James Gerald GulliverCVOFRSE FRSA FICE (17 August 1930 – 12 September 1996) was the founder of Argyll Foods, one of the United Kingdom's largest retail businesses.
In 1977, together with Alistair Grant, a marketing specialist who he had worked with at Fine Fare, and David Webster, a merchant banker, he founded James Gulliver Associates. In September 1978, he bought the meat company belonging to Manchester United chairman Louis Edwards for £100,000 plus shares and renamed it Argyll Foods, acquiring numerous retail concerns including 130 Safeway outlets.[5] Within 10 years of the purchase, the company was worth £1.7 billion. Gulliver also bought 100,000 of Edwards' shares in Manchester United for £250,000 and was given a seat on the club's board of directors (although fellow director and former manager Matt Busby abstained from the vote to give Gulliver a seat, saying he did not know who Gulliver was).[6] Gulliver later became the club's vice-president. He sold his stake in 1986, but retained two seats in the directors' box at the club's Old Trafford ground.[7] He was also the vice-chairman of Heart of Midlothian.[8]
In 1985, he tried unsuccessfully to acquire Distillers but lost the bidding to Guinness. He retired from the business later that year.[5]
He was married four times: to Margaret Joan Cormack (1958), Joanne Simms (1977), Marjorie H. Moncrieff (1985) and lastly Melanie Crossley (1993).[4] He had five children with his first wife.
^ abc(PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
^ abcdJames Gulliver Chairman of Food Group dies at 66 New York Times, 17 September 1996
^Dewhurst, Keith (2009). When You Put on a Red Shirt. London: Yellow Jersey Press. p. 258. ISBN9780224082839.
^Basham, Brian (23 September 1996). "Obituary:James Gulliver". The Independent. Independent Print. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
^ abc(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
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james, gulliver, james, gerald, gulliver, frse, frsa, fice, august, 1930, september, 1996, founder, argyll, foods, united, kingdom, largest, retail, businesses, career, edithe, born, campbeltown, scotland, successful, grocer, william, frederick, gulliver, mary. James Gerald Gulliver CVO FRSE FRSA FICE 17 August 1930 12 September 1996 was the founder of Argyll Foods one of the United Kingdom s largest retail businesses Career EditHe was born in Campbeltown Scotland the son of successful grocer 1 William Frederick Gulliver and Mary nee Lafferty 2 3 4 He was educated at Campbeltown Grammar School then studied at University of Glasgow and Georgia Institute of Technology Gulliver served for three years in the Royal Navy before joining Urwick Orr amp Partners management consultants 5 In 1965 he joined Fine Fare where he became chairman within two years 5 In 1977 together with Alistair Grant a marketing specialist who he had worked with at Fine Fare and David Webster a merchant banker he founded James Gulliver Associates In September 1978 he bought the meat company belonging to Manchester United chairman Louis Edwards for 100 000 plus shares and renamed it Argyll Foods acquiring numerous retail concerns including 130 Safeway outlets 5 Within 10 years of the purchase the company was worth 1 7 billion Gulliver also bought 100 000 of Edwards shares in Manchester United for 250 000 and was given a seat on the club s board of directors although fellow director and former manager Matt Busby abstained from the vote to give Gulliver a seat saying he did not know who Gulliver was 6 Gulliver later became the club s vice president He sold his stake in 1986 but retained two seats in the directors box at the club s Old Trafford ground 7 He was also the vice chairman of Heart of Midlothian 8 In 1985 he tried unsuccessfully to acquire Distillers but lost the bidding to Guinness He retired from the business later that year 5 In 1990 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh His proposers were Hugh Sutherland Ronald Roberts Sir Kenneth Alexander and Sir Monty Finniston 4 He was awarded the CVO in 1995 for his services to the Duke of Edinburgh s Award Scheme 8 Personal life and death EditHe was married four times to Margaret Joan Cormack 1958 Joanne Simms 1977 Marjorie H Moncrieff 1985 and lastly Melanie Crossley 1993 4 He had five children with his first wife Gulliver died in Edinburgh in 1996 8 References Edit Ibrahim Youssef M 17 September 1996 James Gulliver Chairman Of Food Group Dies at 66 via NYTimes com People of Today 1995 edition Debrett s Peerage Ltd 1995 p 827 Gulliver James Gerald 1930 1996 businessman Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press 2004 doi 10 1093 ref odnb 63338 ISBN 978 0 19 861412 8 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b c Biological index of former fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 2002 PDF The Royal Society of Edinburgh July 2006 ISBN 0 902 198 84 X Archived from the original PDF on 24 January 2013 Retrieved 17 August 2016 a b c d James Gulliver Chairman of Food Group dies at 66 New York Times 17 September 1996 Dewhurst Keith 2009 When You Put on a Red Shirt London Yellow Jersey Press p 258 ISBN 9780224082839 Basham Brian 23 September 1996 Obituary James Gulliver The Independent Independent Print Retrieved 17 April 2015 a b c RSE Fellowship PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 October 2006 Retrieved 19 July 2009 This Scottish business related biographical article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte This article about a British businessperson born in the 1930s is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Gulliver amp oldid 1141171119, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
