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10 Most Famous British Companies

Some brands are just synonymous with Britain. There are countless famous British brands that have been around forever.

From car manufacturing to luxury fashion and confectionery products.

Some of the famous British brands have been around for hundreds of years and are iconic brands in Britain and the world.

With increasing competition for space in the UK market, thanks in no small part to a number of new, agile market disruptors challenging established names by using innovative technologies, major brands are keen to do whatever it takes to cement their market share.

The UK remains one of the most popular places to buy brands, the world centre of the marketing and advertising industry and also the most attractive place for brand creation.

We’ve compiled for you profiles of the 10 most famous British companies.

1.  Twinings

INDUSTRY                                      : Food Manufacturing

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $304 million

EMPLOYEES                                    : 640

KEY PRINCIPAL                             : John Jenkins

ADDRESS                                : ANDOVER, SP10 5AQ United Kingdom

PHONE                                           : +44 1264 313444

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Most British love a good brew and Twinings is the go-to beverage brand they’re one of the most famous British brands ever.

Established in 1706 by tea merchant Thomas Twining, the brand holds the world’s oldest continually-used commercial logo created in 1787.

Thomas Twining also opened Britain’s first known tea room at No. 216 Strand, London in 1706, a shop that is still operational today.

In 1964, the tea manufacturing company was bought by the Associated British Foods and is now one of the most sought-after tea brands in the world.

Website:  

2.  Shell

INDUSTRY                                      : Oil & Gas Integrated

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $261.5 billion

EMPLOYEES                                   : 82,000

KEY PRINCIPAL                            : Gerrit Zalm

PHONE                                             : +44-2079341234

ADDRESS : Shell Centre London United Kingdom SE1 7NA

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Royal Dutch Shell PLC is an integrated oil and gas company. The company engages in the exploration, production, and refining of oil around the world.

It supplies fuel and other chemicals to various industries such as aviation, and marine.

There are 5,409 companies in the ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC corporate family.

Website: 

3. BBC

INDUSTRY                                      : Radio and Television Broadcasting

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $7.41 billion

EMPLOYEES                                    : 21,045 

KEY PRINCIPAL                             : Tim Davie

PHONE                                              : +44-2075804468

ADDRESS : BROADCASTING HOUSE, PEEL WING, PORTLAND PL LONDON, W1A  1AA United

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British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) provides an unrivalled level of local, regional, national and international news and current affairs.

It provides a wide range of programmes, content and services on television, radio and online for audiences across the UK.

The BBC World Service television, radio and online is available in more than 40 languages, while its commercial operations generate income to invest in new programmes and content.

 The BBC also keeps the world informed through its BBC World Service radio network. About 85% of the company’s total revenue comes from the UK. The company was formed in 1922.

Website:  

4. Barclays  PLC

INDUSTRY                               : Depository Credit Intermediation

REVENUE (2020-21)             : $29.19 billion

EMPLOYEES                             : 81,800 

KEY PRINCIPAL                      : Julia Susan Wilson

PHONE                                       : +44-2076232323

ADDRESS   : 1 Churchill Place LONDON, E14 5HP United Kingdom 

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Raising the bar for global finance, Barclays PLC owns one of Europe’s largest banks, a top market-making investment bank, the top UK credit card, and a British universal bank.

Its flagship Barclays Bank UK has nearly 860 branches in the UK, reaching around 10 million digitally-active customers and some 9 million active mobile banking users.

Barclays International has retail operations throughout Europe, UK, and the Americas, as well as extensive investment banking and wealth management activities.

Barclays provides consumer lending and payment processing services. The UK accounts for more than half of Barclays’ revenue.

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5. Rolls Royce

INDUSTRY                                      : Aerospace and Defense

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $15.72 billion

EMPLOYEES                                    : 44,000

KEY PRINCIPAL                             : David Warren Arthur East

PHONE                                              : +44-1332242424

ADDRESS : Kings Place 90 York Way LONDON, N1 9FX United Kingdom 

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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (Rolls-Royce) designs, develops and manufactures power and propulsion systems.

The company’s product portfolio comprises aircraft and helicopter engines, combat jet engines, unmanned aerial vehicle engines, and nuclear reactors.

Rolls-Royce serves civil and defence aerospace, naval, submarines, land, defence services, advanced technology, marine, power, and nuclear energy markets.

Rolls-Royce markets its products under the MTU brand name. The company’s business operations span across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Rolls-Royce is headquartered in London, the UK.

Rolls Royce PLC is located in London, United Kingdom and is part of the Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance Industry.

There are 439 companies in the Rolls Royce PLC corporate family.

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6.  Vodafone

INDUSTRY                                      : Technology and Communications

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $49.9 billion

EMPLOYEES                                    : 96,506

KEY PRINCIPAL                             : Nick Read

PHONE                                               : + 44 1635 33251

ADDRESS : Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, RG142FN

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Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone) is a provider of telecommunications services. The company offers voice, messaging, and data services across fixed and mobile networks.

It also offers cloud and hosting, carrier, unified communications, payment, cyber-security and internet-of-things (IoT) services.

It markets mobile phones, televisions, broadband devices, gigabox, and hosting devices.

Vodafone serves automotive, consumer electronics, manufacturing, banking and financial services, healthcare, public services, smart cities, retail, utilities, transportation and logistics industries.

It conducts operations through subsidiaries, joint ventures, investment firms, and associated undertakings.

The company has business operations across Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Vodafone is headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, in the UK.

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7.   Reckitt Benckiser

INDUSTRY                                    : Consumer Packaged Goods

REVENUE (2020-21)                  : $18.61 billion

EMPLOYEES                                  : 43,500

KEY PRINCIPAL                           :  Pamela Josephine Kirby

PHONE                                            : +44-1753217800

ADDRESS : Turner House 103-105 Bath Road SLOUGH, SL1 3UH United Kingdom 

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Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc (RB) is a manufacturer and distributor of personal care, household, speciality products, nutrition, toiletry and health care products.

The company’s product offerings include air fresheners, laundry products, dishwashing detergents, disinfectant sprays, household cleaners, and personal care products.

It also sells over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, adult nutrition, infant and child nutrition, minerals, vitamins and supplements, pain relief products, hair removal and pest control products.

RB markets these products under various brands including Strepsils, Dettol, Lysol, Veet, Harpic, Mortein, Nutramigen, Finish and Vanish, for a few.

The company’s operations are spread across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. RB is headquartered in Slough, Berkshire, the UK.

Website: 

8. Lloyds Banking Group

INDUSTRY                                      : Financial Services

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $58.6 billion

EMPLOYEES                                    : 57,955 

KEY PRINCIPAL                             : Charles Alan Nunn

PHONE                                               : +44 1775 769069

ADDRESS  : 8 Victoria Street, Lincolnshire, Spalding, PE111EA

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One of Britain’s largest lenders, Lloyds Banking Group serves retail and commercial banking, insurance, and savings. The bank provides services under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and Scottish Widows brands.

Lloyds’ retail division provides current accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, insurance, and motor finance.

The banking Group boasts more than £870 billion in assets.

Lloyds was formed in 2008 during the aftermath of the financial crisis via the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS.

Website: 

9. British Airways

INDUSTRY                                      : Transport and Logistics 

REVENUE (2020-21)                    : $5.1 billion

EMPLOYEES                                    : 34,393

KEY PRINCIPAL                             : Sean Doyle

PHONE                                              : 44 344 4930787

ADDRESS : P. O. Box 365, Waterside, Harmondsworth, England, UB70GB

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British Airways Plc (BA), a subsidiary of International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A., is a provider of airline services.

BA operates an international scheduled airline route network in association with its joint business agreement, codeshare and franchise partners.

BA offers scheduled passenger services and air cargo transportation. BA’s fleet base includes Airbus, Boeing and Embraer jets. BA operates aircraft on long-haul and short-haul routes.

The company also offers aircraft maintenance, airline marketing, package holidays and insurance services.

Its principal place of business is London and also has significant presence at Gatwick, Heathrow and London City airports. BA is headquartered in Harmondsworth, England, the UK.

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10.  Unilever 

INDUSTRY                                   : Consumer Goods

REVENUE (2020-21)                 : $57.41 billion

EMPLOYEES                                 : 148,000

KEY PRINCIPAL                          : John Rishton

PHONE                                           : +44-2075721202

ADDRESs: Unilever House 100 Victoria Embankment LONDON, EC4Y 0DY United   Kingdom

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Unilever PLC, along with its Dutch counterpart, Unilever N.V., constitute a global food & refreshment, beauty & personal care, and home care products powerhouse.

The group’s vast portfolio of consumer products includes about 30 global brands — including Hellmann’s (mayonnaise), Knorr (soups), Lipton (tea), Axe (deodorant), and Dove (soaps) — that each brings up more than EUR1 billion in sales.

Unilever’s consumer goods are sold in more than 190 countries and its largest market is the US.

Based in the UK, Unilever PLC stocks trade on the London and New York stock exchanges.

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The post-Brexit devaluation of the British brands has made the brands more susceptible to international buyers as exemplified by Unilever and Burberry, where both companies had to fend off bids from US brands Kraft-Heinz and Coach.

At the same time, ITV has also been the victim of a large range of bids. Another popular cereal franchise, Weetabix, could not be rescued from American influence in the form of a consumer packaged goods holding company.

The same can be said for world-renowned chip-maker ARM, which was acquired by Japan’s SoftBank. The direct aftermath of Brexit has been the most devastating on the two sectors investment and employment.