Lonrho
1909 Founded as the London and Rhodesian Mining and Land Co.
The company expanded its mining interests, operating a variety of mines in Rhodesia, and acquired interests in property, ranching, agriculture and asbestos. Also dealt in shares, principally mining shares, and acted as secretary and manager of various companies
1963 Name changed to Lonrho.[1]
1967 Resumed a policy of development in the newly independent African States.
1968 Acquired David Whitehead and Sons. [2]
1968 Acquired Ashanti Goldfields Corporation. [3]
1969 Acquired John Holt and Co (Liverpool). [4]
1971-5 no further significant acquisitions were made whilst investigations of the company were in progress
1975 Start of expansion in UK.
1976 Acquired Brentford Nylons. [5]
1977 Acquired Dunford and Elliott. [6] and A. V. P. Industries, whose activities include manufacture of furniture, refrigeration equipment and hotels
1979 Acquired Dutton-Forshaw Group. [7]
1979 Acquired Harrison and Sons. [8]
1979 Lonrho acquired Scottish & Universal Investments Ltd including its wholly-owned subsidiaries George Outram and Co and Scottish and Universal Newspapers Ltd.
1981 Lonrho acquired The Observer Ltd from Atlantic Richfield Company.
1986 Acquired five of the combined Guinness/Distillers group's Scotch Whisky brands (including Buchanan and Haig) adding to the existing Whyte and Mackay business[9]
1987 Sold the casinos to Brent Walker
1988 Brent Walker purchased the European wines and spirits business, including the distilled beverage company Whyte and Mackay, Claymore Whisky and 4 Bordeaux Chateaus[10]
1992 Lonrho sold Outrams to a company formed by its management, principally financed by Scottish institutions
1993 Subsidiary Sunley Turriff Holdings acquired Lilley Construction (Scotland)[11]
1996 Started disposing of the non-mining assets:[12]
- Princess Hotels
- Metropole Hotel chain
- Harrison and Sons
- Cramlington Sons, textiles
- Dutton-Forshaw and Jack Barclay motor business
- F. E. Wright, insurance broker
- Various African assets
and demerged Lonrho Africa
1998 Sold Sunley Turriff Holdings for a nominal sum, completing the exit from non-mining businesses [13]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, March 12, 1963
- ↑ The Times, September 17, 1968
- ↑ The Times, October 24, 1968
- ↑ The Times, May 19, 1969
- ↑ The Times, July 7, 1976
- ↑ The Times, January 27, 1977
- ↑ The Times, October 18, 1979
- ↑ The Times, September 26, 1979
- ↑ The Times Mar. 21, 1986
- ↑ The Times Nov. 29, 1988
- ↑ The Times Jan. 20, 1993
- ↑ The Times Jan. 22, 2005
- ↑ The Times Oct. 9, 1998
- [1] MMC