Public limited company | |
Traded as | : |
Industry | Infrastructure and Support Services |
Founded | 2007 |
Headquarters | Carlisle, Cumbria, England |
Area served
|
Ireland, United Kingdom |
Key people
|
Iain Ferguson, Chairman Andrew Tinkler, CEO |
Divisions |
|
Subsidiaries |
Stobart Holdings Ltd
Stobart Biomass Products Ltd Stobart Rail Ltd Stobart Airports Ltd Stobart Air Ltd London Southend Airport Company Ltd Aer Arann UK Ltd Stobart Estates Holdings Ltd Stobart Properties Ltd WADI Properties Ltd Westbury Properties Ltd Moneypenny Ltd Stobart Group Brands LLP Eddie Stobart Promotions Ltd Stobart Barristers Ltd |
Website | www |
Stobart Group Ltd (: ) (trading as Stobart Group) is a British infrastructure and support services company, with interests in Energy, Aviation and Rail, through operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company is registered in Guernsey but has its operational head office in Carlisle, Cumbria.
The group had its origins in the transport and logistics business run by Edward Stobart from 1976 to 2004. Trading as Eddie Stobart, Edward had inherited and expanded it from the agricultural business founded by his father "Steady" Eddie Stobart in the 1940s. It eventually grew to become one of the UK's most recognised brands. Following corporate restructurings in 2004 and 2007, the group became a public company and diversified into various other sectors, while retaining Stobart family members William Stobart (Edward's brother) and his brother in-law Andrew Tinkler in the management roles of COO and CEO respectively. After boardroom changes in 2013, in 2014 a 51% stake in its original transport business was sold, becoming Eddie Stobart Logistics with William Stobart as its CEO - the Group retaining the rights to the brand Eddie Stobart, licensing it out to the new company. With Andrew Tinkler remaining CEO at Stobart Group, it re-positioned itself around its remaining interests, as a services company.
The company is listed on the and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. However, unlike most UK public companies, Stobart Group retains its "Ltd" status as it is incorporated in Guernsey and not England & Wales or Scotland, which would require it to change its suffix to "plc" status.
The business was started by Eddie Stobart in the late 1940s as an agricultural business in Cumbria. His son, Edward Stobart Junior, was born in Cumberland in England on 21 November 1954 at his parents' house just outside Hesket Newmarket near Carlisle. He was one of four children, with an elder sister Anne, an elder brother John and a younger brother William. He was always called Edward to avoid confusion with his father Eddie. He was very interested in lorries, and when he left school, he started working for his father's contracting business delivering agricultural material in the region. The first truck bought by Eddie Stobart in 1960 was painted post-office red and Brunswick green with yellow lettering. These colours were used for subsequent vehicles up to 1969. By 1970, the company consisted of three main parts: Fertilizer, Haulage and a Farm shop in Wigton. Eddie Stobart controlled the organisation fully until 1973, when, at the age of 19, Edward Stobart took the place of CEO. In 1976, Eddie retired and Edward took full control of the road haulage business and the name, Eddie Stobart Ltd in 1976, becoming Chairman. The other parts of the business went to other family members. That same year, Edward Stobart and the fleet of eight lorries moved to Carlisle to be closer to the M6 motorway.