P&O liner
 |
|
| Public | |
| Industry | Transport |
| Fate | Acquired by DP World |
| Successors | DP World |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Defunct | 7 March 2006 |
| Headquarters | London, England |
|
Key people
|
Sir John Parker (Chairman) Robert Woods (CEO) |
| Products | Ferries, port services, logistics services, real estate: |
| Revenue |
 £2.40 billion GBP (2004) |
|
Number of employees
|
22,038 (2004) |
| Website | www |
Footnotes / references |
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P&O (formally the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) was a British shipping and logistics company dating from the early 19th century. Formerly a public company, it was sold to DP World in March 2006 for £3.9 billion. DP World currently operate three P&O branded businesses, P&O Ferries, P&O Maritime and P&O Heritage.
P&O Cruises was spun off from P&O in 2000, and is now owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc. The former shipping business, P&O Nedlloyd, was bought by and is now part of Maersk Line.
In 1822, Brodie McGhie Willcox, a London ship broker, and Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland Isles, northern Scotland, went into partnership to operate a shipping line, primarily operating routes between England and Spain and Portugal. In 1835, Dublin shipowner Captain Richard Bourne joined the business, and the three men started a regular steamer service between London and Spain and Portugal – the Iberian Peninsula – using the name Peninsular Steam Navigation Company, with services to Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon and Cádiz. The company flag colours are directly connected with the Peninsular flags: the white and blue represent the Portuguese flag in 1837, and the yellow and red the Spanish flag. At the height of the Carlist Wars the British lent their support to the legitimate heirs of Spain and Portugal and all three of P&O founders played their part, from gun running to chartering steamers. As a consequence of this association and involvement P&O officers are the only Merchant Navy officers entitled to wear swords.
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Wikipedia