Davis Service Group
Encyclopedia
Berendsen plc (formerly The Davis Service Group Plc) is a leading British
-based provider of textile maintenance services. It is headquartered in London
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
in 1959. In 1987 it acquired Sunlight Services, a leading laundry
business founded in 1900.
On 31 July 2009, it was announced that Peter Ventress, the former President of Staples International,would become the new Chief Executive Officer
of Davis Service Group.
1900 Laundry company Sunlight Services is founded.
1920 Godfrey Davis begins car dealership; becomes a prominent automotive rental and leasing company.
1957 A tool hire shop is launched, which later becomes HSS Tool Hire.
1959 Godfrey Davis lists on the London stock exchange, then enters portable building sales and rentals.
1963: Elliot Group is founded, which later becomes part of Falcon Industries.
1968 HSS begins catering equipment rentals.
1973 John Ivey is named CEO of Sunlight.
1981 Godfrey Davis sells off automotive rental business.
1987 Godfrey Davis acquires Sunlight Services for £8 million.
1988 The company acquires Newbury Laundry Company; sells off Sunlight's security services division; acquires Falcon
Industries, including Elliot Group.
1989 The company acquires Practical Uniform Company and Cooperative Laundries Society Ltd.
1991 Three of four Godfrey Davis car dealerships are sold off; the company is renamed as Davis Service Group; acquires Presco (Holdings) Ltd.
1992 The company sells off Godfrey Davis Contract Hire to Bank of Scotland.
1993 The company acquires HSS Hire Service Group PLC and enters tool hire market.
1994 The company acquires Lakeland Pennine Group Ltd.
1995 The sale of Practical Uniform Company is completed.
1996 The company acquires Spring Grove Services from Granada, which also includes operations in Ireland and Germany
1998 The company acquires Laundrycraft Limited.
1999 The company acquires Midland Laundry Group.
2000 The company establishes operations in France with the acquisition of Blanchisserie Teinturerie de la Bièvres; acquires Redispace & Johnson from Initial Plant Services Ltd.
2001 The company pays $46 million for 74-store chain RentX Industries, based in the United States.
2002 The company acquires Sophus Berendsen that doubles the textil rental business. Berendsen complements the existing UK/Ireland by operations in the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia
2004 The company divests HSS Hire Services in UK and USA
2005 The company divests Elliott Group in UK
2007 The company acquires Permaclean Group, focused on workwear, in Germany and establish UK clinical solutions and decontamination business.
2008 The company enters into the Baltics with some small acquisitions.
2010 The company divest Björnkläder AB to Litorina and acquires Norwegian and Swedish mat service businesses and Scandinavian washroom business from ISS A/S
.
2011 The company changes name from The Davis Service Group Plc to Berendsen plc
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based provider of textile maintenance services. It is headquartered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
The business was formed in 1920 as Godfrey Davis renting out automobiles. It was first listed on the London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1959. In 1987 it acquired Sunlight Services, a leading laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
business founded in 1900.
On 31 July 2009, it was announced that Peter Ventress, the former President of Staples International,would become the new Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Davis Service Group.
1900 Laundry company Sunlight Services is founded.
1920 Godfrey Davis begins car dealership; becomes a prominent automotive rental and leasing company.
1957 A tool hire shop is launched, which later becomes HSS Tool Hire.
1959 Godfrey Davis lists on the London stock exchange, then enters portable building sales and rentals.
1963: Elliot Group is founded, which later becomes part of Falcon Industries.
1968 HSS begins catering equipment rentals.
1973 John Ivey is named CEO of Sunlight.
1981 Godfrey Davis sells off automotive rental business.
1987 Godfrey Davis acquires Sunlight Services for £8 million.
1988 The company acquires Newbury Laundry Company; sells off Sunlight's security services division; acquires Falcon
Industries, including Elliot Group.
1989 The company acquires Practical Uniform Company and Cooperative Laundries Society Ltd.
1991 Three of four Godfrey Davis car dealerships are sold off; the company is renamed as Davis Service Group; acquires Presco (Holdings) Ltd.
1992 The company sells off Godfrey Davis Contract Hire to Bank of Scotland.
1993 The company acquires HSS Hire Service Group PLC and enters tool hire market.
1994 The company acquires Lakeland Pennine Group Ltd.
1995 The sale of Practical Uniform Company is completed.
1996 The company acquires Spring Grove Services from Granada, which also includes operations in Ireland and Germany
1998 The company acquires Laundrycraft Limited.
1999 The company acquires Midland Laundry Group.
2000 The company establishes operations in France with the acquisition of Blanchisserie Teinturerie de la Bièvres; acquires Redispace & Johnson from Initial Plant Services Ltd.
2001 The company pays $46 million for 74-store chain RentX Industries, based in the United States.
2002 The company acquires Sophus Berendsen that doubles the textil rental business. Berendsen complements the existing UK/Ireland by operations in the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia
2004 The company divests HSS Hire Services in UK and USA
2005 The company divests Elliott Group in UK
2007 The company acquires Permaclean Group, focused on workwear, in Germany and establish UK clinical solutions and decontamination business.
2008 The company enters into the Baltics with some small acquisitions.
2010 The company divest Björnkläder AB to Litorina and acquires Norwegian and Swedish mat service businesses and Scandinavian washroom business from ISS A/S
ISS A/S
ISS was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1901 and has since grown to become one of the leading Facility Services companies in the world. ISS offers a wide range of services within the following business areas: cleaning services, support services, property services, catering services, security...
.
2011 The company changes name from The Davis Service Group Plc to Berendsen plc
Operations
The Group is organised into two divisions:- UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
: The Sunlight Service Group / Spring Grove Services (Ireland) Limited - ContinentContinentA continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
: Sophus Berendsen Group