Thorn Emi

[b]Please note the company is Thorn EMI, not Thorn Emi. This is a system glitch and should be entered (and corrected during editing) to the correct capitalisation.[/b]

Major international conglomerate operating from 31st Dec 1980. (Renamed ) on the 19th August 1996)

The roots of the company were established as the Electric Lamp Service Company Ltd. on the 29th March 1928, on 26th Nov 1936 this company is renamed as Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd.

As of 1973 Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. was a conglomerate, as was operating over 180 subsidiaries worldwide through its various divisions, product groups and research departments, specifically involved in - Electronics, Rentals, Lighting, Gas, Heating, Engineering, Defence, Retail - trademarks used by its operating companies included Ferguson, Goodmans, Kenwood, Rumbelows.

In 1979 the conglomerate ([b]EMI[/b]) (with roots dating back 1897), a company with close ties due to forming joint partnerships in the past, is acquired by Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. On the 31st Dec 1980 Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. is renamed Thorn EMI Ltd. (re-registering as a PLC on the 5th June 1981)

Following the merger EMI Ltd.'s medical electronics business's, its substantial hotels and restaurant division were disposed of, the other businesses that formed part of its Electronics division were amalgamated with "Thorns" operations under the divisional name "Thorn". EMI Ltd. would however remain the principal (holding) company behind the worldwide music division EMI Music., which it had established 2 years earlier.

In 1986 the HMV retail operations, which consisted of 43 stores are reorganised into a separate division Group, up until this point the retail chain had been overseen by EMI Records Ltd., subsidiary EMI Record (Shops) Ltd. (Formerly known as His Masters Voice (Shops) Ltd.) As of 1995 HMV Group Plc was operating 231 stores worldwide.

Key acquisitions by Thorn EMI Plc relating to the EMI music division:
- 50% of the recorded music businesses' of , including - are acquired in 1989, buying the outstanding holdings in 1991.
- is acquired on the 2nd June 1989 (later renamed ), also acquiring the remaining 50% not already owned in in 1991.
- Acquired in Dec 1990.
- The holding company Virgin Records Group Ltd., including and its worldwide subsidiaries are wholly acquired on 1st June 1992.
- Acquired , () in Oct, 1992, later acquiring ( , , ) in 1994, these operations were subsequently combined to form .
- On the 3rd Oct 1994 increases it's shareholding in (TOEMI) to 55%, gaining a controlling interest.
- Acquired a majority stake in in 1994

As of 1995 the company was basically operating as 3 principal divisions, (which now consisted of 65 record companies and 23 music publishing companies, operating in 37 countries), Thorn (electronics) and the Group (Retail).

Principal (holding) companies of Thorn EMI Plc relating to the EMI Music division (as of 1995) - included: , , , , , , , , , Thorn EMI (Australia) Ltd. - (EMI Records Division Australia), , Virgin Music Group Ltd. (corporate) - , , , and . (not including local subsidiaries or joint partnerships)

In 1996 the conglomerate was demerged and renamed , with EMI Music & HMV Group divisions staying under the control of this newly established (holding) company.