Rank Organisation
1937 Formation of Odeon Theatres Limited as a public company
Late 1940s: Prospect of receivership; rescue organised by the company's accountant John Davies[1].
1947 the new name J. Arthur Rank Organisation was used to describe the organisation which included Odeon Theatres Ltd, Gaumont British Picture Corporation and many subsidiary and associated companies[2]
1947 Several companies within the Organisation were involved in scientific research[3]:
- British Acoustic Films Ltd
- Bush Radio Ltd
- Cinema-Television Ltd
- Taylor, Taylor and Hobson Ltd
1955 Company name changed from Odeon Theatre Limited to Rank Organisation Ltd; AGM reminded that there was no financial connection with Ranks Ltd although J. Arthur Rank was chairman of both companies[4]. The main elements of the group were:
- Odeon Associated Theatres Ltd
- Odeon Properties Ltd
- Gaumont-British Picture Corporation Ltd, with its wholly-owned subsidiaries Cinema-Television Ltd, which owned Bush Radio, and British Optical and Precision Engineers Ltd
- British and Dominion Film Corporation Ltd, with its wholly-owned subsidiary Denham Laboratories
- Theatre Publicity Ltd, Screen Audiences Ltd, J. Arthur Rank Screen Services Ltd
1956 Joint venture with Haloid Corporation in a new company Rank-Xerox to manufacture and market a new "electro-photographic" process[5]. Investment in Haloid Corporation at the suggestion of John Davies[6]. Large amount invested in the new venture Rank-Xerox which after 4-5 years paid off handsomely.
1956 Formation of Rank Precision Industries
1958 Acquired Thompson, Diamond and Butcher, distributor of gramophone records and manufacturer of associated equipment. Rank would not proceed with its plans to establish a record club[7]
1959 Acquired Wharfedale Wireless Works, makers of loudspeakers[8]. Having acquired Regency Holdings, providing a "piped" radio and television service in certain South Coast towns, Rank set up Rank Relay Service to offer radio and television relay[9]
1962 Rank Organisation acquired Murphy Radio[10] which was merged with Bush Radio as Rank-Bush Murphy.
1963 Rank sold its holding in British Relay Wireless and Television, which it had acquired with Murphy, to International Publishing Corporation[11].
1964 Rank Organisation bid for R. B. Pullin and Co[12]
1968 Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement [13]
1968 Acquired Hilger and Watts and Strand Electric Holdings[14]
1969 Acquired H. J. Leak and Co[15].
1969 The Rank Organisation had several parts[16]:
- Film Industry
- Rank Leisure Services
- Audio Visual, including recent acquisitions of Strand Electric Group, H. J. Leak and Co, A. C. Vallance
- Rank Xerox
- Hotels
- Rank Bush Murphy
- Scientific Instruments, recently formed, included Taylor Hobson Division, Hilger and Watts Group, the broadcast equipment part of Rank Bush Murphy and Rank Electronic Tubes
1969 A number of subsidiaries were put into liquidation including Rank Relay Services.[17]
1972 Rank ceded control of Rank-Xerox to the American partners[18]. Ill-fated bid for Watney Mann which upset the American shareholders. Acquired Oddenino's property company.
1975 Disquiet amongst investors about the poor results from the diversification policy, about the composition of the board and about the dominance of the Rank Foundation in the share register[19].
1995 Rank Group formed to acquire the business interests of the Rank Organisation.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, 17 September 1975
- ↑ The Times 25 March, 1947
- ↑ The Times 1 October 1947
- ↑ The Times, 10 October 1955
- ↑ The Times 10 September 1956
- ↑ The Times, 17 September 1975
- ↑ The Times 16 October 1958
- ↑ The Times 22 May 1959
- ↑ The Times Sept. 1, 1959
- ↑ The Times 12 April 1962
- ↑ The Times 18 September 1963
- ↑ The Times 9 June 1964
- ↑ The Engineer of 26th April 1968 p650
- ↑ The Times 10 April 1969
- ↑ The Times 10 April 1969
- ↑ The Times Oct. 17, 1969
- ↑ London Gazette 17 June 1969
- ↑ The Times, 17 September 1975
- ↑ The Times, 17 September 1975