives, carriages, and wagons were built in the company's workshops in
Swindon. It also operated ferry services to Ireland and the Channel Islands, operated
road motor services, was a part of the
Railway Air Services, and owned ships, canals, docks, and hotels. In 1947 it was nationalised and became the
Western Region of British Railways.
Greybull Capital — is a private investment company (purchasing and divesting distressed companies). Established in 2010, its headquarters is in
Knightsbridge, London.
Grosvenor Casinos — is a gambling company. Established in 1970, its headquarters is in Maidenhead. Its parent company is
The Rank Group.
Group Lotus - is a manufacturing company (production of sports and racing cars, and engineering development). See
Lotus Cars.
GSK plc — is a British multinational pharmaceutical company (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, oral healthcare, nutritional products, over the counter medicine). It was established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. Headquartered in
Brentford, London, it has one subsidiary. In 2022 its revenue was £29.3 billion, with a net income of £15.6 billion.
GTM Cars — is a kit car manufacturing company. Established in 1967, its headquarters is in
Kingswinford,
Dudley.
Gü – is a dessert manufacturing company that was founded by
James Averdieck in 2003 in London. In 2010 Gü was sold to
Noble Foods.
Gus Robinson Developments Ltd — is a house building and construction company. It is headquartered in
Hartlepool, County Durham. It was founded in 1976 by Gus Robinson. It specialises in
social housing as well as general construction.
GW Pharmaceuticals — is a biopharmaceutical medicines production company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.
H
Habitat — is a household furnishings retail company. Established in 1964, its headquarters is in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Its parent company is
Sainsbury's.
HAL Films — was a film production company from 1997 to 2012. Its headquarters was in London.
Halfords Group plc — is a retail chain company offering motoring products, cycling products, and electric bikes and scooters. It also provides vehicle servicing,
MOT, maintenance and repairs through its subsidiary
Halfords Autocentre. It also owns bike manufacturer
Boardman Bikes. It is headquartered in
Redditch, Worcestershire.
Frederick Rushbrooke founded it in 1892 as a wholesale ironmongery. In 1902 it began selling cycling products. It was acquired by
Burmah Oil in 1965; Ward White Group in 1983; the
Boots Group in 1989; and
CVC Capital Partners in 2003. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 2004.
Halifax — is a financial services company (banking and insurance). It was formerly a building society, and estate agents. Established in 1853, its headquarters is in
Halifax, West Yorkshire. It was formerly known as the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building and Investment Society, and
HBOS. From 2007 it was subsumed by the
Bank of Scotland but continued as a brand name.
Halma plc — is a British multinational group of safety equipment companies that make products for hazard detection and life protection. It is headquartered in
Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1894 in
Ceylon as the Nahalma Tea Estate Company Ltd and became the Nahalma Rubber Estate Company Ltd. After its tea and rubber plantations were nationalised or divested it became an investment and industrial holding company as Halma Investments Ltd. Later it became a manufacturer of health and safety products, and environmental products. In 2022 its revenue was £1.5 billion, with a net income of £244 million.
Halogen Communications — is a communications company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in Edinburgh.
Hamleys of London Ltd(trading as Hamleys) — is a company that operates a multinational chain of toy stores, and a retail website. It has 11 stores in the UK including its flagship store on
Regent Street, London which has 7 floors of sales space. It also has more than 90 international franchises. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1760 by William Hamley as a toy store named 'Noah's Ark' on
High Holborn. There have been many previous owners, including:
Lines Bros Ltd,
Debenhams plc,
Burton Group,
Harris Queensway,
Baugur Group,
Landsbanki, Groupe Ludendo, and C.Banner. Since 2019 it is owned by Indian company
Reliance Retail which is part of
Reliance Industries.
Hammer & Tongs — is a film and video production company.
Hammer Film Productions — is a film and television production company. Established in 1934, its headquarters is in London.
HandMade Films — is a film production and distribution company. Established in 1978, its headquarters is in London.
Hanley Economic Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, investments, loans, and insurance. It is headquartered in
Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It was founded in 1854 by
Earl Granville as The Staffordshire Potteries Economic Permanent Benefit Building Society. In 1930 it was renamed the 'Hanley Economic Building Society'.
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe - is an animation studio headquartered in London. Founded in 2007, it is owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios UK division of Warner Bros. International Television Production, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery International. It is also known as Great Marlborough Productions, and previously known as Cartoon Network Studios Europe and Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe.
Hanson plc — is a building materials company. It was formerly a conglomerate including
Imperial Tobacco,
The Energy Group,
Millennium Chemicals and others. It was also an asset trader, buying, restructuring and selling companies. Established in 1964, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Hanson Trust. Its parent company is
Heidelberg Cement.
Harbour Energy — is an oil and gas company headquartered in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 2014 by
Noble Group and
EIG Global Energy Partners. In 2021 the companies Chrysaor Holdings and
Premier Oil were merged and absorbed into Harbour Energy. In 2022 its revenue was $5.3 billion, with a net income of $8.2 million.
Hargreaves Lansdown plc — is a financial services company based in
Bristol that sells funds, shares, and related products to retail investors. It was founded in 1981 by
Peter Hargreaves and
Stephen Lansdown. In 2022 its revenue was £583 million, with a net income of £215 million.
Harrison Ainslie — was an iron production, and mining company from 1893 to 1913. It became the Charcoal Iron Company.
Harrods Ltd — is a company that operates the luxury department store Harrods located on
Brompton Road,
Knightsbridge, London. The store has 330 departments offering products such as clothing, food and drink, electronics, jewellery, sports gear, bridal dress, toys, books, health and beauty items, homeware, stationery, home appliances, furniture, pet accessories, and more. It also has 23 restaurants, a watch repair service, tailor, pharmacy, beauty spa and salon, and a barbers shop. It had operated Harrods Bank from 1893 to 2017. It was founded in 1849 by
Charles Henry Harrod as a small store which was expanded by his son
Charles Digby Harrod. In 1883 the store was destroyed by fire and then rebuilt on the same site. In 1889 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange and renamed 'Harrods Stores Ltd'. It was acquired by
House of Fraser in 1959 and then by the
Fayed brothers in 1985. In 2010 it was acquired by
Qatar Holdings, the
sovereign wealth fund of
Qatar. Its subsidiaries include estate agents
Harrods Estates, business and corporate aviation services provider
Harrods Aviation, and aircraft charter business
Air Harrods.
Harry Ramsden's — is a company that operates a fast food restaurant and takeaway chain offering
fish and chips and other themed dishes. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1928 by Harry Ramsden. In 1988 it was acquired by Merryweathers who expanded the business from one restaurant to a multinational chain. In 1989 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 1999 it was acquired by
Granada Ltd who merged with
Compass in 2000. In 2006 it was acquired by
EQT Partners as part of the SSP division. In 2010 it was acquired by Bopara Ventures who sold it to Deep Blue Restaurants in 2019.
Hartlepool Water — is a utility company (water supply). Formerly, it was also a gas supplier. Established in 1846, its headquarters is in
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. It was formerly known as Hartlepool Gas and Water Company. Since 1997 it is owned by
Anglian Water.
Hawk Films — is a film production company established in 1964.
Hays Travel Ltd — is a company that operates an independent
travel agent chain, and retail website. It is headquartered in
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. It was founded in 1980 by
John Hays and is now owned and led by his widow
Dame Irene Hays. In 2019 it acquired over 550 stores from
Thomas Cook Group which was in
liquidation. In 2020 it acquired Tailor Made Travel. Its brands include Hays Cruise, and Hays Faraway.
Headline Pictures — is a film and television production company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm — is a producer of cider, brandy, whisky, gin,
eau de vie, fruit wines, and apple juice. It also produces a variety of foodstuffs. It is located in
Penhallow, Cornwall. It was established in 1986 by David and Kay Healey and remains a family-run business. Its brands include Cornish Rattler Cyder, and Pear Rattler.
Helkon SK — is a former name of
Lionsgate UK, a film production and distribution company.
Hemdale Film Corporation — was a film production and distribution company from 1967 to 1995. Headquartered in London, it was later known as Hemdale Communications.
Henleys Clothing — was a men and womenswear company (clothes and shoes) from 1996 to 2011. Its headquarters was in
Manchester.
Henry Boot plc — is a property development, construction, and property management company. It is headquartered in
Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It was founded in 1886 by
Henry Boot. It expanded significantly during WWI with military and civil engineering contracts. After the war it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange and became a major house builder in both the public and private sectors. After WWII it was focused on general construction including in Europe. In 1965 it founded the Banner Building Society which was sold in 1982. The house building division was sold to
Wilson Bowden plc in 2003. Its remaining operations are: Henry Boot Developments (property development), Hallam Land Management (land and planning promotion), Henry Boot Construction (public and private sectors), Banner Plant Ltd (plant hire), Stonebridge Homes Ltd (housing), and Road Link (maintaining the A69). In 2021 its total revenue was £230 million, with a net income of £30 million.
Henry's House — is a public relations company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London.
Heyday Films — is a film production company. Established in 1996, its headquarters is in London.
Hg Capital Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on unquoted investments. It was founded in 1989 and is managed by
Hg.
HICL Infrastructure Company — is an investment trust company (infrastructure investments). It was established in 2006.
Hi-Gen Power — was an energy company (alternative energy). Established in 2009, it is now defunct. Its headquarters was in London.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc — is a British multinational company that manufactures pharmaceutical products. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1978 by
Samih Darwazah in
Amman, Jordan. Its acquisitions include Instituto Biochimico Pavese Pharma, Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries, APM, Alkan Pharma, Thymoorgan, Ribosepharm, Multi-Source Injectables, Promopharm, and others. In 2011 it founded the Al Dar Al Arabia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company in Algeria. In 2022 its revenue was $2.5 billion, with a net income of $191 million.
Hill & Smith plc — is a company that designs, manufactures and supplies products for the construction and infrastructure industries. It is headquartered in
Solihull, West Midlands. It was founded in 1824 by Edward Hill as Hills Ironworks at
Brierley Hill. Henry Smith joined the business which became Hill & Smith. Its acquisitions include Techspan Systems, Expamet, Hull Galvanising, ATG Access, National Signal Inc, and Widnes Galvanising. In 2022 its revenue was £732 million, with a net income of £56 million.
Hilton Food Group plc — is a food processing and packaging company headquartered in
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. It was founded in 1994 to operate a meat packing factory. In 2017 it acquired Seachill, a supplier of chilled and frozen salmon. In 2022 its revenue was £3.8 billion, with a net income of £19 million.
Hinckley and Rugby Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, and savings. It is headquartered in
Hinckley, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1983 by the merger of the Hinckley Building Society (founded in 1865) with the Rugby Provident Building Society (founded in 1861).
Hiscox plc - is an Anglo–Bermudian insurance company headquartered in
Hamilton, Bermuda. It is an underwriter at
Lloyd's of London, and originated as part of the Roberts agency in 1901. In 2022 its revenue was £2.7 billion, with a net income of £41.7 million.
Hochschild Mining — is a silver and gold mining company. Established in 1911, its headquarters is in London. In 2019 its revenue was $755 million, with total income of $41 million.
Hodge Bank — is the trading name of Julian Hodge Bank Ltd.
Holland & Barrett International(trading as Holland & Barrett) — is a company that operates a multinational retail store chain and retail website offering health foods, vitamins, supplements, homeopathy products, vegetarian and vegan foods, and beauty products. It also produces products for its own brand. It is headquartered in
Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It was founded in 1870 by Alfred Slapps Barrett and Major William Holland as a groceries and clothes business. It became a health products retailer in the 1970s when it was acquired by
Booker. It was acquired by
Lloyds Pharmacy in 1992;
NBTY in 1997; and
The Carlyle Group in 2010. Then in 2010 it was acquired by L1 Retail which is part of
LetterOne.
Home Bargains — is a division of
TJ Morris Ltd that operates a retail discount store chain offering grocery and general merchandise. It is headquartered in
Liverpool. It was founded in 1976 by
Tom Morris as Home Bargain. In 1995 it was renamed Home Bargains.
Horizon Discovery — is a biotechnology company (gene editing, producing genetically modified cells and organisms). Established in 2005, its headquarters is in
Cambridge.
Hotel Chocolat Group plc — is a company that produces chocolate and other cocoa related products to sell in its multinational chain of stores, cafes, restaurants, outlets, and a retail website. It also has a cocoa farm, and a hotel. It is headquartered in
Royston, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1993 by Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris as Chocolate Express. In 2003 it was rebranded as Hotel Chocolat. In 2016 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2023 it was acquired by
Mars Inc..
Howden Joinery Group plc — is the multinational parent company of the Howdens Joinery business which is a supplier of kitchens, bathroom cabinets, and joinery products to the building trade. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1995 by Matthew Ingle as a business unit within
MFI Furniture Group plc. In 2006 the name of MFI was changed to Galiform, and in 2010 it was changed to Howden Joinery Group. It trades in Belgium and France as Howdens Cuisines. In 2022 its revenue was £2.3 billion, with a net income of £374 million.
H. Samuel — is a company that operates a jewellery retail store chain and retail website. It is headquartered in
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Its roots are in a mid 1800s clockmaking and silversmith business run by Moses and Lewis Samuel in
Liverpool.
Harriet Samuel, Moses' daughter-in-law, took over the business and began its expansion. In 1948 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 1984 it acquired the James Walker Group. In 1986 it was acquired by Ratners Jewellers which rebranded as the Signet Group in 1992 with the remaining Ratners stores rebranded as H.Samuel.
HTK Ltd. — is a
software as a service company operating phone messaging and voice response services. It is headquartered in
Ipswich, Suffolk. It was founded in 1996 by Marlon Bowser and Adrian Gregory.
Hulton Colliery Company — was a coal mining company. Established in 1858, it is now defunct.
Huntsworth — is a public relations company. Established in 1974, its headquarters is in London.
Hurricane Films — is a film production company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in
Liverpool.
H. Weston & Sons Ltd - is a producer of cider and perry based in
Much Marcle, Herefordshire. It was founded in 1880 by Henry Weston and is still owned and run by the Weston family. Its brands include
Old Rosie, Henry Westons Vintage, Stowford Press, and others.
Iceland Foods Ltd (trading as Iceland) — is a company that operates a supermarket chain and retail website offering mainly frozen foods as well as non-frozen grocery products. It also produces own brand products, and operates another store chain called Food Warehouse. Previously it also sold kitchen appliances. It is headquartered in
Deeside, Wales. It was founded in 1970 by
Sir Malcolm Walker and Peter Hinchcliffe. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 1984. In 2000 it was merged with
Booker plc to form
The Big Food Group (Iceland's holding company) which was acquired by
Baugur Group in 2005. Baugur Group collapsed in 2009 leaving Iceland owned by Icelandic banks
Landsbanki and
Glitnir until a consortium including Malcolm Walker and
Graham Kirkham bought their stake. Its acquisitions include: St. Catherine's Freezer Centres, Orchard Frozen Foods, and
Bejam. In 2022 its revenue was £3.5 billion, with a net income loss of £3.6 million.
ICG Enterprise Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on investments in unquoted companies. Established in 1981, it is headquartered in London. It was formerly the Graphite Enterprise Trust under the management of
Graphite Capital. In 2016 Intermediate Capital Group took over the management of the trust which was renamed the ICG Enterprise Trust.
Ideal Film Company (aka Ideal Films) — was a film production and distribution company from 1911 to 1934. Its headquarters was in London.
Ideal Homes — was a house building company. It was founded in 1929 by Leo Meyer and Philip Shepherd as New Ideal Homesteads. In 1934 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange under the new holding company Ideal Building & Land Development. It expanded during the 1930s, and during WWII fulfilled government contracts. After the war it focused on the purchase and sale of tenanted properties. Also, it built
public housing for local authorities through its subsidiary Carlton Contractors. In the 1950s it moved back to private house building. In 1967 it was acquired by
Trafalgar House. Its own acquisitions included
Comben Homes and
Broseley Estates Limited. In 1996 Ideal Homes was acquired by
Persimmon plc.
IG Group — is a financial services company. Established in 1974, its headquarters is in London. In 2019 its revenue was £488 million, with net income of £158 million.
IMI plc — is an engineering company headquartered in
Birmingham. Its 3 business divisions are critical engineering,
precision engineering, and hydronic engineering. It was founded in 1862 by
George Kynoch as a
percussion cap factory trading as
Kynoch. The business was diversified into manufacturing a range of products until in the early 20th century it had an expertise in
metallurgy. After World War I it merged with
Nobel Enterprises. In 1926 it acquired
Eley Brothers, an ammunitions manufacturer. Then named Nobel Explosives, it was merged with 3 other companies to form
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) where it operated as ICI Metals. In 1962 it was renamed Imperial Metal Industries Ltd (IMI). In 1978 it became fully independent from ICI. In 2022 its revenue was £2 billion, with a net income of £226 million.
Immunocore — is a biotechnology company (biological drugs). Established in 2008, its headquarters is in
Oxford.
Impax Environmental Markets plc — is an investment trust focused on environmental companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. It was founded in 2002.
Imperial Brands - is a multinational tobacco company also involved in logistics through one of its 5 subsidiaries
Logista. It was established in 1901 through the amalgamation of 13 separate tobacco companies to form Imperial Tobacco Group. Headquartered in Bristol, its 2020 revenue was £32.5 billion, with a net income of £1.5 billion.
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) — is a chemicals manufacturing company (paints, pharmaceuticals, polymers, food ingredients, electronic materials, agrochemicals, fabrics, motorcycles), 1926–2008. Headquartered in London, in 2008 it was acquired by
Akzo Nobel.
Inchcape plc — is a British multinational automotive distribution, retail, and services company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1847 by
William Mackinnon and
Robert Mackenzie as the Mackinnon Mackenzie Company based in
Calcutta, India. Later restructured as Inchcape plc, it had operations in shipping, timber, business machines, automotive distribution and services, product testing, insurance brokerage, and bottling. From the 1980s it divested all operations except its automotive divisions. In 2022 its revenue was £8.1 billion, with a net income of –£6.2 million.
Inchcape Shipping Services — is a British multinational ports and marine management company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1947 as part of the
Mackinnon Mackenzie Company. It is now owned by Epiris LLP.
Ineos Group Ltd — is a British multinational
conglomerate producing chemical substances, petrochemicals, and plastics. It also has interests in fuel, energy, oil distribution, packaging and food, construction, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and professional sports. It consists of about 20 standalone business units; each with its own board. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1998 by
Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It has made many acquisitions of companies and divisions such as the chemical businesses of
BP,
ICI, and
BASF. Its joint ventures include Petroineos with
PetroChina, and PQ Corporation. It also owns
INEOS Styrolution.
Initial Entertainment Group - was a film and television production company. See
GK Films.
Informa plc — is a publishing, business intelligence, and exhibitions company headquartered in London. It owns a number of brands including
CRC Press, Fan Expo HQ,
Game Developers Conference,
Routledge, and
Taylor & Francis. In 2018 it acquired
UBM plc. It was founded in 1998 by the merger of IBC Group plc with LLP Group plc. In 2022 its revenue was £2.2 billion, with a net income of £1.6 billion.
IntegraFin Holdings plc — is a finance company that owns Integral Financial Arrangements Ltd which operates the Transact investment platform. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1990 by Mike Howard. In 2022 its revenue was £133 million, with a net income of £44 million.
Intercontinental Hotel Group plc — is a British multinational hospitality company managing, franchising, or owning hotels and resorts. It is headquartered in
Windsor, Berkshire. It was founded in 2003 from a split of
Six Continents Hotels plc, having originated as a part of
Bass Charrington. In 2022 its revenue was $3.8 billion, with a net income of $376 million.
Intermediate Capital Group (iCG) - is a
private equity investment firm whose activities include financial services and asset management. Established in 1989, its headquarters is in London. As of 2020 it has €45 billion of assets under management. Its 2020 revenue was £413 million, with a net income of £110.6 million.
International Airlines Group (AIG; its full name is International Consolidated Airlines Group) — is an Anglo-Spanish multinational airlines holding company. Established in 2011, its headquarters are in London and
Madrid, Spain. It was formed from the merger of
British Airways and
Iberia. In 2019 its revenue was £25.5 billion, with a net income of £1.7 billion.
Intertek Group plc — is a British multinational assurance, inspection, testing, and certification company headquartered in London. It was formerly part of
Inchcape plc as Inchcape Testing Services. In 2022 its revenue was £3.1 billion, with a net income of £306 million.
Investec plc — is an Anglo-South African international financial services company offering banking and wealth management services. It is headquartered in London and
Sandton, South Africa. It is dual listed on the
London Stock Exchange and the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The
dual listed company's structure has Investec plc as the holding company for the majority of the group's non-South African operations, and Investec Ltd as the holding company for the majority of the Group's South African operations. It was founded in 1974 by Larry Nestadt, Errol Grolman, and Ian Kantor in
Johannesburg. In 1988 Investec Bank Ltd was restructured into Investec Group Ltd. In 1992 it entered the UK market with the acquisition of Allied Trust Bank Ltd. Its later acquisitions include
Guinness Mahon,
Hambros plc, Kensington Group plc, Experien (pty) Ltd, NCB, and Amicus Commercial Finance. In 2020 the asset management business was demerged and listed as
Ninety One plc. In 2023
Rathbones acquired Investec's wealth and investment businesses in the UK, and Channel Islands. In 2022 Investec's revenue was £1.9 billion, with a net income of £556 million.
Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd — is a producer of Scotch whisky that owns the Arran distillery located in
Lochranza, Isle of Arran, Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1995 by Harold Currie.
Isle of Man Film — is a film production and finance company. Established in 1995, its headquarters is in the
Isle of Man.
ITC Entertainment (aka Incorporated Television Company (ITC)) - was a television and film production and distribution company from 1954 to 1998. Its headquarters was in London.
ITH Pharma — is a pharmaceuticals company (intravenous medication). Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.
Itsu — is a chain of East Asian inspired fast food shops and restaurants, and is a grocery retail company. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1997 by
Julian Metcalfe. From 2010 it was part of
Metcalfe's Food Company until it was split out as a separate company in 2015.
IXICO — is a biotechnology (data analytics for clinical research). Established in 2004, its headquarters is in London.
J
J & G Grant Ltd — is a Scotch whisky producer that owns the Glenfarclas distillery in
Ballindalloch, Scotland. The distillery dates from before 1791 and since 1865 it has been owned by John Grant and his descendants.
Jacobs & Turner Ltd(trading as Trespass) — is a clothing company that produces the Trespass brand of sportwear and outdoor clothing that specialises in skiwear, water-proof jackets, fleece, walking boots, camping goods, and accessories. It operates a multinational clothing retail chain, and a retail website. It is headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1938 as a producer of technical workwear. In 1984 it introduced the Trespass brand and moved into producing and selling sportswear and outdoor clothing.
JAG Communications — was a mobile phones retail company from 1989 to 2010. It was headquartered at
Perranporth, Cornwall.
James Hay Partnership — is a financial services company (pension products, investment). Established in 1979, its headquarters is in
Salisbury, Wiltshire. In 1990 it became part of
Abbey National and then
Santander UK before being sold to the IFG Group plc in 2010.
James Woolley, Sons and Co. — was a manufacturing company (pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment, trusses, talcum powder, cordials, photographic equipment), from 1833 to 1962. Headquartered in
Manchester, in 1962 it was acquired by
British Drug Houses.
JBA Motors — was a manufacturing company (automobile production) from 1982 to 2007. Established in
Norwich,
Norfolk, it was later headquartered in
Standish, Greater Manchester. It was formerly known as JBA Engineering.
J Barbour & Sons Ltd — is a private company that manufactures waxed cotton jackets, other clothing, footwear, and accessories. It is headquartered in Simonside,
South Shields. It was founded in 1894 by J Barbour as an importer of oil cloth.
J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd(trading as JCB) — is a multinational manufacturer of equipment for construction, agriculture, waste handling, and demolition. Its products include: mechanical
backhoes,
excavators,
forklift trucks,
dumpsters,
loaders, tractors, diesel engines, diesel generators, axles and gearboxes. It is headquartered in
Rocester, Staffordshire. It was founded in 1945 by
Joseph Cyril Bamford as Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. Its subsidiaries include JCB Finance, and JCB Insurance Services.
JC Vickery — is a consumer goods company. Established in 1890, its headquarters is in London.
JD Sports Fashion - is a sports fashion retail company. Established in 1981, its headquarters is in
Burnley, Greater Manchester. It has 23 subsidiaries and is majority owned by
Pentland Group. In 2020 its revenue was £6.1 billion, with a net income of £250.7 million.
JD Wetherspoon plc(trading as Wetherspoons or Wetherspoon) — is a hospitality company that operates a chain of Wetherspoon pubs, bars, and hotels. It also operates Lloyds No.1 bars. It is headquartered in
Watford, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1979 by
Tim Martin. In 2022 its revenue was £1.7 billion, with a net income of £19.3 million.
John Bradley & Co — was an ironworks, mining, and freight railway company from 1800 to 1966. Its headquarters was in
Stourbridge.
John Brogden and Sons — was a railway contractors, mining, and iron smelting company from 1828 to 1880. Its headquarters was in London.
John Lewis & Partners — is a retailer of general merchandise founded in 1864 by
John Lewis. Headquartered in London, it is part of the
John Lewis Partnership. In 2017 its total revenue was £3.7 billion, with an operating income of £243.2 million.
Johnson Matthey plc — is a British multinational speciality chemicals and sustainable technologies company headquartered in London. Its products include emissions control catalysts, industrial catalysts, absorbents, process technologies, fine chemicals, fuel cell technology, and battery technology. Its origins date to 1817 when
Percival Norton Johnson set up as a gold
assayer in London. In 1851 George Matthey joined the business which was renamed Johnson & Matthey. In 1852 it was appointed official assayer and refiner to the
Bank of England. In the 1960s a banking subsidiary was founded as Johnson Matthey Bankers which, in 1984, was facing insolvency before being bought by the Bank of England for £1. In 2022 Johnson Matthey's revenue was £16 billion, with a net income of -£101 million.
JPMorgan European Discovery Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on smaller European companies. It was founded in 1990. It was previously named the JPMorgan European Fledgling Investment Trust, and the JPMorgan European Smaller Companies Trust.
JPMorgan Global Growth & Income plc — is an investment trust that invests in companies worldwide. It was founded in 1887 as the United British Securities Trust. It was later renamed the Fleming Overseas Investment Trust in 1982, the JPMorgan Fleming Overseas Investment Trust in 2003, the JPMorgan Overseas Investment Trust in 2006, before being given its current name in 2016. In 2022 it was merged with the
Scottish Investment Trust.
JTC plc — is a financial services company providing fund administration services. It is located in
Jersey. It was founded in 1987 as Jersey Trust Company. Its acquisitions include
Merrill Lynch's international trust and wealth structuring business,
Sanne Group's private client business, and
NES Financial. In 2022 its revenue was £200 million, with a net income of £34 million.
^Ward, Matthew (December 16, 2019).
"Statistics on UK-EU trade".
Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020 – via commonslibrary.parliament.uk.
^"The Fortune 2016 Global 500". Fortune. Retrieved 18 October 2016. Number of companies data taken from the "Country" box for Britain and Britain/Netherlands.
^Angus Maddison (2006).
The World Economy. Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. p. 263.
ISBN978-92-64-02261-4.
Archived from the original on 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK or U.K.) or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of the European mainland. It includes the island of Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In the 18th century the UK was the first country to
industrialise,[22][23] and during the 19th century it had a dominant role in the global economy,[24] accounting for 9.1% of the world's GDP in 1870.[25] The
Second Industrial Revolution was also taking place rapidly in the United States and the
German Empire; this presented an increasing economic challenge for the UK. The costs of fighting
World War I and
World War II further weakened the UK's relative position. In the 21st century, the UK has faced the challenges of the 2008 banking collapse and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[26][27][28][29]
Largest companies
This list shows the UK companies in the
Fortune Global 500, which ranks firms by total revenues reported as of September 2019. Only the top five firms are included as a sample.[30]
British multinational oil, gas, and renewable energy company including exploration, production, refining, transport, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation, trading, biofuels, wind power, energy-kite, and hydrogen power. It was established in 1907, and is headquartered in London, and incorporated in the UK. Formerly known as Royal Dutch Petroleum Co, and The Shell Transport and Trading Company of the United Kingdom, it has 12 subsidiaries.
British multinational oil, gas, and renewable energy company including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading, biofuels, wind power and solar technology. It was established in 1909, and is headquartered in London. Formerly known as
Anglo-Persian Oil Company,
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and BP Amaco plc, its subsidiaries include Amaco, and Castrol.
British multinational investment bank and financial services holding company. It was first established in 1865 in British Hong Kong, but is now headquartered in London. Former names include The Hong Kong and Shanghei Bank, and The Hong Kong and Shanghei Banking Corporation. As of 2019 it has 12 subsidiaries.
British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer, petrol retailer, software provider, financial services provider, and telecoms and internet services provider. It was first established in 1919 in
Hackney, London, first named Tesco in 1924, and is now headquartered in
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
British multinational consumer goods company with more than 400 brands including food and beverages, cleaning agents, beauty products, and personal care products. Established in 1929 by the merger of
Margarine Unie and
Lever Brothers, it is headquartered in London.
Notable companies
This is a list of companies of the United Kingdom as well as those first established in the
United Kingdom that are no longer British owned, and also including defunct UK companies. Only companies with articles in Wikipedia are included.
104 Films — is a film production company headquartered in
Birmingham. It was founded in 2004 by director Justin Edgar and producer Alex Usborne.
24seven — was an energy company supplying electricity, which operated from 2000 to 2003. Its parent companies were
London Electricity, and TXU Europe. In 2003 it became part of
LE Group.
3i Group plc — is a British multinational private equity and venture capital company based in London. It invests in mid-market buyouts, growth capital, and infrastructure. It was founded in 1945 by the
Bank of England and the main British banks as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation (ICFC). Its purpose was to provide long-term investment funding for small and medium-sized companies. Later it was renamed as Finance for Industry (FFI) and then Investors in Industry (3i). 3i Group was formed as a public company in 1987 when the banks sold their stocks. In 2022 it had a net income of £4 billion.
3 Mills Studios — is a centre for film and TV production. It is located in London. It has its roots in the 1980s founding of Bow Studios, Three Mills Island Studios, and Edwin Shirley Productions. In the mid-1990s, the three studios were merged to become 3 Mills Studios, under the management of Workspace Group. In 2004 the studios were acquired by the London Development Agency (LDA) until 2010 when ownership transferred to the London Legacy Development Corporation.
99p Stores — was a company that operated a discount store chain. It was a family-run business founded in 2001 by Nadir Lalani. Its subsidiary store chain was Family Bargains. In 2015 it was acquired by
Poundland who rebranded the stores to Poundland.
A
A.G. Barr – is a soft drinks manufacturer best known for the drink
Irn-Bru. Established in 1875 by Robert Barr in
Falkirk, Scotland, it is now headquartered in
Cumbernauld, Scotland. Its production sites are in Cumbernauld,
Forfar, and
Milton Keynes. In 2022 it acquired
Boost Drinks. In 2022 its revenue was £268 million, with a net income of £27 million.
AAH Pharmaceuticals — is a pharmaceuticals wholesaler. It was formerly an
anthracite producer and supplier, and supplier of building materials, transport, warehousing, and environmental services. Established in 1892, its headquarters is in
Coventry. It was formerly named Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries. It is owned by Hallo Healthcare Group.
Aardman Animations – is a film studio producing animation films and television programmes. Established in 1972, its headquarters is in
Bristol.
Abbey National — was a financial services company (banking, and investment) that operated from 1944 to 2010. It was initially a building society and later also an estate agent. Its headquarters was in London. Also known as Abbey, it was formed by the merger of the Abbey Road Building Society with the National Building Society. In 2010 it was subsumed into
Santander UK.
AbbottVision — is a film and TV production company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in
Manchester.
ABC Cinemas — was a cinema chain from 1927 to 2017.
Abcam — is a biotechnology and life sciences company that produces protein research tools. It was established in 1998.
Abcodia — is a biotechnology company focused on biomarkers for cancer screening. Established in 2010, its headquarters is in
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.
Aberdeen Asset Management — was an investment management company from 1983 to 2017. Its headquarters was in
Aberdeen, Scotland. In 2017 it was merged with Standard Life to form Standard Life Aberdeen, since renamed as
Abrdn.
Abrdn — is a global investmemt and financial services company. Established in 1825, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It was formerly known as the Standard Life Assurance Company. In 2017 it was merged with
Aberdeen Asset Management to form Standard Life Aberdeen plc. In 2021 it was renamed Abrdn. In 2022 its revenue was £1.5 billion, with a net income of £549 million.
Abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on private equity funds and companies with a European range. It was founded in 2001 as Standard Life Private Equity Trust. It is managed by
Abrdn.
Academy Films — is a film and TV production company. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
Acteon Group — is a subsea services company mainly supplying the oil, gas, and renewable industries. Established in 2004, its headquarters is in
Norwich, Norfolk. It was formed from the UWG Group.
Adam & Company — is a financial services company (private banking and investment management). Established in 1983, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2018, the retail banking assets of
Royal Bank of Scotland were transferred to Adam and Company, which was renamed Royal Bank of Scotland, with Adam and Company continuing as a trading name of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Adelphi Films — is a film production and distribution company. It was established in 1939.
Admiral Group plc — is a financial services company headquartered in
Cardiff, Wales. It provides insurance products, and operates price comparison websites. It was founded in 1991 as a division of the Brockbank Group. In 1999
Henry Engelhardt led a management buyout of Admiral Group from the Brockbank Group. In 2022, its revenue was £1.4 billion, with a net income of £371 million.
AfriMobile — was a telecommunications company providing a mobile virtual network. It operated from 2012 to 2020.
AGA Rangemaster Group Ltd — is a manufacturer of range cookers including the
AGA cooker, kitchen appliances, and interior furnishings. Its brands include: AGA,
La Cornue, Rangemaster, Divertimenti, Fired Earth, and Marvel. Its North American subsidiary is AGA Marvel. It is headquartered in
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The roots of the business date back to the 1920s when the AGA cooker was invented and initially produced in Sweden. Then, in the 1930s, they were produced under license in the UK and since 1957 most production has continued in the UK. In 1969 the manufacturers of AGA cookers, Allied Ironfounders, was acquired by Glynwed. In 1997 Glynwed was acquired by Mueller Industries Inc, and the AGA division was renamed AGA Foodservice Group, and then Aga Rangemaster in 2008. In 2015 it was acquired by
Middleby Corporation.
Air Navigation and Engineering Company — was an aircraft, and cyclecar manufacturer from 1919 to 1927. Its headquarters was in
Addlestone, Surrey. It was formerly the Bleriot & SPAD Manufacturing Company.
Airtel Africa plc — is a multinational company that provides
telecommunications and
mobile money services in 14 African countries. Headquartered in London, it is majority owned by
Bharti Airtel. In 2022 its revenue was £4.7 billion, with a net income of £750 million.
AJ Bell plc — is a financial services company that provides online investment platforms and stockbroker services. It is headquartered in
Manchester. It was founded in 1995 by Andy Bell and Nicholas Littlefair. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 2018. In 2022 its revenue was £163 million, with a net income of £46 million.
Aldemore Bank plc — is a bank offering personal and business financial services with a focus on small and medium sized businesses. Headquartered in
Reading, Berkshire; it was founded in 2009. From 2015 it was listed on the
London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by South African banking company
FirstRand in 2017.
Alex Wilson & Company — was an engine manufacturering company, see
Vauxhall Motors.
Allen & Hanburys — was a pharmaceuticals manufacturer from 1715 to 1958. Headquartered in London, it was absorbed by
Glaxo Laboratories in 1958.
Alliance & Leicester — was a financial services company providing banking and insurance, that was formerly a building society. It operated from 1985 to 2011. Its headquarters was in
Narborough, Leicestershire. It was formed by the merger of the Alliance Building Society with the Leicester Building Society. In 2011 it was subsumed into
Santander UK.
Alliance Trust plc — is an investment and financial services company headquartered in
Dundee, Scotland. It was founded in 1888 by the merger of 3 Dundee-based mortgage and loan companies: the Dundee Investment Company, the Dundee Mortgage and Trust Investment Company, and the Oregon and Washington Trust. In 1986 it began offering pensions. In 2006 it was merged with the Second Alliance Trust. In 2022 its revenue was £95 million, with a net income of £78 million.
Allied Film Makers — was a film production company. Established in 1959, it is defunct.
Allied Stars — was a film production company. It was established in the late 1970s.
Al Rayan Bank plc — is a bank offering
Sharia compliant financial services. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 2004 as the Islamic Bank of Britain plc. Since 2014 it is owned by Islamic bank Masraf Al Rayan, and renamed Al Rayan Bank plc.
Amersham plc — was a manufacturer of
radiopharmaceutical products for
nuclear medicine from 1946 to 2003. Its headquarters was in
Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It was previously known as The Radiochemical Centre (RTC) Amersham, Amersham International, and Nycomed Amersham. In 2003 it was acquired by
General Electric and incorporated into
GE Healthcare.
Anglian Water Authority — was a state owned utility company providing water supply and sewage disposal from 1974 to 1979. It was succeeded by
Anglian Water.
Anglo-Amalgamated — was a film production and distribution company from 1945 to 1971.
Anglo—EMI Film Distributors Ltd — was a film production and distribution company, see
EMI Films.
Anglo American — is a British multinational mining company. Established in 1917, its headquarters are in London, UK and
Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2022 its revenue was $35 billion, with a net income of $6 billion.
Aon PLC — is a financial services company. Established in 1982, its headquarters are in London. Founded in Chicago by Patrick Ryan, Aon was created when the Ryan Insurance Group merged with the Combined Insurance Company of America.
AP Films — (APF) was a television and film production, and publishing company from 1957 to 1977. Its headquarters was in
Maidenhead, Berkshire. It later became
Century 21 Productions.
Arash Motor Company — is an automobile manufacturer. Established in 1999, its headquarters is in
Newmarket,
Suffolk. It was formerly named Farboud Limited.
Arbikie distillery — is a producer of Scotch whisky, vodka, and gin located in
Inverkeilor, Scotland. It was established in 2013 by the Stirling family.
Arbuthnot Latham & Co. Ltd — is a
private and
merchant bank offering private banking, commercial banking, and wealth management. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1833 by
Alfred Latham and
John A. Arbuthnot. In 2022 its revenue was £120 million, with a net income of £16.5 million.
Argos — is a catalogue retailer with a chain of shops and an online store. Established in 1972, its headquarters is in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Its parent company is
Sainsbury's. Its 2016 revenue was £4.1 billion and its 2016 operating income was £83.1 million.
Aria Films — is a film production, finance, and consultancy company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in London.
Aricom — was a mining and metals company from 2003 to 2009/10. Its headquarters was in London. It was formerly part of
Peter Hambro Mining who, as
Petropavlovsk reacquired it in 2009.
Ariel Motor Company — is an automobile and motor bike manufacturer. Established in 1991 its headquarters is in
Crewkerne,
Somerset. It was formerly named Solocrest Ltd.
Armitage Shanks — is a manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and plumbing supplies headquartered in
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It was founded in 1817 by Thomas Bond in
Armitage, Staffordshire. In 1907 it was
incorporated as Armitage Ware Ltd, and, in 1969, it was merged with Shanks Holdings Ltd to form Armitage Shanks. Since 1999 it is part of the
Ideal Standard group.
Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd — is a retail company that operates a car dealership network in the UK. It is headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1954 by
Arnold Clark. The Phoenix Car Company is one of its divisions and it has two subsidiaries: Arnold Clark Finance, and Harry Fairbairn.
Arrival — is an electric vehicle manufacturer, specialising in commercial vehicles. Established in 2015, its headquarters is in
Yarnton,
Oxfordshire. It was formerly named Charge Automotive.
Arrol-Johnston — was an automobile manufacturer from 1895 to 1931. Its headquarters was in
Glasgow, Scotland. It was formerly the Mo-Car Syndicate. In 1927 it merged with
Aster to become
Arrol-Aster.
Arrol-Aster — was an automobile manufacturer from 1927 to 1931. Headquartered in
Dumfries, Scotland, it was formed by the merger of
Arrol-Johnston and
Aster.
Ascari Cars — was an automobile manufacturer from 1995 to 2010. Its headquarters was in
Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Ascential plc — is a business-to-business media company providing exhibitions and festivals, and information services in product design, marketing, sales, and built environment and policy. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1947 by Richard Pattinson Winfrey as a newspaper publisher named the East Midlands Allied Press (EMAP). It took over the newspapers created or bought by
Richard Winfrey. It later diversified into magazine publishing, and radio broadcasting. In 1996 it sold its newspaper titles to
Johnston Press. In 2008 it sold its radio, television, and consumer media division
EMAP Radio to
Bauer Media Group. In 2012 it was renamed Top Right Group and in 2015 renamed Ascential. In 2017 it sold its business magazine brands to
Metropolis International including the EMAP name as EMAP Publishing. In 2022 its revenue was £524 million, with a net income loss of £105 million.
Asda Stores - is a supermarket chain also offering some financial services, and a
mobile phone virtual network through its subsidiary
Asda Mobile. Established in 1949, its headquarters is in
Leeds. In 1999 it was acquired by
Walmart, then in 2021 it was acquired by
EG Group and
TDR Capital. Its 2019 revenue was £22.8 billion, with an operating profit of £584.2 million.
Aspall Cyder Ltd — is a producer of cider, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and apple-based balsamic vinegar. It also imports and markets some other vinegars. It is located in
Aspall, Suffolk, and was established in the early 18th century. In 2018 it was purchased by
Molson Coors.
Ashtead Group plc — is an industrial equipment rental company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1947 in
Ashtead, Surrey as Ashtead Plant and Tool Hire. Its main subsidiary is Sunbelt Rentals which operates in the United States. In 2022 its revenue was £7.9 billion with a net income of £1.2 billion.
Ashtons — was a housebuilding company in Yorkshire. It was founded in 1933 by Norman Ashton in
Leeds, and incorporated in 1938 as Norman C. Ashton Ltd. It was acquired by Orme in 1972.
ASOS plc — is an online clothing and cosmetics retailer mainly aimed at young adults. It produces clothing and accessories for its own brand. It also has a marketplace platform for independent boutiques, vintage collectors, individuals, and designers to trade online. It is headquartered in
Camden Town, London. I was founded in 2000 by
Nick Robertson,
Andrew Regan, Quentin Griffiths, and Deborah Thorpe. It was first named AsSeenOnScreen because it sold imitations of clothing from film and television. In 2001 it joined London's
Alternative Investment Market. In 2004 it was renamed ASOS. In 2021 it acquired the brands
Topshop,
Topman,
Miss Selfridge, and HIIT from
Arcadia Group with the first three becoming subsidiaries. In 2022 its total revenue was £3.9 billion, with a net income loss of £30 million.
Associated British Foods plc (ABF) — is a British multinational food processing and retailing company. Headquartered in London, it was established in 1935. In 2022 its revenue was £16.9 billion, with a net income of £1 billion.
Aster — was an automobile, and aircraft engines manufacturer from 1913 to 1931. It was headquartered in
Wembley, London, then
Dumfries, Scotland. It was formerly Begbie Engineering. In 1927 it merged with
Arrol-Johnston.
Aston Martin — is a manufacturer of automobiles, luxury goods, and previously aircraft components during WWII. It also has a motorsport subsidiary named Aston Martin Racing. Established in 1913, its headquarters is in
Gaydon, Warwickshire. Its 2022 revenue was £1.3 billion, with a net income loss of £527 million.
Astra Films — was a film production and distribution company. Its headquarters was in
Leeds, Yorkshire.
AstraZeneca — is a UK-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and
biopharmaceutical company. Established in 1999, its headquarters is in
Cambridge. It was formed by the merger of
Astra AB and
Zeneca. Its 2022 revenue was $44.3 billion, with a net income of $3.2 billion.
Atom Bank plc — is an
online bank offering savings, mortgages, and loans. Headquartered in
Durham, County Durham; it was founded in 2013 by Anthony Thomson and Mark Mullen.
Auction Technology Group plc — is a company that operates the digital marketplaces the-saleroom.com which presents auctions, and ibidder.com that presents industrial equipment auctions. It also publishes Antiques Trade Gazette in print and online. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1971 by Ivor Turnball who created the Antiques Trade Gazette. In 2016 it changed its name from ATG Media to Auction Technology Group. In 2022 its revenue was £119 million, with a net income loss of £6 million.
Aunt Bessies — is a producer of frozen food products including
Yorkshire puddings, potato products, meal accompaniments, ready meals, vegetables, and desserts. It is based in
Hull and
Leeds. It was founded in 1995 by the
William Jackson Food Group as Tryton Foods before being renamed Aunt Bessies. In 2018 it was acquired by
Nomad Foods.
Austin Motor Company — was a manufacturer of automobiles, and wartime manufacturer of aircraft, shells, heavy guns and military vehicles from 1905 to 1952. Its headquarters was in
Longbridge, Birmingham. In 1952 it merged with
Morris Motors to become the
British Motor Corporation.
Auto Trader Group plc — is an automotive online marketplace and classified advertising company headquartered in
Manchester. It was founded in 1975 by
John Madejski,
Paul Gibbons, and Peter Taylor as the publisher of the magazine Thames Valley Trader. In 1988 it was rebranded as Auto Trader. The online marketplace was launched in 1996. In 2022 its revenue was £432 million, with a net income of £244 million.
AVI Global Trust plc — is an investment trust headquartered in London. It was founded in 1889 as the Transvaal Mortgage Loan and Finance Company. It was renamed the British Empire Land, Mortgage and Loan Company in 1906, the British Empire Securities and General Trust in 1964, the British Empire Trust in 2015, and then AVI Global Trust in 2019. In 2023 it had £1.2 billion of assets under management.
Aviva — is a British multinational insurance company. It was established in 2000 when
Norwich Union merged with insurer
CGU plc, its headquarters is in London.
B&M European Value Retail(trading as B&M) — is a variety store chain including B&M Bargains, and B&M Homestore. Established in 1978 as Billington & Mayman, its headquarters are in
Speke, Liverpool (operations) and
Luxembourg (registration).
Heron Foods is its subsidiary company. In 2022 its revenue was £4.6 billion, with a net income of £422 million.
B&Q Ltd — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering
DIY and home improvement products, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, gardening supplies, and plants. It is headquartered in
Eastleigh, Hampshire. It is named after its founders Richard Block and
David Quayle who started the business in 1969. In 1980 it was acquired by the
F. W. Woolworth Company. In 1982 the English subsidiary
Woolworths Ltd including B&Q was acquired by Paternoster which became
Kingfisher plc and remains the owner of B&Q. In 2022 its revenue was £3.8 billion, with a net income of £603 million.
Babcock International Group plc — is a defence and engineering company headquartered in London. Its contracts include ship building and maintenance for the
Royal Navy, and decommissioning nuclear power stations. It was founded in 1891 as Babcock & Wilcox Ltd by the US company
Babcock & Wilcox Company. Initially it was a steam boiler manufacturer but diversified and expanded into ship repair, defence equipment, development of nuclear power stations, materials handling, ship building, and business services. Its helicopter operations were disposed of in the 2020s. In 2022 its revenue was £4.1 billion, with a net income of £167 million.
BAE Systems — is a British multinational defence, security, and aerospace company producing civil and military aircraft, defence electronics, naval vessels, munitions, and land warfare systems. Established in 1999, its headquarters are in London, and
Farnborough, Hampshire. It was formed from the merger of
British Aerospace and
Marconi Electronic Systems. In 2022 its revenue was £21.2 billion, with a net income of £1.6 billion.
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence — is an international
cyber security and cyber intelligence company. Established in 1971, its headquarters is in
Guildford, Surrey. It was formally known as Smith Associates, Detica, and BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Its parent company is
BAE Systems.
Baillie Gifford & Co — is an investment management company. Established in 1908, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It manages 9 investment trusts. As of 2022 its assets under management were valued at £223 billion.
Balfour Beatty plc — is an international infrastructure company providing construction services, support services, and infrastructure investments in the public and private sectors. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1909 by
George Balfour and Andrew Beatty as a tramway constructor. It expanded into electric power infrastructure, tram services, and bus services. The tram and bus operations were divested later. It also built power stations, rail workings, and housing. In 1969 it was acquired by cable manufacturer
BICC. Its homes division was sold to
Westbury in 1995. BICC divested its cable business and was renamed Balfour Beatty in 2000. It made a number of acquisitions in the UK, US, and Canada. In 2022 its revenue was £8.9 billion, with a net income of £287 million.
Bamforth & Co Ltd - was a film production, and postcards publishing company. Established in 1870 in
Holmfirth, Yorkshire, its headquarters was in
Leeds, Yorkshire.
Bank of Scotland — is a financial services company providing banking, insurance, and banknote production. Established in 1695, its headquarters is at
The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was previously part of
HBOS. Its parent company is
Lloyds Banking Group.
Bank of Wales(Welsh: Banc Cymru) — was a commercial bank offering financial services to small and medium-sized businesses in Wales. Headquartered in
Cardiff, Wales; it was founded in 1971 by
Sir Julian Hodge as Commercial Bank of Wales (Welsh:Banc Masnachol Cymru) . In 1986 it was acquired by
Bank of Scotland plc and has ceased trading as a separate entity.
Banks Group — is a mining, energy, and property development company. Established in 1976, its headquarters is in
Durham.
Barclays plc — is a financial services company providing banking, investment management, and wealth management. Established in 1690, its headquarters is in London. In 2022 its revenue was £24.9 billion, with a net income of £5.9 billion.
Barratt Developments — is a residential property development company headquartered in
Coalville, North West Leicestershire. It was founded in 1958 by
Lawrie Barratt and Lewis Greensit as Greensit Brothers, located in
Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1973 it was renamed Barratt Developments. Its acquisitions include Arthur Wardle, Janes,
Wilson Bowden, and Oregon Timber Frame. Its brands include Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, Barratt London, and Wilson Bowden Developments. In 2022 its revenue was £5.2 billion, with a net income of £515 million.
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) — is a public service broadcasting statutory corporation that produces and broadcasts television and radio programming and provides online services. Established in 1922, its headquarters is at
Broadcasting House, London. It was first formed as the
British Broadcasting Company. In 2022 its revenue was £5.3 billion, with a net income of £206 million.
BBC Film — is a film production company. Established in 1990, its headquarters is in London. Its parent company is the
BBC.
BBC Studioworks — is a television studios, post-production, and related services company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London. Formerly known as BBC Resources Limited, and BBC Studios and Post Production Limited, its parent company is the
BBC.
Beazer Group — was an international house building, construction, and building materials company. It was headquartered in
Bath, Somerset. It was founded and owned by the Beazer family for six generations. C.H. Beazer was incorporated in 1956. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 1973 as C.H. Beazer (Holdings). Its acquisitions included Mortimer & Sons, R.M. Smith, Monsell Youell, Second City Properties, M.P. Kent, Westbrick,
F. Pratten and Co Ltd,
William Leech, Cohn Communities,
French Kier, Gifford Hill, and
Koppers. Beazer Europe was floated off and the USA operations became a separate business as
Beazer Homes USA. Beazer was acquired by
Hanson in 1991 who floated a new Beazer Group consisting solely of the UK house building business in 1994. It acquired
Charles Church Developments in 1996. Beazer Group was acquired by
Persimmon plc in 2001.
Beazley — is a specialist insurance company headquartered in London. It manages six
Lloyd's of London syndicates. In 2022 its revenue was £3.4 billion, with a net income of £160 million.
Bedlam Productions — is a film and TV production company. Established in 2009, its headquarters is in London.
Beecham Group — was a manufacturing company producing pharmaceuticals, drinks, toothpaste, and men's grooming products from 1859 to 1989. Its headquarters was in London. In 1989 Beecham Group and
SmithKline Beckman merged to form
SmithKline Beecham, and in 2000, they merged with
GlaxoWellcome to form
GlaxoSmithKline.
Beefeater — is a licensed restaurant chain. Established in 1974, its headquarters is in
Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Its parent company is
Whitbread.
Bellway plc — is a residential property developer and housebuilder headquartered in
Newcastle upon Tyne. It was founded in 1946 by
John Thomas Bell and his sons as John T. Bell & Sons. In 2022 its revenue was £3.5 billion, with a net income of £242 million.
Bell Pottinger — was a public relations, and advertising company that operated from 1988 to 2017. Its headquarters was in London.
Be Military Fit (also known as BMF) — is a company that runs outdoor group fitness classes across the UK. It was founded in 1999 by Robin Cope, Harry Sowerby, and William Skinner as British Military Fitness. In 2018 it was acquired by NM Capital, and
Bear Grylls Ventures and was renamed 'Be Military Fit'.
Bentley — is an automobile manufacturing company producing luxury cars and racing cars. Established in 1919 in London, its headquarters is in
Crewe. Between 1931 and 1970 it was owned by
Rolls-Royce. From 1980 to 1998 it was owned by
Vickers. From 1998 it is owned by
Volkswagen.
Beowulf Mining — is a mining company. Established in 1978, it was formerly known as Beowulf Gold.
Berkeley Group Holdings plc — is a property developer and house building company headquartered in
Cobham, Surrey. It was founded by
Tony Pidgley and Jim Farrer in
Weybridge, Surrey in 1976 as Berkeley Homes. In 2022 its revenue was £2.3 billion, with a net income of £482 million.
bet365 — is an online gambling company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in
Stoke-on-Trent.
Betable — is a gambling, and social gaming company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.
Betfair — is an online gambling company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London. It is owned by
Flutter Entertainment.
Betfred — is a gambling company. Established in 1967 in
Salford, its headquarters is in
Warrington.
BetonSports — was an online gambling company. It operated from 1995 to 2006. Its headquarters was in London.
Bettys and Taylors Group Ltd — is a producer of tea, coffee and other products, and operates a small chain of
tea rooms. Headquartered in
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, it was founded in 1962 when Bettys merged with Taylors of Harrogate. Its brands include
Yorkshire Tea, Taylors Coffee, and Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms.
BFCS — was a commercials film production company that operated from 1966 to 2001. Headquartered in London, it was first named Brooks Baker Fulford.
BH Macro — is an investment company focused on the global
fixed income and foreign exchange markets. Founded in 2007, it is a feeder fund into a fund managed by
Brevan Howard.
BHP — is a multinational mining, metals, and petroleum company. Established in 1885, its headquarters is in
Melbourne, Australia. It was formerly known as BHP Billiton.
Big Talk Productions — is a film and TV production company. Established in 1994, its headquarters is in London. It is owned by
ITV Studios.
Big Yellow Group plc — is a self-storage company that operates storage sites in the UK, 19 of which use the name Armadillo Self Storage. It is headquartered in
Bagshot, Surrey. It was founded in 1998 by Nicholas Vetch, Philip Burks, and
James Gibson. In 2007 it was converted into a
real estate investment trust. In 2022 its net income was £697 million.
Biocompatibles — is a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Established in 1984, its headquarters is in
Farnham, Surrey. In 2010 it was acquired by
BTG plc which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2019.
Bio Products Laboratory — is a pharmaceuticals company producing human blood plasma products. Established in 1954 in
Elstree. It was formerly part of the
NHS; but is now owned by Permira and the Marcucci family who announced that its operations will be merged with Kedrion.
Birmingham Midshires — was a financial services company providing banking and insurance. It was formerly a building society founded in 1986 by the merger of the Birmingham and Bridgwater Building Society with the Midshires Building Society. It has become a brand of
Lloyds Banking Group.
Bisichi Mining — is a mining and property corporation. Established in 1910, its headquarters is in London.
BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on European companies. It was founded in 2004 as The Merrill Lynch Greater Europe Investment Trust. It was given its current name in 2008 when
BlackRock took over its management.
BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc — is a British investment trust focused on investments in smaller companies. It is headquartered in London. It was established in 1906 as the North British Canadian Investment Company. It is managed by
BlackRock.
BlackRock Throgmorton Trust plc - is an investment trust focused on investing in small and mid-sized companies. It was founded in 1962 as The Throgmorton Trust. In the 1980s it had a subsidiary named Capital for Industry which invested in consumer businesses. Since 2008 the trust has been managed by
BlackRock.
BlackRock World Mining Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on mining and metals. It was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in London. It is managed by
BlackRock.
Blakeley's Productions - was a film production company. See
Mancunian Films.
Bleep — is an online record store company. Created by
Warp Records), it was established in 2004.
Blink — is a media production company creating content for advertising, and music videos. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
Bloor Homes — is a house building company headquartered in
Measham, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1969 by
John Bloor. Its parent company is Bloor Holdings.
Blueprint Pictures — is a film production company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
BMF — is an alternative name of the fitness company Be Military Fit.
Bodycote plc — is an engineering services company that supplies
heat treatments, metal joining,
hot isostatic pressing, and
coatings services. It is headquartered in
Macclesfield, Cheshire. It was founded in 1923 by Arthur Bodycote in
Hinckley as a textile business named G.R. Bodycote Ltd. In the 1970s it refocused on engineering services. It has 2 business divisions. The Aerospace, Defence & Energy division (ADE) serves the aerospace, defence, power generation, and oil and gas industries. The Automotive & General Industrial division (AGI) serves the automotive, construction, machine building, medical, and transportation industries. In 2022 its revenue was £743 million, with a net income of £74 million.
bolexbrothers — was an animation film production company. Established in 1993, its headquarters was in Bristol.
Bolckow, Vaughan — was a mining, ironmaking, and steel production company that operated from 1840 to 1929. Its headquarters was in
Middlesbrough.
Bonmarché — is a company that operates a womenswear store chain, and retail website. It is headquartered in
Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It was founded in 1982 by Parkash Singh Chima. It was acquired by the
Peacock Group in 2002, then by
Sun European Partners in 2012. In 2019 it was acquired by
Philip Day in 2019 before being put into
administration later that year. It is now a subsidiary of
Edinburgh Woollen Mill which is owned by Purepay Retail.
Booths — is the trading name of E. H. Booth & Co Ltd, a supermarket retailer.
Boots UK Ltd(trading as Boots) — is a pharmaceutical, and health and beauty products supplier and manufacturer, and provides photography services. It operates a retail stores chain, and a retail website. Established in 1849, its headquarters is in
Nottingham. It was formerly known as Boots the Chemists, and Boots Pure Drugs Company. Since 2014 it is a subsidiary of
Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Boots Opticians Ltd — is an
optometry company that operates a retail chain of dispensing opticians clinics. The clinics are either company-owned or franchises. It is headquartered in
Beeston, Nottinghamshire. It was founded in 1983 and became a subsidiary of
Boots in 1987. In 2009 it was merged with
Dollond & Aitchison. It is now a subsidiary of
Walgreens Boots Alliance. Its acquisitions include Clement Clarke Ltd, and Curry and Paxton Ltd.
Bourne Leisure — is a leisure company that operates caravan parks, holiday camps, and hotels. Established in 1964 in
Whitstable, its headquarters is in
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
Bovis Construction — was a construction company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1885 by Charles William Bovis as C.W. Bovis & Co. It was later known as Bovis Holdings and then Bovis Construction. It had a number of retail clients such as
Marks & Spencer. In the 1950s it moved into housing through Bovis Homes. In the 1970s it diversified into banking with the acquisition of Twentieth Century Banking. After a banking crisis
P&O rescued the company in 1974 and Bovis became a subsidiary of P&O. Bovis Homes was demerged in 1997. In 1999 Bovis Construction was acquired by
Lendlease Group and became Bovis Lend Lease until the brand was discontinued.
Bradford & Bingley — was a financial services banking company that operated from 1964 to 2010. Formerly a building society, its headquarters was in
Bingley, West Yorkshire. It was formed by the merger of the Bradford Equitable Building Society with the Bingley Permanent Building Society. It was nationalised in 2008, and in 2010 the savings business was subsumed by
Santander Group, while the mortgage business was merged with
Northern Rock (asset management) to form
UK Asset Resolution.
Brazil Iron — is a metals and mining company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London.
BrewDog plc — is a multinational brewery, and pub chain. It produces various types of ales, lagers, and spirits. It is headquartered in
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie in
Fraserburgh.
Brewers Fayre — is a hospitality company operating a licensed restaurant chain. Established in 1979, its headquarters is in
Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Its parent company is
Whitbread.
Bridgepoint Group plc — is a private investment company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1984 as NatWest Equity Partners, a private equity division of
NatWest. In 2000 it was the subject of a management buyout and renamed Bridgepoint Capital. It was later renamed Bridgepoint Advisors, and then Bridgepoint Group. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 2021. In 2022 its revenue was £307 million, with a net income of £120 million.
Bristol Water — is a utility company supplying water. Established in 1846, its headquarters is in
Bristol. It was formerly known as the Bristol Waterworks Company. In 2021 it was acquired by
Pennon Group.
Britannia Building Society — was a
mutual building society providing savings products and mortgages that operated from 1856 to 2009. Its headquarters was in
Leek, Staffordshire. It was formed as the Leek and Morlands Permanent Benefit Building Society. Through a series of mergers it later became the Leek and Westbourne, the Westbourne and Eastern Counties, and in 1975 the Britannia Building Society. In 2009 it was merged into
The Co-operative Banking Group.
British Aluminium — was an aluminium production company that operated from 1894 to 2007. It was also known as British Alcan Aluminium.
British American Tobacco — is a cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company that previously also operated in retailing, and financial services. Established in 1902, its headquarters is in London. It was formed when the
Imperial Tobacco Company and the
American Tobacco Company created a joint venture, the British-American Tobacco Company. Its 2022 revenue was £27.6 billion, with a net income of £6.8 billion.
British and Colonial Films — was a film production company that operated from 1908 to 1924. Headquartered in London, it was first named British and Colonial Kinematograph Company.
British Biotech — was a biotechnology company producing pharmaceuticals, that operated from 1986 to 2003. Its headquarters was in
Oxford. In 2003 it was merged into Ribo Targets and then into
Vernalis plc.
British Coal — was a nationalised coal mining corporation that operated from 1946 to 1997. It was formerly known as
The National Coal Board. It was privatised and succeeded by
UK Coal.
British Energy — was an energy company generating electricity, that operated from 1995 to 2009. Its headquarters was in London. It was acquired and subsumed by
Electricite de France (EDF).
British Gas Corporation — was a state owned energy company supplying and distributing gas, that operated from 1972 to 1986. It was formed from the 12 regional
gas boards. In 1986 it was privatised to become
British Gas plc.
British Gas plc — was an energy company supplying gas, and home services, that operated from 1986 to 1997. It was formed from the privatisation of the British Gas Corporation. In 1997 it was demerged into
Centrica,
BG Group, and
Transco.
British Home Stores (BHS) — was a multinational department store chain offering clothing, homewares, furniture, electronic products, entertainment products, fragrance and beauty products, and groceries. It also had in-store restaurants. It was headquartered in London. It was founded in 1928 in Brixton by a group of US entrepreneurs. The store chain was increased and, in 1933, the company was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. The expansion increased and there was a joint venture from 1977 with
Sainsbury's to create a hypermarket chain called
SavaCentre which Sainsbury's bought out in 1989. In 1986 BHS was merged with
Habitat and
Mothercare to form
Storehouse plc. In 2000 it was acquired by
Philip Green who took the company private and , in 2009, included it in
Arcadia Group. In 2015 BHS was sold to Retail Acquisitions. In 2016 it was put into
administration and then
liquidated. The non-UK franchise stores were acquired by the Al Mana Group, while the BHS website is owned and operated by Litecraft Group Ltd who use the BHS logo and brandname under license.
British Land — is a real estate investment trust active in property development and investment. Established in 1856, its headquarters is in London. It was formed as an offshoot of the National Freehold Land Society. In 2022 its revenue was £430 million, with a net income of £958 million.
British Leyland — was an automobile manufacturing and engineering company that operated from 1965 to 1986. Its headquarters were in
Longbridge, Birmingham, and
Cowley, Oxfordshire. Also known as BLMC Ltd, it was first established with the merger of
Leyland Motors, and
British Motor Holdings.It was part nationalised in 1975. In 1986 it was renamed as
The Rover Group and was privatised as a subsidiary of British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994.
British Rail — was a government owned railway company that operated from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the
Big Four British railway companies and was privatised in stages between 1994 and 1997.
British Steel Limited — is a steel company manufacturing long steel products). Established in 2016, it was formed from the sale of long steel production by
Tata Steel Europe to
Greybull Capital. Its parent company is Jingye Group.
British Steel plc — was a steel production company that operated from 1967 to 1999. Formerly known as the British Steel Corporation, it was formed from the nationalisation of 14 private steel companies. It was privatised in 1988, and in 1999 it was merged with
Koninklijke Hoogovens to form
Corus Group.
British Sugar plc — is a producer of sugar from sugar beet as well as medicinal
cannabis,
bioethanol, animal feed, topsoil, and soil conditioners. It is headquartered in
Peterborough. It was founded in 1936 when the UK government nationalised all of the sugar beet processing industry into the British Sugar Corporation. In 1972 it began selling its sugar products under the name Silver Spoon. In 1982 its name was shortened to British Sugar plc, and it was acquired by
Beresford International. In 1991 it was sold to
Associated British Foods of which it is a subsidiary. It acquired sugar producer Billingtons in 2004. In 2021 its revenue was £714 million, with a net income of £35 million.
British Transport Films — was a railway documentary film production company. It operated from 1949 to circa 1986.
British United Provident Association Ltd (Bupa) — is a multinational health insurance and healthcare company headquartered in London. It is a private
company limited by guarantee. Its healthcare operations include: hospitals (mainly in Spain, Poland, and Chile), outpatient clinics, dental centres, digital services, and aged care facilities. It was founded in 1947 when seventeen British
provident associations amalgamated to provide healthcare. Since then it has expanded internationally with many acquisitions. In 2021 its revenue was £12.9 billion, with a net income of £423 million.
Britvic plc — is a producer of
soft drinks that is headquartered in
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. It has over 40 brands including:
Robinsons,
MiWadi,
Tango,
Club,
Purdey's,
R. White's Lemonade,
Cidona,
J2O, and
Teisseire. It is also the UK franchise holder and licensed bottler for
PepsiCo drinks. It was founded in 1845 in
Chelmsford as the British Vitamin Products Company. In 1938 it began producing fruit juices and in 1949 marketed them under the Britvic name. The company itself was renamed Britvik in 1971. In 1986 it was merged with Canada Dry Rawlings. In 2022 its revenue was £1.6 billion, with a net income of £140 million.
Brompton Bicycle Limited — is a manufacturer of folding bicycles based in
Greenford, London. It was founded in 1976 by
Andrew Ritchie. In 2019 its revenue was £42 million, with an operating income of £3.4 million.
Brooke Cars — is a manufacturer of sports cars. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in
Honiton,
Devon.
Brooke Marine — was a ship building company, including civilian, commercial, and warships. It operated from 1874 to 1992. It was also an automobile manufacturer from 1901 to 1913, and a car engines manufacturer until 1938. Headquartered in
Lowestoft,
Suffolk, it was also known as JW Brooke & Co, and Brooke Yachts.
Brora distillery — is a producer of Scottish whisky based in
Brora, Scotland. It was founded in 1819 by the
Marquess of Stafford as Clynelish until the
Clynelish distillery opened in 1968 when it was renamed Brora distillery. In 1983 production ended until 2021 when it was reactivated. It is owned by
Diageo.
Broseley Estates Ltd — was a house building company headquartered in
Leigh, Lancashire. It was founded in 1953 by Daniel Horrocks. In 1960 it was re-formed as the Broseley Investment Company. It expanded until in the early 1980s it was the UK's fourth largest housebuilder. In 1986 its majority owner Guardian Royal Exchange kept the commercial property operation but sold Broseley Estates to
Trafalgar House where it became part of
Ideal Homes.
Brothers Drinks Company Ltd — is a producer of fruit ciders and a bottling company. It is headquartered in
Shepton Mallet, Somerset. It was founded in 1992 by four Showering brothers whose father invented
Babycham. In 2021 the Babycham brand was acquired for the company.
Bryanston Films (UK) — was a film production company that operated from 1959 to 1963.
BT Group — is a British multinational telecommunications company providing fixed line telephony, mobile telephony, broadband internet, and digital television. Established in 1969 as a public corporation, it was privatised in 1984. Its headquarters is in London. Formerly known as Post Office Telecommunications, British Telecom, and then trading as BT, it has 7 divisions and 3 subsidiaries. In 2022 its revenue was £20.8 billion, with a net income of £1.2 billion.
Buckinghamshire Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages and savings. It is based in
Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1907 as the Chalfont & District Permanent Building Society. In 1961 it was renamed the Buckinghamshire Building Society.
Budgen Stores Ltd(trading as Budgens) — is a company that operates a retail chain of franchise
convenience stores. It is headquartered in
Harefield, London. It was founded in 1872 by John Budgen. Formerly trading as Budgen, it was renamed Budgens circa 1990. In 2002 it was acquired by
Musgrave. In 2015 it was acquired by
Booker Group which is now owned by
Tesco plc.
Bulb Energy — is an energy company supplying electricity and gas. Established in 2013, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Regent Power, and Hanbury Energy. In 2022 it was acquired by
Octopus Energy.
Bunzl plc - is a British multinational distribution and outsourcing company headquartered in London. It was established in 1940 in London by the Bunzl family as Tissue Papers Ltd. At first it manufactured cigarette filters, crepe, and tissue paper. It later produced fibres, pulp, paper, building materials, and plastics before it was restructured as a distribution company. In 2022 it had a revenue of £12 billion, with a net income of £474 million.
BUPA — is a multinational health insurance and healthcare company. See British United Provident Association Ltd.
Burberry Group plc — is a luxury fashion manufacturer and retailer. Founded in 1856 in
Basingstoke, it is now headquartered in London. In 2022 its revenue was £2.8 billion, with a net income of £397 million.
Burton's Biscuit Company — is a biscuit and savoury snack manufacturer. It was founded in 1935 by Joseph Burton; previously the first Burton's Biscuits were baked for sale by his grandfather George Burton in
Liverpool. Headquartered in
St Albans, it has had a number of different owners and in June 2021 it was bought by
Ferrero SpA.
Bushey Studios — was a film studio that operated from 1913 to 1985. Its headquarters was in
Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Business Stream — is a utility company supplying water, and sewage disposal for non-domestic sites. Established in 2006, its headquarters is in
Edinburgh, Scotland. Its parent company is
Scottish Water.
Butlins — is a leisure company that operates holiday camps and hotels. Established in 1936, its headquarters is in
Hemel Hempstead. Since 2022 it is owned and run by Butlins Skyline Ltd which is owned by The Harris Family Trust.
Bytes Technology Group — is a re-seller of computer software. It is headquartered in
Leatherhead, Surrey. It was founded in 1982 in a shop in
Epsom. In 1998 it was acquired by Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron). In 2020 it was demerged from Altron and floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2022 its revenue was £447 million, with net income of £32 million.
C
C. & J. Clark International Ltd(trading as Clarks) — is an international shoe manufacturer and retailer. It operates a multinational shoe store chain that is a mixture of company owned stores and franchises, as well as a retail website. It is headquartered in
Street, Somerset. It was founded in 1825-1828 by brothers Cyrus and James Clark. Later in the 19th century the shoe making process was automated. Also, the business funded a number of social initiatives in Street such as a school, theatre, library, swimming pool, and town hall. In 1903 it was incorporated. In 1937 it acquired the Abbotts store chain and used the retail brand name 'Peter Lord'. In the 1970s it acquired 'Ravel, Pint and Mondaine' and 'K shoes'. The Clark family ran the company until 1993, and owned it until 2020 when LionRock Capital took overall control. In 2021 Viva China Holdings (renamed Viva Goods Co. Ltd) took control of LionRock Capital including Clarks.
Cadbury - formerly named "Cadburys" and "Cadbury Schweppes " is a British multinational confectionery company. It was established in 1824 by
John Cadbury in
Birmingham. Its headquarters are now in
Uxbridge, London. Cadbury merged with
J. S. Fry & Sons in 1919, and with
Schweppes in 1969 to form Cadbury Schweppes until Schweppes was demerged in 2008. Cadbury was bought by
Kraft Foods Inc. in 2010, and is now a brand of
Mondelez International.
Caffè Nero Group Ltd — is a company that operates a multinational
coffeehouse chain and has its own roastery. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1997 by
Gerry Ford who remains the owner. In 2001 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange before going private again in 2007. Its subsidiaries are
Harris + Hoole,
Coffee#1, and Aroma Coffee.
Caffia Coffee Group — is a supplier of coffee machines and coffee products to the workplaces and restaurants market. It is a family-run business headquartered in
Falkirk, Scotland. It was founded in 1985 as Lomond Coffee Services. In 2013 it was renamed Caffia Coffee Group.
cahoot — is a financial services company providing online banking. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. Formerly part of
Abbey National, it is now part of
Santander UK.
Cake Entertainment — is a TV series production and distribution company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in London.
Cala Group (Holdings) Limited — is a house building company. It was founded in 1875 as the City of Aberdeen Land Association. In 2014 it acquired Banner Homes. In 2018 it was acquired by
Legal & General. In 2022 its revenue was £1.2 billion, with a net income of £93 million.
Caledonia Investments plc — is an investment trust headquartered in London. It originated in 1928 as The Foreign Railways Investment Trust Ltd. The
Cayzer family acquired it in 1951 to hold their business interests, and it was renamed Caledonia Investments. In 2003 it was converted into an investment trust company.
Cambridge & Counties Bank Ltd — is a bank offering property finance, asset finance, specialist car finance, and savings accounts for small to medium-sized businesses and credit unions. Headquartered in
Leicester, Leicestershire; it was founded in 2012. It is owned by
Trinity Hall and Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Scheme.
Camelot Group — is a lottery company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in
Watford.
Caparo Vehicle Technologies — was an automotive and aerospace design and engineering and sports car production company. It operated from 2006 to 2019.
Capital Gearing Trust plc — is an investment trust established in 1973. Since 1982 it has been managed by Capitol Gearing Asset Management, an employee ownership trust.
Capitol Films — was a film production and distribution company that operated from 1989 to 2013.
Card Factory plc — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail websites offering greetings cards, calendars, and small gifts. It also produces cards and calendars. It is headquartered in
Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It was founded in 1997 by Dean and Janet Hoyle. In 2010 it was acquired by
Charterhouse Capital Partners, and in 2014 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange.
Carpetright Ltd — is a multinational company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering carpets, other floor coverings, beds, mattresses, curtains, blinds, and artificial grass. It is headquartered in
Purfleet, Essex. It was founded in 1988 by
Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham. In 1993 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2019/2020 it was acquired by Meditor, and returned to private ownership. Its acquisitions include: Mays World of Carpets, Storey Carpets, and Sleepright UK.
Cater Allen — is a financial services company providing private banking. Established in 1816, its headquarters is in London. Its parent company is
Santander Group.
Caterham Cars — is an automobile company manufacturing sports cars and F1 cars. Established in 1973 at
Caterham,
Surrey, its headquarters is in
Crawley,
Sussex. It has also traded as Seven Cars Limited. In 2021 it was acquired by VT Holdings.
Celltech — was a biotechnology company that operated from 1980 to 2004. Its headquarters was in
Slough. In 1999 it was acquired by
Chiroscience to briefly become Celltech Chiroscience. Celltech was acquired by
UCB in 2004.
Central Electricity Generating Board — was an electricity generation and transmission company that operated from 1957 to 2001. It began as a government owned body until it was privatised in the 1990s. Its headquarters was in London.
Centrica — is a multinational energy company supplying electric and gas, as well as a services company. Established in 1997, its headquarters is in
Windsor, Berkshire. It was formed when
British Gas plc was split into Centrica,
BG Group, and
Transco. Its trading names include British Gas, Scottish Gas,
Bord Gais Energy, and Phoenix Gas. In 2022 its revenue was £33.6 billion, with a net income loss of £636 million.
Century 21 Productions - was a television and film production company. See
AP Films.
CeX Ltd (Complete Entertainment eXchange; trading as CeX Entertainment Exchange) — is a multinational second hand retail store chain and retail website buying and selling technology, computer goods, video games, dvds, cds, and providing technology repair. It is headquartered in
Watford, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1992 in London as 'Computer Exchange'. The store chain is a mixture of franchises and centrally owned stores. In 2013 CeX Group founded 'Designer Exchange' as a second hand store chain buying and selling items such as luxury leather goods, jewellery, and handbags.
Charge Automotive — was the former name of electric vehicle manufacturing company
Arrival.
Charles Church Developments Ltd — is an upmarket house building company headquartered in
York, North Yorkshire. It was founded in 1965 by Charles JG Church as Burke and Church. In 1972 it was renamed Charles Church Developments. It acquired County Homes in 1987. In 1996 it was acquired by
Beazer Group plc. In 2001 Beazer was acquired by
Persimmon plc which retained Charles Church Developments as a subsidiary.
Charles Urban Trading Company — was a film production company that operated from 1903 to 1914/1918. Its headquarters was in London.
Chemring Group plc — is a manufacturer of advanced technology products for the aerospace, defence, and security markets. It is headquartered in
Romsey, Hampshire. It was founded in 1905 as The British, Foreign & Colonial Automatic Light Controlling Company which manufactured timers for gas street lightings. In 1974 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. It has made a number of acquisitions in the UK, US, and continental Europe. Its subsidiaries include
Roke Manor Research. In 2022 its revenue was £442 million, with a net income of £47 million.
Chester Waterworks Company — was a utility company supplying water that operated from 1838 to 1997. Headquartered in
Chester, it was formerly known as the City of Chester Waterworks Company. In 1997 it became part of
Dee Valley Water.
Child & Co. — was a financial services company providing private banking and wealth management. Formerly a goldsmiths, it was established in 1664 and was the oldest bank in the U.K. Headquartered in London, it became a brand of the
Royal Bank of Scotland until 2022.
Children's Film Unit — was a film production company that operated from 1981 to 2011.
Chime Communications Limited — is a marketing services company. Established in 1989, its headquarters is in London.
Chiroscience — was a biotechnology company that operated from 1991 to 1999. In 1996 it was merged with Darwin Molecular Corporation. In 1999 it was acquired by
Celltech who, in 2004, were acquired by
UCB.
C. Hoare & Co(also known as Hoares) — is a
private bank offering mortgages, savings, and loans to mainly
high-net-worth clients. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1672 by
Sir Richard Hoare and is still owned by his descendants.
Chorion — was a media, film and TV production and distribution company. It operated from 1998 to 2012.
Chorley and District Building Society(trading as Chorley Building Society) — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, and insurance. It is headquartered in
Chorley, Lancashire. It was founded in 1859 as The Chorley Permanent Benefit Building Society and was incorporated in 1874.
Churchill Mining — is a coal mining company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
Cineguild Productions — was a film production company that operated from 1944 to 1951.
Cineworld — is an international cinema chain company. Established in 1995, its headquarters is in London. In 2022 its revenue was £1.8 billion, with a net income loss of £565 million.
Cirkle — is a public relations company. Established in 1986, its headquarters is in
Beaconsfield. In 2022 it was acquired by Accordience.
CiteAb — is a biotechnology and life sciences data company that provides a search engine for research antibodies. Established in 2014, its headquarters is in
Bath, Somerset.
City of London Investment Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on UK equities. Headquartered in London, it is listed on both the
London Stock Exchange and the
New Zealand Stock Exchange. It was founded in 1861 as the City of London Brewery Company Ltd in order to acquire Calverts (a brewery in the City of London). In 1932 it was renamed The City of London Brewery and Investment Trust Ltd to reflect that parts of the business had been sold and the proceeds invested in securities. In 1968 the remnants of the brewery business were sold in order to focus solely on investment. It is managed by
Janus Henderson.
Clarks — is the trading name of C. & J. Clark International Ltd, an international shoe manufacturer and retailer.
Clarkson plc — is a provider of shipping services including shipbroking, finance, support, and research. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1852 by Horace Anderton Clarkson. In 2022 its revenue was £603 million, with a net income of £79 million.
Clearwater Features — was a film and TV production company that operated from 1979 to 1990. Its headquarters was in London.
Clerical Medical — is a financial services company providing life insurance, pensions, and investment. Established in 1824, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as the Medical, Clerical and General Life Assurance Society. Its parent company is
Lloyds Banking Group.
Clinton Cards Ltd (trading as Clintons) — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering greetings cards, soft toys, and small gifts. It also produces cards and other items. It is headquartered in
Loughton, Essex. It was founded in 1968 by
Don Lewin. In 1988 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2004 it acquired
Birthdays Ltd. In 2012 it went private again and from 2012 to 2018 it was owned by
American Greetings; from 2018 to 2019 by the Weiss family; and from 2019 by Esquire Retail Ltd.
Close Brothers Group plc — is a merchant banking company that provides lending, takes deposits, manages wealth, and trades in
securities. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1878 by
William Brooks Close and his brothers Fred and James Close in
Sioux City, Iowa, US. In 2022 its revenue was £936 million, with a net income of £165 million.
Cloud Eight Films — is a film and television production company. Established in 2009, its headquarters is in London.
Coalite Company — was a coke, petrol, and oils production company that operated from 1917 to 2004. Established in London, its headquarters was in
Bolsover. It was also known as The Coalite Chemicals Company.
Cocoa Mountain — is a producer of chocolate confectionery. It also operates two cafes. Headquartered in
Durness, Scotland; it was founded in 2006 by James Findlay and Paul Maden.
Codex Pictures — was a film production company that operated from 2008 to 2013. Its headquarters was in London.
Colne Valley Water — was a utility company supplying water. It operated from 1873 to 1994. In 1994 it was merged into Three Valleys Water.
Comben Homes — was a house building company. It was founded in 1907 by James White Comben and William Henry Wakeling as Comben & Wakeling. In 1972 it acquired Ryedale Homes and was renamed Comben Group, trading as Comben Homes. In 1984 it was acquired by
Trafalgar House and became part of its
Ideal Homes house building operation.
Compass Group — is a British multinational contract
food service, cleaning, and facilities management company. Established in 1941, its headquarters is in
Chertsey. It was formerly known as Factory Canteens Limited, and Bateman Catering. In 2022 its revenue was £25.1 billion, with a net income of £1.1 billion.
Computacenter plc — is a multinational provider of computer services to the public-sector and private-sector. It is involved in the supply, implementation, support, and management of information technology systems. It is headquartered in
Hatfield, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1981 by
Philip Hulme and
Peter Ogden. In 2022 its revenue was £6.4 billion, with a net income of £184 million.
Computer Film Company — was a film visual effects company. Established in 1986, its headquarters was in London. In 1997 it was merged with
Framestore.
Consolidated Gold Fields — was a gold mining company that operated from 1887 to 1988. Headquartered in London, it was acquired by
Hanson.
Convatec — is a medical devices company. Established in 1978, its headquarters is in
Reading, Berkshire. It was formerly a division of
E.R. Squibb & Sons, Inc. In 2022 its revenue was $2 billion, with a net income of $62 million.
Co-op Funeralcare — is the trading name of Funeral Services Ltd, a provider of funeral services.
The Co-operative Bank plc — is a financial services company offering banking services. Established in 1872, its headquarters is in
Manchester. It was first formed as the Loan and Deposit Department of the
Co-operative Wholesale Society. In 2009, it merged with the
Britannia Building Society. In 2018, it had an operating income of £369 million. It is owned by The Co-operative Bank Holdings Ltd.
The Co-operative Group — trading as Co-op is a consumers' co-operative retail group offering food, e-pharmacy, insurance services, legal services, funeral care, and land and property management. Established in 1844, its headquarters is
One Angel Square,
Manchester. First established as the
Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, in 1872 it became The Co-operative Wholesale Society. In 2020 its revenue was £11.5 billion, with a net income of £77 million.
Co-operative Retail Trading Group — was the central buying group for co-operative retail societies in the United Kingdom. It operated from 1993 to 2015 when it was succeeded by Federal Retail Trading Services. Headquartered in Manchester, it was managed by
The Co-operative Group.
Cooper Car Company — is a manufacturer of racing cars, and sports cars. Established in 1947, its headquarters is in
Surbiton,
Surrey.
COPA90 — is a football media company. Headquartered in London, it was founded in 2012. It was previously named Bigballs Media.
Coral — is a gambling company. Established in 1926, its headquarters is in London. It is owned by
Entain plc.
Corbyn, Stacey & Company — was a pharmaceuticals, and retail chemists company that operated from 1726 to 1927. It was headquartered in London.
Countryside Partnerships plc — is a house building company headquartered in
Brentwood, Essex. It was founded in 1958. In 2014 it was merged with Millgate. In 2022 its name was changed from Countryside Properties to Countryside Partnerships. In June 2022 it was acquired by Inclusive Capital Partners (In-Cap), and then in November it was acquired by
Vistry Group plc.
Coutts & Company — is a financial services company offering private banking and wealth management. Established in 1692, its headquarters is in London. Its parent company is
NatWest Holdings which is owned by the
NatWest Group. In 2018 its revenue was £681 million, with a net income of £268 million.
Cove Energy plc — was an oil and gas exploration company that operated from 2009 to 2012. Its headquarters was in London. In 2012 it was acquired by
PTT Exploration and Production.
Coventry Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, and banking. It is headquartered in
Coventry, West Midlands. It was founded in 1884 by Thomas Mason Daffern and became the Coventry Permanent Economic Building Society. It was later renamed the 'Coventry Economic' and then the 'Coventry Building Society'. Its acquisitions include: the Coventry & District Permanent Money Society in 1970, the Stourbridge, Lye & District Permanent Building Society in 1976, the Coventry Provident Building Society in 1983, and the
Stroud & Swindon Building Society in 2010.
Cow & Gate — was a manufacturer of dairy products, and babyfood. Established in 1882, its headquarters was in
Guildford, Surrey. It was formerly known as West Surrey Dairy, and West Surrey Central Dairy Company Limited. In 1959 it merged with
United Dairies to form
Unigate which became
Uniq plc and was acquired by
Greencore. The Cow & Gate brand continues as a specialist baby food brand, owned by
Danone.
Cranswick plc — is a food producer and supplier of mainly meat products. It is headquartered in
Hull. It was founded in 1974 by a number of Yorkshire farmers as a pig feed producer named Cranswick Mill. Diversifying into food production, it now breeds and rears pigs for its products. Its brands include Bodega, Weight Watchers, Woodall's, Simply Sausages, Red Lion Foods, and The Black Farmer. In 2022 its revenue was £2 billion, with a net income of £103 million.
Crest Nicholson plc — is a house building company headquartered in
Weybridge, Surrey. It was founded in 1963 by Bryan Skinner as Crest Homes. A number of unrelated acquisitions included the yacht maker Camper & Nicholsons leading to the renaming as Crest Nicholson. In 2022 its revenue was £913 million, with a net income of £26 million.
Croda International plc — is a chemicals company that produces consumer and industrial products. Established in 1925, its headquarters is in
Snaith,
East Riding of Yorkshire. In 2022 its revenue was £2 billion, with a net income of £653 million.
Crookes Healthcare — is a manufacturer of healthcare products and pharmaceuticals. Established in 1918 in London, its headquarters is in
Lenton, Nottingham. It was formerly known as Crookes Collosols, and The Crookes Laboratories. In 1960 it was acquired by
Arthur Guinness Son and Company, then in 1971 it was acquired by
Boots, and, in 2006, it was acquired by
Reckitt Benckiser.
Crosby Homes — was a house building company headquartered in
Solihull, West Midlands. It was founded in the mid 1920s by James Crosby. In 1986 the Crosby family accepted a management buyout. In 1991 it was acquired by
Berkeley Group Holdings who, in 2003, sold it to its management. In 2005 it was acquired by
Lendlease and renamed Crosby Lend Lease.
Crosslé Car Company — is a racing car manufacturing company. Established in 1957, its headquarters is in
Holywood, Northern Ireland.
Crown Film Unit — was a government-owned film production company that operated from 1940 to 1952. It was formerly the
GPO Film Unit.
Cumberland Building Society(trading as The Cumberland) — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, banking, investments, and insurance. It is headquartered in
Carlisle, Cumbria. It was founded in 1850 as a
freehold land society named the Cumberland Co-operative Land and Benefit Building Society. Its subsidiaries include: Cumberland Estate Agents, and Borderway Finance.
Currys plc — is a multinational electrical and telecommunications retail and services company. It was established in 2014 by the merger of
Dixons Retail and
Carphone Warehouse Group to form Dixons Carphone. Its headquarters is in London. In 2021 it was renamed Currys plc and the Currys brand also replaced the PC World, Team Knowhow and Carphone Warehouse brands. In 2022 its revenue was £10.1 billion, with a net income of £222 million.
Curzon Cinemas — is a cinema chain, film distributor, and video on demand company. It was established in 1934. In 2019 it was acquired by
Cohen Media Group. Its subsidiary is
Curzon Film.
D
Darktrace plc — is a cybersecurity company headquartered in
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and
San Francisco US. It was founded through cooperation between British intelligence agencies and Invoke Capital (owned by
Mike Lynch). In 2022 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. Its revenue for 2022 was $415 million, with a net income of $1.5 million.
Davrian Developments — was an automobile manufacturing company that operated from 1967 to 1983. It was headquartered in
Clapham, London, then
Tregaron, Wales, and then
Lampeter, Wales.
Debenhams plc — was a company that operated a department store chain offering clothing, beauty products, household items, furniture, and formerly food. It also had instore restaurants, provided store card and credit card services, offered insurance products, and had a retail website. It was headquartered in London. It was founded in 1778 by William Clark as a London
draper's store. In 1813
William Debenham became a partner and it was renamed 'Clark & Debenham'. Its product range was expanded and new shops opened. It was renamed: 'Debenham, Pooley & Smith', then 'Debenham, Son & Freebody' in the 1850s, then 'Debenham & Hewitt' in 1876. In 1905 it was incorporated as Debenhams Ltd. In 1927 it acquired the
Drapery Trust, and in 1928 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. By 1948 it had become the biggest department store chain in the UK. In 1986 it was acquired by the
Burton Group. In 1998 it was demerged from the Burton Group, and in 2003 was acquired by Baroness Retail Ltd which was a consortium of investment companies and Debenhams management. In 2020 it went into
administration and then
liquidation so that it was defunct in 2021. In 2021
Boohoo acquired the Debenhams brand and website but not the stores. The franchised store chain of Debenhams in the Middle East which is owned by
Alshaya Group is still trading.
Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc — is a pharmaceutical company that develops and markets
veterinary medicine products. It is headquartered in
Northwich, Cheshire. It was founded in 1997 by a management buy-out from
Lloyds Chemists. In 2023 it was acquired by
EQT Partners. In 2022 its revenue was £681 million, with a net income of £58 million.
Deloitte — is a multinational professional services network. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1845.
Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company — was a pencil making company based in
Keswick, Cumbria. It was founded in 1832 as Banks, Son & Co and renamed the Cumberland Pencil Company in 1916. In 1980 it was acquired by Rexel (now
ACCO Brands) to become one of their brands. It produces pencils, paints, pastels, pens, and other art accessories.
Derwent London plc — is a property investment and development company headquartered in London. It was established in 1984 by
John Burns using
Derwent Valley Holdings as a shell company. In 2007 it was merged with London Merchant Securities plc to form Derwent London. In 2022 its revenue was £248 million, with a net income loss of £280 million.
DFS Furniture plc — is a company that operates a multinational furniture retail store chain and retail website, and is also a furniture manufacturer. It is headquartered in
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. In 1969 Graham Kirkham founded Northern Upholstery. In 1983 Kirkham purchased DFS Furniture ltd which had been founded by the Hardy family, and renamed Northern Upholstery as 'DFS'. In 1993 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange before going private again in 2004. In 2010 it was acquired by
Advent International. In 2015 it was floated on the London Stock Exchange again. Its acquisitions include: Sofa Workshop,
Dwell, and
Sofology.
Dial-a-Phone — was a mobile phone retail company that operated from 1995 to 2014. Its headquarters was in
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
Diploma plc — is a distributor of specialised technical products and services in the sectors of controls, seals, and life sciences. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1931 and was a distributor of electronic components, building products, and special steels. In 2022 its revenue was £1 billion, with a net income of £95 million.
DiscoverIE Group plc - is an international designer and manufacturer of specialised electronic components for industrial use. It is headquartered in
Guildford, Surrey. It was founded in 1986 by John Curry as Acal plc. In 2017 it was renamed discoverIE Group (short for discover Innovative Electronics). Its acquisitions include: BFI Opticals, Myrra Group, Trafo Holdings SA, and Foss As Fiberoptisk Systemsalg. In 2022 its revenue was £379 million, with a net income of £25 million.
DNA Bioscience — was a biotechnology company offering a DNA paternity testing service. It operated from 2003 to 2005.
DNA Films — is a film and television production company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1997 by
Andrew Macdonald and
Duncan Kenworthy. The television division with Walt Disney Television is named DNA TV Limited.
DNEG — is a film visual effects, animation, and stereo conversion company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Double Negative.
Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd — is a company that operates a chain of
garden centres, a number of which also include an in-store restaurant, and food hall. It also operates several tourist attractions such as Anker Wood. Headquartered in
Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland; it was founded in 1865 by James Dobbie as a seeds business. In 1997 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2007 it was acquired by
Tesco plc who, in 2016, sold it to an investors group led by Midlothian Capital Partners, and Hattington Capital.
Dolomite Bio — is a biotechnology company that creates products for high throughput single cell research. Established in 2016, its headquarters is in
Royston, Hertfordshire. It is part of Blacktrace Holdings Ltd.
Domino's Pizza Group plc — is a UK based
master franchise of international pizza delivery chain
Domino's. Headquartered in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, it was founded in 1985. In 2011 it acquired a majority stake in the master franchise for Domino's in Germany. In 2012 it acquired Domino's Pizza Switzerland AG but sold it in 2021. In 2022 its revenue was £600 million, with a net income of £81 million.
Douglas Equipment — was a company manufacturing support vehicles for airports, aircraft, and docks. Established in 1947, its headquarters was in
Cheltenham. It was formerly known as FL Douglas. It was later purchased by
Textron and survives as a brand.
Dr. Martens plc — is a footwear and clothing manufacturer headquartered in
Wollaston, Northamptonshire. It was first known as R. Griggs Group who, in 1960, had bought the UK patents rights for the boots. In 2013 R. Griggs was bought by
Permira. In 2022 Dr. Martens plc had total revenue of £908 million, with a net income of £181 million.
Drax Group plc — is a power generation company that operates some power stations including the
Drax Power Station. It also runs a
biomass production and distribution business named Drax Biomass. It owns electricity supplier Haven Power, and electricity and gas supplier
Opus Energy. It is headquartered in
Drax, North Yorkshire. Its roots begin with the construction and running of the Drax Power Station by the state owned
Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). When the CEGB was privatised in 1990 it was transferred to
National Power which sold it to the
AES Corporation in 1999. In 2003 it was acquired by a number of financial institutions and in 2005 it became part of the Drax Group. In 2022 its revenue was £8.1 billion, with a net income of £82 million.
Dreams Ltd — is a company that manufactures and sells beds, mattresses, bedroom furniture, and bed linen. It operates a retail store chain, and retail website. It is headquartered in
Loudwater, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Clare. In 2013 it was put into
administration and then acquired by Sun European Partners who sold it to
Tempur Sealy in 2021.
Drimnin Distillery Company — is a producer of Scotch whisky that owns the Nc'nean distillery located in Drimnin,
Morvern, Scotland. The distillery was founded in 2017 by Annabel Thomas.
Drum Films — was a film and TV production company. See
Rogue Films.
Drummonds Bank — is a financial services company offering private banking and wealth management. Established in 1717, its headquarters is in London. It is a branch of the
Royal Bank of Scotland.
DS Smith plc — is a multinational manufacturer of fibre-based packaging with recycling, and paper manufacturing. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1940 by cousins David Gabriel Smith and David Solomon Smith. In 2022 its revenue was £7.2 billion, with net income of £315 million.
Dunelm Group plc — is a home furnishings retailer that operates a chain of stores, and a webstore. It also manufactures curtains, blinds, and accessories. It is headquartered in
Syston, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1979 by
Bill Adderley and Jean Adderley as a market stall before the first store opened in 1984. Its acquisitions include: Bellbird, Dorma bed linen brand, and World Stores including
Kiddicare. In 2022 its revenue was £1.5 billion, with a net income of £171 million.
E
Eagle-Lion Films — was a film production and distribution company that operated from 1945 to 1950.
Ealing Studios — is a film and television production company with a number of studios for hire. It is based in
Ealing, London.
Early Learning Centre — is a company that operates a multinational retail store chain and retail website offering toys for younger children, and baby equipment such as prams and cots. It also produces toys for its own brand. It is headquartered in
Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1974 by David John Beale. It was acquired by
John Menzies in 1985. In 2001 it was the subject of a management buyout. It was acquired by Eagle Retail Investments in 2004, then by
Mothercare in 2007. In 2019 it was acquired by
The Entertainer through its parent company Teal Group Holdings.
Eastern Electricity — was an energy company distributing and supplying electricity. It operated from 1948 to 1995. Headquartered in
Wherstead Park, Suffolk, it was also known as Eastern Group. In 1995 it was acquired by
Hanson plc.
EasyGroup Holdings — is a multinational brand licensing company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in
Kensington, London.
EasyMoney — is the trading name of financial services company E-Money Capital Ltd.
Ecology Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, and savings. It is focused on environmental sustainability. Headquartered in
Silsden, West Yorkshire; it was founded in 1981.
Ecora Resources plc — is a mining finance company. Established in 1967, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Diversified Bank Shares Limited, and until 2022 Anglo Pacific Group.
Ecosse Films - is a film and television production company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1988 by
Douglas Rae.
Edinburgh Investment Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on investments in larger companies. It is headquartered in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1899.
The Edrington Group Ltd — is an international spirits company headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland. It produces Scotch whisky, American whisky, gin, and rum. It was founded in 1961 by the Robertson sisters (Elspeth, Agnes, and Ethel) who had inherited the Scotch whisky interests developed by their grandfather and father. Its brands include
Highland Park,
Glenrothes,
Macallan,
The Famous Grouse,
Brugal rum, and others.
E. H. Booth & Co Ltd(trading as Booths) — is a company that operates a supermarket chain in
Northern England offering food, beverages, and household products including its own-brand products. It also has in-store restaurants. It is headquartered in
Ribbleton, Lancashire. It was founded in 1847 by
Edwin Henry Booth, and incorporated in 1896. In 1920 shares were offered to the employees, and in 2023 the company remains owned by the Booth family and employees.
Elstree Film Studios Ltd — operates Elstree Studios which is a film and TV production centre that was established in 1925. It is located at
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The company was founded in 2000 as Elstree Film and Television Studios Limited and is owned by
Hertsmere Borough Council. It has a partnership with
BBC Studioworks.
E-Money Capital Ltd(trading as EasyMoney) — is a banking and financial services company offering investments, savings, and loans based on peer-to-peer lending in the property sector. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 2001 by
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou as a credit card company.
Endeavour Mining - is a multinational mining company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1988 as Endeavour Financial, a mining finance company. In the early 21st century it diversified into mining operations. In 2022 its total revenue was $2.5 billion, with a net income of $21.9 million.
Energean plc — is an international oil and gas exploration and production company focused on natural gas. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 2007 as Agean Energy SA, a Greek owned business. In 2010 it was renamed Energean Oil and Gas, and in 2020 renamed Energean plc. It owns the
Karish gas field and the
Tanin gas field. In 2022 its revenue was $732 million, with a net income of $17 million.
Energie Group — is a company that operates two health club
franchises: énergie Fitness Clubs, and énergie Fitness for Women. Headquartered in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire; it was founded in 2003 by Jan Spaticchia. Its parent company is Empowered Brands.
English China Clays — was a company involved in mining
china clay, stone quarries, building, and housing development. It operated from 1919 to 1999. Headquartered in
St Austell, Cornwall, it was acquired by
Imetal.
Entain plc — is a multinational sports betting and gambling company headquartered in
Douglas, Isle of Man. It was founded in 2004 in Luxembourg as Gaming VC Holdings. In 2010 it was renamed GVC Holdings, and in 2019 renamed as Entain plc. Its brands include
bwin,
Coral,
Ladbrokes,
partypoker, and
Sportingbet. In 2022 its revenue was £4.2 billion, with a net income of £19.5 million.
Ernst & Young — is a multinational professional services partnership that mainly provides accounting services such as
assurance (which includes
financial audit), tax, consulting and advisory services. It is headquartered in London. Established in 1989, it was formed from the merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co.
Eros Films — was a film production and distribution company that operated from 1947 to 1961. Headquartered in London; it was founded by brothers Philip, Sydney, and Michael Hyams.
esbs — is the trading name of Earl Shilton Building Society.
Essex and Suffolk Water — is a utility company supplying water. Established in 1994, it was formed from the merger of Essex Water Company and Suffolk Water Company. It is headquartered in
Durham. Since 2000 it is part of
Northumbrian Water.
European Opportunities Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on investments in European companies. It was founded in 2000 and is managed by Devon Equity Management Ltd. It was formerly known as Jupiter European Opportunities Trust.
Everyman Media Group plc — is a cinema chain company operating Everyman Cinemas. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 2000 by Daniel Broch.
Extra Energy — was a utility company supplying gas and electricity that operated from 2014 to 2018. Its headquarters was in
Birmingham.
F
F & C Investment Trust plc — trading as Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, is an investment trust headquartered in London. It was founded in 1868 by
Philip Rose. In 1981 it created
Graphite Capital, a private equity company. In 2022 its revenue was £96.2 million, with a net income of £72 million.
FatFace Ltd — is a company that operates a retail store chain and retail website offering clothing and accessories. It also produces a number of brands. It was founded in 1988 by Tim Stade and Jules Leaver. In 2007 it was acquired by
Bridgepoint Capital. In 2020 ownership passed to its lenders and then in 2023 it was acquired by
Next plc.
Farboud Limited — is the former name of automobile manufacturer
Arash Motor Company.
Farmcare Trading Ltd — is a farming and wholesale company. Established in 1896, it was formerly part of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, and then
The Co-operative Group. It was also known as The Co-operative Farms. In 2014 it was sold to the
Wellcome Trust.
FDM Group — is an international recruitment company headquartered in London. It trains mainly graduates, returners to work, and ex-military personnel in its academies before sending them as consultants to its clients who are mainly banks and other financial institutions. It was founded in 1990 by Rod and Jacqueline Flavell as Flavell Divett. It focused on IT recruitment until it acquired Mountford Software in 1995. In 1998 it was renamed FDM Group. In 2022 its revenue was £330 million, with a net income of £34 million.
Ferguson plc — is a building materials company that is a distributor of plumbing and heating products. It was previously also a manufacturer of plumbing and heating products, and originally was a manufacturer of sheep shearing equipment. It was founded in 1887. It was formerly known as Wolseley plc. In 2021 it sold its UK operations and moved its main listing to the US.
Fidelity European Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on long-term investments in continental Europe. Founded in 1991, it was formerly named Fidelity European Values. It is managed by
Fidelity International.
Fine Arts Films — was a film and TV production company specialising in animation. It was founded in 1955 by
John David Wilson and operated until 1996.
Fingercuff Productions — was a film production company specialising in short films and corporate promotional films. It was founded in 2000 by James Webber and Jamie Hooper. It is now defunct.
Finsbury — was a public relations company. Established in 1994, its headquarters was in London. In January 2021, Finsbury,
The Glover Park Group (GPG), and Hering Schuppener completed a merger to become Finsbury Glover Hering. In December 2021, Finsbury Glover Hering and Sard Verbinnen & Co. merged and rebranded as
FGS Global,
Firmus Energy — is an energy company supplying gas and electricity. Established circa 2005, its headquarters is in
Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was formerly a subsidiary of
Bord Gáis. In 2019 it was acquired by Equitix.
First Choice Holidays Limited — is a travel company operating a travel agency, a tour operator, airlines, hotels, and cruise ships. Established in 1973, its headquarters is in
Luton, Bedfordshire. It was formerly known as Owners Abroad. Its parent company is
TUI AG.
Fisons — was a multinational pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and horticultural chemicals company. It operated from 1843 to 1995. Headquartered in
Ipswich, Suffolk, it was formerly known as Edward Packard and Company Ltd, and Packard and James Fison (Thetford) Limited. It was acquired by
Rhône-Poulenc in 1995.
Flow Energy — was an energy company supplying gas and electricity, and boilers. Established in 1998, its headquarters was in
Ipswich. It was originally part of Flowgroup plc. In 2018 it was acquired by
Co-op Energy and became defunct in 2020.
Focus Films — is a film production company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1982 by
David Pupkewitz and Marsha Levin.
FoolishPeople — is a theatre company, film production, and book publishing company. It was founded in 1989 by John Harrigan.
Fortnum & Mason plc — is a company that operates a luxury department store on
Piccadilly, London, four other stores, and a retail website. It is known for offering high quality food products such as food hampers. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason. It is owned by
Wittington Investments Ltd.
Foster Yeoman — was a construction materials company involved in quarrying and supplying stone and asphalt materials. It also operated a rail haulage line. Headquartered in
Marston Bigot, Somerset, it operated from 1923 to 2006 when it was merged into
Aggregate Industries.
Framestore — is a film visual effects company. Established in 1986, its headquarters is in London. It was merged with
Computer Film Company.
Frank PR — is a public relations company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London.
Frasers Group plc — is a retail, sport, and intellectual property company headquartered in
Shirebrook, Derbyshire. It owns the department store chain
House of Fraser, Sports Direct,
Jack Wills,
Game, Flannels,
USC,
Lillywhites,
Evans Cycles and others. Its intellectual property includes the brands
Everlast,
Lonsdale,
Slazenger, and
No Fear. It was established in 1982 by
Mike Ashley as Mike Ashley Sports. Later it was renamed Sports Direct International plc and in 2019 renamed Frasers Group plc. In 2022 its revenue was £4.6 billion, with a net income of £256 million.
Free Seed Films — is a film production company, established in 2012.
Freestream — is the former name of
Caparo Vehicle Technologies, an automotive and aerospace engineering company.
French Connection — is a manufacturer, retailer, and wholesaler of women's and men's clothing, accessories, perfumes, watches, eye glasses, and homeware. It operates an international retail store chain for the French Connection brand, and 12 stores for the Toast brand. Its other brands are YMC, Great Plains, and formerly
Nicole Farhi. It also has concessions in UK department stores, and supplies its products to other multi-brand retailers. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1972 by Stephen Marks. In 1984 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2021 it was acquired by MIP Holdings Ltd.
Freud Communications — is a public relations company. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
Fuel Juice Bars Ltd — is a company that operates a chain of juice bars offering fruit juices and smoothies. It is headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland, and was incorporated in 2004. It was previously named Skykirk Ltd.
Fulhold Pharma — is a pharmaceuticals company. Established in 2014, its headquarters is in
Macclesfield, Cheshire. It was formerly known as Fulhold Ltd.
Fulton's Foods — was a company that operated a frozen food retail chain. It was headquartered in
Darton, South Yorkshire. It was founded in 1960 by Jack Fulton as a poultry business. It diversified into frozen food in 1974 as Frozen Value Ltd. In 1997 it was the subject of a management buyout. In 2013 it was rebranded as Fulton's Foods. In 2020 it was acquired by
Poundland who later closed all of the remaining stores.
Funeral Services Ltd (trading as Co-op Funeralcare) — is a funeral services company providing funerals, burials, cremations, memorial masonry, and coffin production. Headquartered in
Manchester, its parent company is
The Co-operative Group.
Furness Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, investments, loans, credit cards, and insurance. Headquartered in
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria; it was founded in 1865. Its subsidiaries include: Furness Mortgage Services, and Furness Independent Financial Advisers.
Furniture Village — is a company that operates a furniture retail store chain and retail website. It is headquartered in
Slough, Berkshire. It was founded in 1989 by Peter Harrison and David Imrie with
Cadogan Estates. In 2001 Cadogan Estates sold its stake to the company management.
Fuse Universal — is an online education company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.
Future plc — is an international media company that has over 200 brands in magazine and internet publications, video production through Future Studios, and sales, marketing, and distribution through Marketforce. It is headquartered in
Bath, Somerset. It was founded in 1985 by
Chris Anderson as Future Publishing. Its brands include:
TechRadar,
PC Gamer,
Tom's Guide,
Tom's Hardware,
Marie Claire,
GamesRadar+, CinemaBlend, Android Central, IT Pro, Windows Central, How it Works, and many others. In 2022 its revenue was £825 million, with a net income of £122 million.
Gala Bingo — is a bingo company, established in 1991. It is owned by
Entain.
Gallagher Group — is a house building, civil engineering, quarrying, and property company. It is headquartered in
Aylesford, Kent. It was founded in 1973 by Pat Gallagher as a civil engineering and groundworks contractor. Its services include: building, civil engineering, plant and transport, building materials, landfill and restoration, property development, and farming and estate management.
Galliard Group Ltd — is a property development company that operates residential, hotel, and commercial projects. It is headquartered in
Loughton, Essex. It was founded in 1992 by
Stephen Conway. It has 3 divisions: Galliard Homes, Galliard Commercial, and Galliard Construction.
Galpharm International — is a pharmaceuticals company producing non-prescription medicine. Established in 1982, its headquarters is in
Dodworth, Barnsley. In 2008 it was acquired by
Perrigo Group.
Games Workshop plc — is a manufacturer of
miniature wargames headquartered in
Lenton, Nottingham. Its best known products are
Warhammer Age of Sigmar,
Warhammer 40,000, as well as The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit tabletop battle games. It also operates a chain of Games Workshop retail stores. It was founded in 1975 by
John Peake,
Ian Livingstone, and
Steve Jackson as a manufacturer of wooden boards for games. It later became an importer of
Dungeons & Dragons, and then published its own wargames and role-playing games. In 2022 its revenue was £386 million, with a net income of £128 million.
Gamesys — is a software development and gaming company. Established in 2001, its headquarters is in London. In 2021 it was acquired by
Bally's Corporation.
Gas Light and Coke Company — was an energy company that produced and supplied coal gas and coke. It operated from 1812 to 1949. Headquartered in
Westminster, London, it was also known as the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company, and as Chartered Gas Light and Coke Company. In 1949 it was nationalised to become part of the
North Thames Gas Board.
Gate Studios — was a film studios company that operated from 1924 to circa 1954. It was situated in
Borehamwood. It was previously named Whitehall Studios, Consolidated Studios, J.H. Studios, and M.P. Studios.
Gaumont British Picture Corporation — was a film company producing and distributing films, operating a cinema chain, and manufacturing film projection equipment. Established in 1898, its headquarters was in London. In 1941 it was acquired by
The Rank Organisation.
Gaymer Cider Company — was a producer of cider and other alcoholic drinks. It was established in the 18th century by Robert Gaymer. In 1961 it was acquired by
Showerings which merged with
Allied Breweries in 1968. In 1992 it was de-merged in a management buyout. In 1994 it was acquired by
Matthew Clark plc which was acquired by
Constellation Brands in 1998. In 2010 it was acquired by
C&C Group plc who subsumed it into the parent company.
GCM Resources — is a mining company with interests in open cast coal mining in
Bangladesh. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Asia Energy plc, and as Global Coal Management.
Gemfields — is a mining and jewellery company, established in 2007.
Genuit Group plc — is a manufacturer of plastic piping systems for the residential, commercial, civil, and infrastructure sectors. It is headquartered in
Edlington, South Yorkshire. It was founded in 1980 by Kevin McDonald and Geoff Harrison as Polypipe. In 1999 it was acquired by
IMI plc who sold it to
Castle Harlan in 2005. In 2007 it was the subject of a management buyout. In 2014 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange, and in 2021 it was renamed Genuit Group. In 2022 its revenue was £622 million, with a net income of £36 million.
Genus plc — is a producer of genetics and other biotechnology products for cattle and pigs. Established in 1933, its headquarters is in
Basingstoke, Hampshire. It was formerly the Breeding and Production Division of the
Milk Marketing Board. In 2022 its revenue was £593 million, with a net income of £36 million.
George Lister Engineering — was an automobile manufacturing company. See
Lister Motor Company.
George Wimpey — was a multinational construction company involved in housebuilding, civil and commercial construction, and formerly road surfacing. Established in 1880, its headquarters was in London. In 2007 it was merged with
Taylor Woodrow to form
Taylor Wimpey.
Ginetta Cars — is an automobile manufacturing company producing racing and sports cars. Established in 1958, its headquarters is in
Garforth,
Leeds.
GK Films — is a British-American film and television production company. It is headquartered in
Santa Monica, California, US. It was founded in 1990 by
Graham King and was formerly known as Initial Entertainment Group.
Glencore — is a Swiss / British multinational commodities trading, and mining company. Established in 1974, it was formerly known as Marc Rich + Co AG. Its headquarters is in
Baar, Switzerland. In 2019 its revenue was $215 billion, with net income of $1.5 billion.
GlenWyvis distillery — is a producer of Scotch whisky and gin located in
Dingwall, Scotland. It was founded in 2015 by John McKenzie.
Globe-Trotter — is a manufacturer of luxury luggage. It is headquartered in
Mayfair, London. It was founded in 1897 in
Dresden, Germany, and was formerly named Stabilist. In 1987 production was moved to
Waltham Forest, London.
Glory Film Co. — is a film and television production company.
Goldcrest Films — is a film company involved in film production, distribution, marketing, and financing. It was founded in 1977 by
Jake Eberts as Goldcrest Films International. Its headquarters is in London.
Grainger plc — is a residential property development and management company headquartered in
Newcastle upon Tyne. It was founded in 1912 by the Dickinson family as the Grainger Trust. In 2022 its revenue was £279 million, with a net income of £229 million.
Grand Metropolitan — was a leisure, manufacturing, and property
conglomerate. It operated hotels, holiday centres, catering, restaurants, brewing, dairies, bingo, and gambling concerns. It operated from 1934 to 1997. Headquartered in London, it was formerly known as Mount Royal Metropolitan Association (MRMA), and Grand Metropolitan Hotels. In 1997 it was merged with
Guinness Brewery to form
Diageo plc.
Grantura Engineering — was a sister company of sports car manufacturer
TVR.
Gray-Nicolls — is a
cricket equipment and clothing manufacturing company. Established in 1855 as H.J. Gray and Sons, it merged with L.J. Nicolls in the early 1940s. Headquartered in
Robertsbridge, East Sussex; its parent company is
Grays International.
Grays International — is a sports equipment manufacturing company, providing equipment for cricket, field hockey, rugby union and tennis. Headquartered in
Robertsbridge, East Sussex; its brands are
Gray-Nicolls, Gilbert Netball,
Gilbert Rugby, Grays Hockey, and Grays of Cambridge.
Graze — is a snack food company headquartered in London. Founded in 2008, it was purchased by
Unilever plc in 2019.
Great Portland Estates — is a property development and investment company. Most of its assets are in London where it is headquartered. It was founded in 1959 by Howard and
Basil Samuel to invest in properties first developed by the
Dukes of Portland. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange the same year. In 2007 it was converted into a
real estate investment trust. In 2021 it was rebranded as GPE. In 2022 its revenue was £84 million, with a net income of £167 million.
Great Western Railway (GWR) — was a British railway company that connected London with the south west, west, and West Midlands of England, and most of Wales. It was headquartered at
Paddington station, London. It was founded in 1833, was enabled by an Act of Parliament in 1835, and ran its first trains in 1838. The routes were engineered by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In 1921 the Railways Act amalgamated it with the remaining independent railways in its area. Many of its locomotives, carriages, and wagons were built in the company's workshops in
Swindon. It also operated ferry services to Ireland and the Channel Islands, operated
road motor services, was a part of the
Railway Air Services, and owned ships, canals, docks, and hotels. In 1947 it was nationalised and became the
Western Region of British Railways.
Greybull Capital — is a private investment company (purchasing and divesting distressed companies). Established in 2010, its headquarters is in
Knightsbridge, London.
Grosvenor Casinos — is a gambling company. Established in 1970, its headquarters is in Maidenhead. Its parent company is
The Rank Group.
Group Lotus - is a manufacturing company (production of sports and racing cars, and engineering development). See
Lotus Cars.
GSK plc — is a British multinational pharmaceutical company (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, oral healthcare, nutritional products, over the counter medicine). It was established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. Headquartered in
Brentford, London, it has one subsidiary. In 2022 its revenue was £29.3 billion, with a net income of £15.6 billion.
GTM Cars — is a kit car manufacturing company. Established in 1967, its headquarters is in
Kingswinford,
Dudley.
Gü – is a dessert manufacturing company that was founded by
James Averdieck in 2003 in London. In 2010 Gü was sold to
Noble Foods.
Gus Robinson Developments Ltd — is a house building and construction company. It is headquartered in
Hartlepool, County Durham. It was founded in 1976 by Gus Robinson. It specialises in
social housing as well as general construction.
GW Pharmaceuticals — is a biopharmaceutical medicines production company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.
H
Habitat — is a household furnishings retail company. Established in 1964, its headquarters is in
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Its parent company is
Sainsbury's.
HAL Films — was a film production company from 1997 to 2012. Its headquarters was in London.
Halfords Group plc — is a retail chain company offering motoring products, cycling products, and electric bikes and scooters. It also provides vehicle servicing,
MOT, maintenance and repairs through its subsidiary
Halfords Autocentre. It also owns bike manufacturer
Boardman Bikes. It is headquartered in
Redditch, Worcestershire.
Frederick Rushbrooke founded it in 1892 as a wholesale ironmongery. In 1902 it began selling cycling products. It was acquired by
Burmah Oil in 1965; Ward White Group in 1983; the
Boots Group in 1989; and
CVC Capital Partners in 2003. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 2004.
Halifax — is a financial services company (banking and insurance). It was formerly a building society, and estate agents. Established in 1853, its headquarters is in
Halifax, West Yorkshire. It was formerly known as the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building and Investment Society, and
HBOS. From 2007 it was subsumed by the
Bank of Scotland but continued as a brand name.
Halma plc — is a British multinational group of safety equipment companies that make products for hazard detection and life protection. It is headquartered in
Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It was founded in 1894 in
Ceylon as the Nahalma Tea Estate Company Ltd and became the Nahalma Rubber Estate Company Ltd. After its tea and rubber plantations were nationalised or divested it became an investment and industrial holding company as Halma Investments Ltd. Later it became a manufacturer of health and safety products, and environmental products. In 2022 its revenue was £1.5 billion, with a net income of £244 million.
Halogen Communications — is a communications company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in Edinburgh.
Hamleys of London Ltd(trading as Hamleys) — is a company that operates a multinational chain of toy stores, and a retail website. It has 11 stores in the UK including its flagship store on
Regent Street, London which has 7 floors of sales space. It also has more than 90 international franchises. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1760 by William Hamley as a toy store named 'Noah's Ark' on
High Holborn. There have been many previous owners, including:
Lines Bros Ltd,
Debenhams plc,
Burton Group,
Harris Queensway,
Baugur Group,
Landsbanki, Groupe Ludendo, and C.Banner. Since 2019 it is owned by Indian company
Reliance Retail which is part of
Reliance Industries.
Hammer & Tongs — is a film and video production company.
Hammer Film Productions — is a film and television production company. Established in 1934, its headquarters is in London.
HandMade Films — is a film production and distribution company. Established in 1978, its headquarters is in London.
Hanley Economic Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, savings, investments, loans, and insurance. It is headquartered in
Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It was founded in 1854 by
Earl Granville as The Staffordshire Potteries Economic Permanent Benefit Building Society. In 1930 it was renamed the 'Hanley Economic Building Society'.
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe - is an animation studio headquartered in London. Founded in 2007, it is owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios UK division of Warner Bros. International Television Production, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery International. It is also known as Great Marlborough Productions, and previously known as Cartoon Network Studios Europe and Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe.
Hanson plc — is a building materials company. It was formerly a conglomerate including
Imperial Tobacco,
The Energy Group,
Millennium Chemicals and others. It was also an asset trader, buying, restructuring and selling companies. Established in 1964, its headquarters is in London. It was formerly known as Hanson Trust. Its parent company is
Heidelberg Cement.
Harbour Energy — is an oil and gas company headquartered in
Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 2014 by
Noble Group and
EIG Global Energy Partners. In 2021 the companies Chrysaor Holdings and
Premier Oil were merged and absorbed into Harbour Energy. In 2022 its revenue was $5.3 billion, with a net income of $8.2 million.
Hargreaves Lansdown plc — is a financial services company based in
Bristol that sells funds, shares, and related products to retail investors. It was founded in 1981 by
Peter Hargreaves and
Stephen Lansdown. In 2022 its revenue was £583 million, with a net income of £215 million.
Harrison Ainslie — was an iron production, and mining company from 1893 to 1913. It became the Charcoal Iron Company.
Harrods Ltd — is a company that operates the luxury department store Harrods located on
Brompton Road,
Knightsbridge, London. The store has 330 departments offering products such as clothing, food and drink, electronics, jewellery, sports gear, bridal dress, toys, books, health and beauty items, homeware, stationery, home appliances, furniture, pet accessories, and more. It also has 23 restaurants, a watch repair service, tailor, pharmacy, beauty spa and salon, and a barbers shop. It had operated Harrods Bank from 1893 to 2017. It was founded in 1849 by
Charles Henry Harrod as a small store which was expanded by his son
Charles Digby Harrod. In 1883 the store was destroyed by fire and then rebuilt on the same site. In 1889 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange and renamed 'Harrods Stores Ltd'. It was acquired by
House of Fraser in 1959 and then by the
Fayed brothers in 1985. In 2010 it was acquired by
Qatar Holdings, the
sovereign wealth fund of
Qatar. Its subsidiaries include estate agents
Harrods Estates, business and corporate aviation services provider
Harrods Aviation, and aircraft charter business
Air Harrods.
Harry Ramsden's — is a company that operates a fast food restaurant and takeaway chain offering
fish and chips and other themed dishes. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1928 by Harry Ramsden. In 1988 it was acquired by Merryweathers who expanded the business from one restaurant to a multinational chain. In 1989 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 1999 it was acquired by
Granada Ltd who merged with
Compass in 2000. In 2006 it was acquired by
EQT Partners as part of the SSP division. In 2010 it was acquired by Bopara Ventures who sold it to Deep Blue Restaurants in 2019.
Hartlepool Water — is a utility company (water supply). Formerly, it was also a gas supplier. Established in 1846, its headquarters is in
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. It was formerly known as Hartlepool Gas and Water Company. Since 1997 it is owned by
Anglian Water.
Hawk Films — is a film production company established in 1964.
Hays Travel Ltd — is a company that operates an independent
travel agent chain, and retail website. It is headquartered in
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. It was founded in 1980 by
John Hays and is now owned and led by his widow
Dame Irene Hays. In 2019 it acquired over 550 stores from
Thomas Cook Group which was in
liquidation. In 2020 it acquired Tailor Made Travel. Its brands include Hays Cruise, and Hays Faraway.
Headline Pictures — is a film and television production company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm — is a producer of cider, brandy, whisky, gin,
eau de vie, fruit wines, and apple juice. It also produces a variety of foodstuffs. It is located in
Penhallow, Cornwall. It was established in 1986 by David and Kay Healey and remains a family-run business. Its brands include Cornish Rattler Cyder, and Pear Rattler.
Helkon SK — is a former name of
Lionsgate UK, a film production and distribution company.
Hemdale Film Corporation — was a film production and distribution company from 1967 to 1995. Headquartered in London, it was later known as Hemdale Communications.
Henleys Clothing — was a men and womenswear company (clothes and shoes) from 1996 to 2011. Its headquarters was in
Manchester.
Henry Boot plc — is a property development, construction, and property management company. It is headquartered in
Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It was founded in 1886 by
Henry Boot. It expanded significantly during WWI with military and civil engineering contracts. After the war it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange and became a major house builder in both the public and private sectors. After WWII it was focused on general construction including in Europe. In 1965 it founded the Banner Building Society which was sold in 1982. The house building division was sold to
Wilson Bowden plc in 2003. Its remaining operations are: Henry Boot Developments (property development), Hallam Land Management (land and planning promotion), Henry Boot Construction (public and private sectors), Banner Plant Ltd (plant hire), Stonebridge Homes Ltd (housing), and Road Link (maintaining the A69). In 2021 its total revenue was £230 million, with a net income of £30 million.
Henry's House — is a public relations company. Established in 1998, its headquarters is in London.
Heyday Films — is a film production company. Established in 1996, its headquarters is in London.
Hg Capital Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on unquoted investments. It was founded in 1989 and is managed by
Hg.
HICL Infrastructure Company — is an investment trust company (infrastructure investments). It was established in 2006.
Hi-Gen Power — was an energy company (alternative energy). Established in 2009, it is now defunct. Its headquarters was in London.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc — is a British multinational company that manufactures pharmaceutical products. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1978 by
Samih Darwazah in
Amman, Jordan. Its acquisitions include Instituto Biochimico Pavese Pharma, Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries, APM, Alkan Pharma, Thymoorgan, Ribosepharm, Multi-Source Injectables, Promopharm, and others. In 2011 it founded the Al Dar Al Arabia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company in Algeria. In 2022 its revenue was $2.5 billion, with a net income of $191 million.
Hill & Smith plc — is a company that designs, manufactures and supplies products for the construction and infrastructure industries. It is headquartered in
Solihull, West Midlands. It was founded in 1824 by Edward Hill as Hills Ironworks at
Brierley Hill. Henry Smith joined the business which became Hill & Smith. Its acquisitions include Techspan Systems, Expamet, Hull Galvanising, ATG Access, National Signal Inc, and Widnes Galvanising. In 2022 its revenue was £732 million, with a net income of £56 million.
Hilton Food Group plc — is a food processing and packaging company headquartered in
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. It was founded in 1994 to operate a meat packing factory. In 2017 it acquired Seachill, a supplier of chilled and frozen salmon. In 2022 its revenue was £3.8 billion, with a net income of £19 million.
Hinckley and Rugby Building Society — is a
building society offering mortgages, and savings. It is headquartered in
Hinckley, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1983 by the merger of the Hinckley Building Society (founded in 1865) with the Rugby Provident Building Society (founded in 1861).
Hiscox plc - is an Anglo–Bermudian insurance company headquartered in
Hamilton, Bermuda. It is an underwriter at
Lloyd's of London, and originated as part of the Roberts agency in 1901. In 2022 its revenue was £2.7 billion, with a net income of £41.7 million.
Hochschild Mining — is a silver and gold mining company. Established in 1911, its headquarters is in London. In 2019 its revenue was $755 million, with total income of $41 million.
Hodge Bank — is the trading name of Julian Hodge Bank Ltd.
Holland & Barrett International(trading as Holland & Barrett) — is a company that operates a multinational retail store chain and retail website offering health foods, vitamins, supplements, homeopathy products, vegetarian and vegan foods, and beauty products. It also produces products for its own brand. It is headquartered in
Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It was founded in 1870 by Alfred Slapps Barrett and Major William Holland as a groceries and clothes business. It became a health products retailer in the 1970s when it was acquired by
Booker. It was acquired by
Lloyds Pharmacy in 1992;
NBTY in 1997; and
The Carlyle Group in 2010. Then in 2010 it was acquired by L1 Retail which is part of
LetterOne.
Home Bargains — is a division of
TJ Morris Ltd that operates a retail discount store chain offering grocery and general merchandise. It is headquartered in
Liverpool. It was founded in 1976 by
Tom Morris as Home Bargain. In 1995 it was renamed Home Bargains.
Horizon Discovery — is a biotechnology company (gene editing, producing genetically modified cells and organisms). Established in 2005, its headquarters is in
Cambridge.
Hotel Chocolat Group plc — is a company that produces chocolate and other cocoa related products to sell in its multinational chain of stores, cafes, restaurants, outlets, and a retail website. It also has a cocoa farm, and a hotel. It is headquartered in
Royston, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1993 by Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris as Chocolate Express. In 2003 it was rebranded as Hotel Chocolat. In 2016 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 2023 it was acquired by
Mars Inc..
Howden Joinery Group plc — is the multinational parent company of the Howdens Joinery business which is a supplier of kitchens, bathroom cabinets, and joinery products to the building trade. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1995 by Matthew Ingle as a business unit within
MFI Furniture Group plc. In 2006 the name of MFI was changed to Galiform, and in 2010 it was changed to Howden Joinery Group. It trades in Belgium and France as Howdens Cuisines. In 2022 its revenue was £2.3 billion, with a net income of £374 million.
H. Samuel — is a company that operates a jewellery retail store chain and retail website. It is headquartered in
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Its roots are in a mid 1800s clockmaking and silversmith business run by Moses and Lewis Samuel in
Liverpool.
Harriet Samuel, Moses' daughter-in-law, took over the business and began its expansion. In 1948 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange. In 1984 it acquired the James Walker Group. In 1986 it was acquired by Ratners Jewellers which rebranded as the Signet Group in 1992 with the remaining Ratners stores rebranded as H.Samuel.
HTK Ltd. — is a
software as a service company operating phone messaging and voice response services. It is headquartered in
Ipswich, Suffolk. It was founded in 1996 by Marlon Bowser and Adrian Gregory.
Hulton Colliery Company — was a coal mining company. Established in 1858, it is now defunct.
Huntsworth — is a public relations company. Established in 1974, its headquarters is in London.
Hurricane Films — is a film production company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in
Liverpool.
H. Weston & Sons Ltd - is a producer of cider and perry based in
Much Marcle, Herefordshire. It was founded in 1880 by Henry Weston and is still owned and run by the Weston family. Its brands include
Old Rosie, Henry Westons Vintage, Stowford Press, and others.
Iceland Foods Ltd (trading as Iceland) — is a company that operates a supermarket chain and retail website offering mainly frozen foods as well as non-frozen grocery products. It also produces own brand products, and operates another store chain called Food Warehouse. Previously it also sold kitchen appliances. It is headquartered in
Deeside, Wales. It was founded in 1970 by
Sir Malcolm Walker and Peter Hinchcliffe. It was floated on the
London Stock Exchange in 1984. In 2000 it was merged with
Booker plc to form
The Big Food Group (Iceland's holding company) which was acquired by
Baugur Group in 2005. Baugur Group collapsed in 2009 leaving Iceland owned by Icelandic banks
Landsbanki and
Glitnir until a consortium including Malcolm Walker and
Graham Kirkham bought their stake. Its acquisitions include: St. Catherine's Freezer Centres, Orchard Frozen Foods, and
Bejam. In 2022 its revenue was £3.5 billion, with a net income loss of £3.6 million.
ICG Enterprise Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on investments in unquoted companies. Established in 1981, it is headquartered in London. It was formerly the Graphite Enterprise Trust under the management of
Graphite Capital. In 2016 Intermediate Capital Group took over the management of the trust which was renamed the ICG Enterprise Trust.
Ideal Film Company (aka Ideal Films) — was a film production and distribution company from 1911 to 1934. Its headquarters was in London.
Ideal Homes — was a house building company. It was founded in 1929 by Leo Meyer and Philip Shepherd as New Ideal Homesteads. In 1934 it was floated on the
London Stock Exchange under the new holding company Ideal Building & Land Development. It expanded during the 1930s, and during WWII fulfilled government contracts. After the war it focused on the purchase and sale of tenanted properties. Also, it built
public housing for local authorities through its subsidiary Carlton Contractors. In the 1950s it moved back to private house building. In 1967 it was acquired by
Trafalgar House. Its own acquisitions included
Comben Homes and
Broseley Estates Limited. In 1996 Ideal Homes was acquired by
Persimmon plc.
IG Group — is a financial services company. Established in 1974, its headquarters is in London. In 2019 its revenue was £488 million, with net income of £158 million.
IMI plc — is an engineering company headquartered in
Birmingham. Its 3 business divisions are critical engineering,
precision engineering, and hydronic engineering. It was founded in 1862 by
George Kynoch as a
percussion cap factory trading as
Kynoch. The business was diversified into manufacturing a range of products until in the early 20th century it had an expertise in
metallurgy. After World War I it merged with
Nobel Enterprises. In 1926 it acquired
Eley Brothers, an ammunitions manufacturer. Then named Nobel Explosives, it was merged with 3 other companies to form
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) where it operated as ICI Metals. In 1962 it was renamed Imperial Metal Industries Ltd (IMI). In 1978 it became fully independent from ICI. In 2022 its revenue was £2 billion, with a net income of £226 million.
Immunocore — is a biotechnology company (biological drugs). Established in 2008, its headquarters is in
Oxford.
Impax Environmental Markets plc — is an investment trust focused on environmental companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. It was founded in 2002.
Imperial Brands - is a multinational tobacco company also involved in logistics through one of its 5 subsidiaries
Logista. It was established in 1901 through the amalgamation of 13 separate tobacco companies to form Imperial Tobacco Group. Headquartered in Bristol, its 2020 revenue was £32.5 billion, with a net income of £1.5 billion.
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) — is a chemicals manufacturing company (paints, pharmaceuticals, polymers, food ingredients, electronic materials, agrochemicals, fabrics, motorcycles), 1926–2008. Headquartered in London, in 2008 it was acquired by
Akzo Nobel.
Inchcape plc — is a British multinational automotive distribution, retail, and services company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1847 by
William Mackinnon and
Robert Mackenzie as the Mackinnon Mackenzie Company based in
Calcutta, India. Later restructured as Inchcape plc, it had operations in shipping, timber, business machines, automotive distribution and services, product testing, insurance brokerage, and bottling. From the 1980s it divested all operations except its automotive divisions. In 2022 its revenue was £8.1 billion, with a net income of –£6.2 million.
Inchcape Shipping Services — is a British multinational ports and marine management company headquartered in London. It was founded in 1947 as part of the
Mackinnon Mackenzie Company. It is now owned by Epiris LLP.
Ineos Group Ltd — is a British multinational
conglomerate producing chemical substances, petrochemicals, and plastics. It also has interests in fuel, energy, oil distribution, packaging and food, construction, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and professional sports. It consists of about 20 standalone business units; each with its own board. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1998 by
Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It has made many acquisitions of companies and divisions such as the chemical businesses of
BP,
ICI, and
BASF. Its joint ventures include Petroineos with
PetroChina, and PQ Corporation. It also owns
INEOS Styrolution.
Initial Entertainment Group - was a film and television production company. See
GK Films.
Informa plc — is a publishing, business intelligence, and exhibitions company headquartered in London. It owns a number of brands including
CRC Press, Fan Expo HQ,
Game Developers Conference,
Routledge, and
Taylor & Francis. In 2018 it acquired
UBM plc. It was founded in 1998 by the merger of IBC Group plc with LLP Group plc. In 2022 its revenue was £2.2 billion, with a net income of £1.6 billion.
IntegraFin Holdings plc — is a finance company that owns Integral Financial Arrangements Ltd which operates the Transact investment platform. Headquartered in London; it was founded in 1990 by Mike Howard. In 2022 its revenue was £133 million, with a net income of £44 million.
Intercontinental Hotel Group plc — is a British multinational hospitality company managing, franchising, or owning hotels and resorts. It is headquartered in
Windsor, Berkshire. It was founded in 2003 from a split of
Six Continents Hotels plc, having originated as a part of
Bass Charrington. In 2022 its revenue was $3.8 billion, with a net income of $376 million.
Intermediate Capital Group (iCG) - is a
private equity investment firm whose activities include financial services and asset management. Established in 1989, its headquarters is in London. As of 2020 it has €45 billion of assets under management. Its 2020 revenue was £413 million, with a net income of £110.6 million.
International Airlines Group (AIG; its full name is International Consolidated Airlines Group) — is an Anglo-Spanish multinational airlines holding company. Established in 2011, its headquarters are in London and
Madrid, Spain. It was formed from the merger of
British Airways and
Iberia. In 2019 its revenue was £25.5 billion, with a net income of £1.7 billion.
Intertek Group plc — is a British multinational assurance, inspection, testing, and certification company headquartered in London. It was formerly part of
Inchcape plc as Inchcape Testing Services. In 2022 its revenue was £3.1 billion, with a net income of £306 million.
Investec plc — is an Anglo-South African international financial services company offering banking and wealth management services. It is headquartered in London and
Sandton, South Africa. It is dual listed on the
London Stock Exchange and the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The
dual listed company's structure has Investec plc as the holding company for the majority of the group's non-South African operations, and Investec Ltd as the holding company for the majority of the Group's South African operations. It was founded in 1974 by Larry Nestadt, Errol Grolman, and Ian Kantor in
Johannesburg. In 1988 Investec Bank Ltd was restructured into Investec Group Ltd. In 1992 it entered the UK market with the acquisition of Allied Trust Bank Ltd. Its later acquisitions include
Guinness Mahon,
Hambros plc, Kensington Group plc, Experien (pty) Ltd, NCB, and Amicus Commercial Finance. In 2020 the asset management business was demerged and listed as
Ninety One plc. In 2023
Rathbones acquired Investec's wealth and investment businesses in the UK, and Channel Islands. In 2022 Investec's revenue was £1.9 billion, with a net income of £556 million.
Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd — is a producer of Scotch whisky that owns the Arran distillery located in
Lochranza, Isle of Arran, Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1995 by Harold Currie.
Isle of Man Film — is a film production and finance company. Established in 1995, its headquarters is in the
Isle of Man.
ITC Entertainment (aka Incorporated Television Company (ITC)) - was a television and film production and distribution company from 1954 to 1998. Its headquarters was in London.
ITH Pharma — is a pharmaceuticals company (intravenous medication). Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.
Itsu — is a chain of East Asian inspired fast food shops and restaurants, and is a grocery retail company. It is headquartered in London. It was founded in 1997 by
Julian Metcalfe. From 2010 it was part of
Metcalfe's Food Company until it was split out as a separate company in 2015.
IXICO — is a biotechnology (data analytics for clinical research). Established in 2004, its headquarters is in London.
J
J & G Grant Ltd — is a Scotch whisky producer that owns the Glenfarclas distillery in
Ballindalloch, Scotland. The distillery dates from before 1791 and since 1865 it has been owned by John Grant and his descendants.
Jacobs & Turner Ltd(trading as Trespass) — is a clothing company that produces the Trespass brand of sportwear and outdoor clothing that specialises in skiwear, water-proof jackets, fleece, walking boots, camping goods, and accessories. It operates a multinational clothing retail chain, and a retail website. It is headquartered in
Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1938 as a producer of technical workwear. In 1984 it introduced the Trespass brand and moved into producing and selling sportswear and outdoor clothing.
JAG Communications — was a mobile phones retail company from 1989 to 2010. It was headquartered at
Perranporth, Cornwall.
James Hay Partnership — is a financial services company (pension products, investment). Established in 1979, its headquarters is in
Salisbury, Wiltshire. In 1990 it became part of
Abbey National and then
Santander UK before being sold to the IFG Group plc in 2010.
James Woolley, Sons and Co. — was a manufacturing company (pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment, trusses, talcum powder, cordials, photographic equipment), from 1833 to 1962. Headquartered in
Manchester, in 1962 it was acquired by
British Drug Houses.
JBA Motors — was a manufacturing company (automobile production) from 1982 to 2007. Established in
Norwich,
Norfolk, it was later headquartered in
Standish, Greater Manchester. It was formerly known as JBA Engineering.
J Barbour & Sons Ltd — is a private company that manufactures waxed cotton jackets, other clothing, footwear, and accessories. It is headquartered in Simonside,
South Shields. It was founded in 1894 by J Barbour as an importer of oil cloth.
J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd(trading as JCB) — is a multinational manufacturer of equipment for construction, agriculture, waste handling, and demolition. Its products include: mechanical
backhoes,
excavators,
forklift trucks,
dumpsters,
loaders, tractors, diesel engines, diesel generators, axles and gearboxes. It is headquartered in
Rocester, Staffordshire. It was founded in 1945 by
Joseph Cyril Bamford as Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. Its subsidiaries include JCB Finance, and JCB Insurance Services.
JC Vickery — is a consumer goods company. Established in 1890, its headquarters is in London.
JD Sports Fashion - is a sports fashion retail company. Established in 1981, its headquarters is in
Burnley, Greater Manchester. It has 23 subsidiaries and is majority owned by
Pentland Group. In 2020 its revenue was £6.1 billion, with a net income of £250.7 million.
JD Wetherspoon plc(trading as Wetherspoons or Wetherspoon) — is a hospitality company that operates a chain of Wetherspoon pubs, bars, and hotels. It also operates Lloyds No.1 bars. It is headquartered in
Watford, Hertfordshire. It was founded in 1979 by
Tim Martin. In 2022 its revenue was £1.7 billion, with a net income of £19.3 million.
John Bradley & Co — was an ironworks, mining, and freight railway company from 1800 to 1966. Its headquarters was in
Stourbridge.
John Brogden and Sons — was a railway contractors, mining, and iron smelting company from 1828 to 1880. Its headquarters was in London.
John Lewis & Partners — is a retailer of general merchandise founded in 1864 by
John Lewis. Headquartered in London, it is part of the
John Lewis Partnership. In 2017 its total revenue was £3.7 billion, with an operating income of £243.2 million.
Johnson Matthey plc — is a British multinational speciality chemicals and sustainable technologies company headquartered in London. Its products include emissions control catalysts, industrial catalysts, absorbents, process technologies, fine chemicals, fuel cell technology, and battery technology. Its origins date to 1817 when
Percival Norton Johnson set up as a gold
assayer in London. In 1851 George Matthey joined the business which was renamed Johnson & Matthey. In 1852 it was appointed official assayer and refiner to the
Bank of England. In the 1960s a banking subsidiary was founded as Johnson Matthey Bankers which, in 1984, was facing insolvency before being bought by the Bank of England for £1. In 2022 Johnson Matthey's revenue was £16 billion, with a net income of -£101 million.
JPMorgan European Discovery Trust plc — is an investment trust focused on smaller European companies. It was founded in 1990. It was previously named the JPMorgan European Fledgling Investment Trust, and the JPMorgan European Smaller Companies Trust.
JPMorgan Global Growth & Income plc — is an investment trust that invests in companies worldwide. It was founded in 1887 as the United British Securities Trust. It was later renamed the Fleming Overseas Investment Trust in 1982, the JPMorgan Fleming Overseas Investment Trust in 2003, the JPMorgan Overseas Investment Trust in 2006, before being given its current name in 2016. In 2022 it was merged with the
Scottish Investment Trust.
JTC plc — is a financial services company providing fund administration services. It is located in
Jersey. It was founded in 1987 as Jersey Trust Company. Its acquisitions include
Merrill Lynch's international trust and wealth structuring business,
Sanne Group's private client business, and
NES Financial. In 2022 its revenue was £200 million, with a net income of £34 million.
^Ward, Matthew (December 16, 2019).
"Statistics on UK-EU trade".
Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020 – via commonslibrary.parliament.uk.
^"The Fortune 2016 Global 500". Fortune. Retrieved 18 October 2016. Number of companies data taken from the "Country" box for Britain and Britain/Netherlands.
^Angus Maddison (2006).
The World Economy. Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. p. 263.
ISBN978-92-64-02261-4.
Archived from the original on 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2020-04-27.