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§ § § § § § § § Type: Private limited company Industry: Conglomerate Founded: 1970 Founder(s): Richard Branson Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Area served: Global Key people: Richard Branson (Chairman) David Baxby (Co-CEO) Josh Bayliss (Co-CEO) Products: Banking Beverages Travel Video games Consumer electronics Financial Services Films Internet Music Radio Books Cosmetics Jewellery Houseware Retail Mobile Phones Commercial spaceflight Revenue: £ 15 billion (2012)[1] Employees: Approximately 50, 000 Website: www. virgin. com
The brand name "Virgin" arose when Branson and a partner were starting their first business, a record shop. They considered themselves virgins in business. The current Virgin logo was originally sketched on a paper napkin by graphic designer Trevor Key and worked on by Ray Kyte. Branson has described the "V" in the logo as an expressive tick, representing the Virgin seal of approval.
The history of Virgin
1968 Student, a youth-culture magazine created by a certain seventeen-year-old Richard Branson, is published. The first issue is handed out on January 26.
1970 Richard Branson starts his Virgin Mail Order business selling cut price records by post. 1971 The first Virgin Record Shop opens at 24 Oxford Street, London. Behind the till, Richard Branson sells the first record – a Tangerine Dream album.
1981 Virgin Games is launched (later to become Virgin Interactive), releasing video games for classic systems such as the Amiga, the ZX Spectrum, the Amstrad CPC and the C 64. 1984 Virgin takes to the air for the first time. . 1988 Virgin Megastores opens new stores in Glasgow and Paris. Virgin Hotels (later to become Virgin Limited Edition) launches an exclusive hotel range with the purchase of properties in Edinburgh, North Yorkshire and Hampshire. Virgin Atlantic flies from Gatwick to New York JFK for the first time
1993 Richard and the Secretary of State for Transport, John Mac. Gregor, open Virgin Atlantic's luxurious Clubhouse at Heathrow on 22 February. Virgin Radio hits the airwaves on 30 April with Virgin 1215 AM – the UK’s first national, commercial rock music station. Broadcast from the Virgin Megastore in Manchester, Richard's is the first voice to be heard when the station goes live at 12. 15 pm. The first record played is 'Born To Be Wild' by INXS. 1994 Virgin Cola, Virgin Vodka (they go quite well together apparently) and a range of soft drinks are launched under the Virgin Drinks banner. Virgin Games becomes Virgin Interactive. On its tenth anniversary, Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow to Hong Kong and San Francisco for the first time.
1999 § Virgin Mobile launches Virgin’s first consumer telecommunications venture. § Virgin Active launches the first of its health and lifestyle centres in Preston, Leeds and Stockley Park. § The Virgin Vie stores rebrand as Virgin Cosmetics stores. § Digital station Radio Free Virgin begins broadcasting over the Internet. § Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow to Shanghai and Cape Town for the first time. § Richard Branson is knighted.
2000 Virgin Atlantic completes a £ 600 million deal with Singapore Airlines and also launches new routes to Las Vegas and Delhi. Virginmoney. com, a financial services supermarket, is launched Virgin Travelstore, an impartial travel agency, opens. Virgin Cars begins retailing online. 2006 Virgin Mobile launches in China, France and South Africa.
Virgin Group operates from its headquarters at The Battleship Building in the Paddington area of West London. Although Branson retains complete ownership and control of the Virgin Brand, the commercial set-up of companies using it is varied and complex. Each of the companies operating under the Virgin brand is a separate entity, with Branson completely owning some and holding minority or majority stakes in others. Occasionally, he simply licenses the brand to a company that has purchased a division from him, such as Virgin Mobile USA, Virgin Mobile Australia, Virgin Radio, Virgin Music (now part of EMI) and Virgin Media (now part of Liberty Global). In mid-May 2013, the Virgin Group expressed its intention to seek out opportunities in Australia's healthcare industry to consolidate on the Group's Australian fitness centres. The Group also owns more than 100 National Health Service (NHS) services in the United Kingdom and the healthcare division of medical services group Assura after entering the British healthcare industry in 2011
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