List of companies of the United Kingdom A-J

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.

The United Kingdom is a highly developed country with a market-orientated economy and is a member of the Group of 7 (formerly G8) leading industrialised countries.[1][2] It is the sixth-largest national economy in the world measured by nominal gross domestic product (GDP),[3] ninth-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP)[4] and twenty first-largest by GDP per capita.[5] In 2017, the UK was the eleventh-largest goods exporter in the world[6] and the eighth-largest goods importer.[7] It also had the second-largest inward foreign direct investment,[8] and the third-largest outward foreign direct investment.[9] The UK left the European Union in 2019, but it remains the UK's largest trading partner.[10][11] In 2019, the UK had a labour force of 34,280,575 people[12] and, as of 2018, an employment rate of 78.7%.[13]

The service sector contributes around 80% of GDP[14] with the financial services industry being significant, with London as the second-largest financial centre in the world.[15] Britain's aerospace industry is the second-largest national aerospace industry.[16] Its pharmaceutical industry is the tenth-largest in the world.[17] Of the world's 500 largest companies, 26 are headquartered in the UK.[18] The economy is boosted by North Sea oil and gas production; its reserves were estimated at 2.8 billion barrels in 2016,[19] although it has been a net importer of oil since 2005.[20] The size of London's economy makes it the largest city by GDP in Europe.[21]

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]

Rank Image Name 2018 revenues (USD $M) Employees Notes
3 Royal Dutch Shell $396,500 81,000 British–Dutch 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 The Hague, 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.
7 BP $303,738 73,000 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.
99 HSBC Holdings $86,131 235,200 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.
103 Tesco $84,270 450,000 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.
167 Unilever $60,167 154,800 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.

0—9

  • 104 Films — is a film production company. Established in 2004, its headquarters is in Birmingham.
  • 24seven — was an energy company (electricity supply) from 2000 to 2003. Its parent companies were London Electricity, and TXU Europe. In 2003 it became part of LE Group.
  • 3 Mills Studios — is a centre for film and TV production. It is located in London.

A

B

C

D

E

F

  • Farboud Limited — automobile manufacturing company. See Arash Motor Company.
  • Farmcare Trading Ltd — 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.
  • Ferguson plc — building materials company (plumbing and heating products distributor). It was previously also a manufacturer of plumbing and heating products, and originally was a manufacturer of sheep shearing equipment. Established in 1887, its headquarters is in Winnersh Triangle. It was formerly known as Wolseley plc. In 2019 its revenue was $22 billion, with net income of $1.1 billion.
  • Fifth Column Films — film production company, established in 2006.
  • Film and Music Entertainment — film production company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London.
  • Film Producers Guild — documentary film production and distribution company. Established in 1944, its headquarters is in London.
  • Film Tank — film production company. Established in 2009, its headquarters is in Burnham-on-Sea.
  • Film4 Productions — film production company. Its previous names were: Channel Four Films, FilmFour International, and FilmFour.
  • Fine Arts Films — film and TV production company, established in 1955.
  • Fingercuff Productions — film production company. Established in 2000, it is defunct.
  • Finsbury — public relations company. Established in 1994, its headquarters is in London.
  • Firmus Energy — energy company (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 — travel company (travel agency, tour operator, airlines, hotels, 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 — British multinational pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and horticultural chemicals company, 1843–1995. 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.
  • Fletcher, Burrows and Company — coal mining, and cotton mills company, 1872–1929. It became part of Manchester Collieries.
  • Flow Energy — energy company (gas and electricity, boilers). Established in 1998, its headquarters is in Ipswich. It was originally part of Flowgroup plc. In 2018 it was acquired by Co-op Energy.
  • Focus Films — film production company. Established in 1982, its headquarters is in London.
  • FoolishPeople — theatre company, film production, and book publishing company, established in 1989.
  • For This Is Film — film production company. See Modern Life?.
  • Force Protection Europe — military vehicle manufacturing company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. In 2011 it was purchased by General Dynamic.
  • Foster Yeoman — construction (quarrying and asphalt), and rail haulage company, 1923–2006. Headquartered in Marston Bigot, Somerset, it was merged into Aggregate Industries.
  • Framestore — film visual effects company. Established in 1986, its headquarters is in London. It was merged with Computer Film Company.
  • Frank PR — public relations company. Established in 2000, its headquarters is in London.
  • Free Seed Films — film production company, established in 2012.
  • Freestream — automotive and aerospace engineering company. See Caparo Vehicle Technologies.
  • Freud Communications — public relations company. Established in 1985, its headquarters is in London.
  • Fulhold Pharma — pharmaceuticals company. Established in 2014, its headquarters is in Macclesfield, Cheshire. It was formerly known as Fulhold Ltd.
  • Funeral Services Ltd (trading as Co-op Funeralcare) — funeral services company (funerals, crematoria and cemeteries, memorial masonry, and coffin production). Headquartered in Manchester, its parent company is The Co-operative Group.
  • Fuse Universal — learning solutions company. Established in 2008, its headquarters is in London.

G

H

  • Habitat — is a household furnishings retail company. Established in 1964, its headquarters is in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Its parent company is Sainsbury's.
  • Hafren Dyfrdwy — is a utility company (water supply). Established in 1997, its headquarters is in Packsaddle, Rhostyllen, Wrexham, Wales. It was formed from the merger of Wrexham Water plc and Chester Waterworks Company, and was formerly known as Dee Valley Water. Its parent company is Severn Trent.
  • HAL Films — was a film production company from 1997 to 2012. Its headquarters was in London.
  • 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.
  • Halogen Communications — is a communications company. Established in 2002, its headquarters is in Edinburgh.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Harrison Ainslie — was an iron production, and mining company from 1893 to 1913. It became the Charcoal Iron Company.
  • 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.
  • Haydock Collieries — is a coal mining company, 1899–1947. It became part of the National Coal Board.
  • Headline Pictures — is a film and television production company. Established in 2005, its headquarters is in London.
  • Healthcare at Home — is a pharmaceuticals supply company. Established in 1992, its headquarters is in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.
  • Helkon SK — film production and distribution company. See Lionsgate UK.
  • 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'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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Horizon Discovery — is a biotechnology company (gene editing, producing genetically modified cells and organisms). Established in 2005, its headquarters is in Cambridge.
  • Hovis – is a limited company that produces flour and bread and licenses the production of Hovis Biscuits. It was founded in Stoke-on-Trent before mass production began in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1886. It became part of Rank Hovis McDougall in 1962, was purchased by Premier Foods in 2007 and is now owned by Endless LLP. It is now headquartered in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
  • 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.

I

  • IAG Cargo — is a cargo airline company. Established in 2011, it was formed from the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo. Its parent company is International Airlines Group.
  • Ideal Film Company (aka Ideal Films) — was a film production and distribution company from 1911 to 1934. Its headquarters was in London.
  • 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.
  • The Imaginarium (aka Imaginarium Productions) — is a film production and performance capture company. Established in 2011, its headquarters is in London.
  • Immunocore — is a biotechnology company (biological drugs). Established in 2008, its headquarters is in Oxford.
  • 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.
  • Independent Film Distribution — was a film distribution company from 1950 to 1959.
  • Initial Entertainment Group - was a film and television production company. See GK Films.
  • 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.
  • International Game Technology — is a gaming company. Established in 1990, its headquarters is in London.
  • 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.
  • IXICO — is a biotechnology (data analytics for clinical research). Established in 2004, its headquarters is in London.

J

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

References

  1. "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2019". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  2. Nigel Hawkins. "Privatisation Revisited" (PDF). Adam Smith Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-12-02. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  3. "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". www.imf.org. Archived from the original on 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  4. "Global Economy Watch - Projections". PwC. Archived from the original on 2019-09-24. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  5. "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". www.imf.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  6. "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  7. "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  8. "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  9. "Country Comparison: Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad". CIA. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  10. "UK leaves the European Union". BBC News. February 1, 2020. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  11. 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. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. "Labor force, total - United Kingdom". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  13. "Employment rate by sex, age group 20-64". ec.europa.eu/eurostat. Eurostat. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  14. Lorna Booth (9 June 2017). "Components of GDP: Key Economic Indicators". UK Parliament. House of Commons Library. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  15. David Reid (19 September 2019). "New York stretches lead over London as the world's top financial center, survey shows". CNBC. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  16. Laura Wipfer (12 June 2017). "Facts and Figures 2017". ADS Group. Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  17. Angela Monaghan (22 April 2014). "Pharmaceutical industry drives British research and innovation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  18. "The Fortune 2016 Global 500". Fortune. Retrieved 18 October 2016. Number of companies data taken from the "Country" box for Britain and Britain/Netherlands.
  19. "CRUDE OIL - PROVED RESERVES". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  20. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (25 August 2016). "Crude oil and petroleum: production, imports and exports 1890 to 2015". Gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-09-22. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  21. "London - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs". European Commission. 23 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  22. Perry, Marvin; Jacob, Margaret C.; Chase, Myrna; Jacob, James R. (2009). Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society (9th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 503. ISBN 978-0-547-14701-7. Archived from the original on 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  23. "Productivity Growth In The Industrial Revolution" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  24. Ferguson, Niall (2004). Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02328-2.
  25. Angus Maddison (2006). The World Economy. Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. p. 263. ISBN 978-92-64-02261-4. Archived from the original on 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  26. Curtis, Polly (September 12, 2011). "Reality check: how much did the banking crisis cost taxpayers?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  27. "Virus will have 'significant impact' on economy". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  28. "A Regional Perspective on the Knowledge Economy in Great Britain" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  29. Bolshaw, Liz (29 February 2012). "The future of work is the knowledge economy". FT.com. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  30. "Global 500". Fortune. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.