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Jack Walker
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Jack Walker
Jack Walker (19 May 1929 – 17 August 2000) was a British industrialist and businessman. Walker built his fortune in the steel industry, amassing a personal fortune of £600 million. He then went on to become the owner and benefactor of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, which won the 1994–95 FA Premier League under his ownership.
The youngest of three children, Walker was born in Blackburn and left school at 13. Walker worked as a sheet metal worker and a conscript craftsman in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. In 1951, following the death of his father Charles, Walker took over the family sheet metal business. Walkersteel was built from a back-street scrap metal business to a major force in the steel industry. By 1990 Walker had built up the business so successfully that it had become the largest steel stockholder in Britain, employing 3,400 people at 50 sites. In 1988 the business was making an annual profit of £48m. Walkersteel completed a major deal with GKN, purchasing subsidiary GKN Steelstock. Following this Walker decided it was the right time to sell and opened negotiations with British Steel Corporation. Walkersteel was sold for a reported £360m, the highest price ever paid for a private company at the time. Walker's sale of Walkersteel proved to be a less successful investment for its new owners British Steel, as the steel market entered a steep slump as a result of the early 1990s recession. The Walkersteel brand has been revived following Walker's death but is linked in name only.
In November 1983 the WalkerSteel group took over Jersey European Airways, already being the parent company to Blackpool based airline Spacegrand. The two airlines were initially run separately until 1985 when they were amalgamated and Exeter became the airline's headquarters and base for technical services.
The airline grew throughout the 1990s and was recognised in 1993 and 1994 when it won 'Best UK Regional Airline'. The new millennium saw the airline announce a new brand name at the beginning of May: British European. The rebrand reflected the size and scope of what was now the UK's third-largest scheduled airline. July 2002 saw the start of a new beginning for the airline, British European was forced to dramatically change its business model to survive in such a highly competitive and aggressive new low-cost travel era. Flybe was born and along with changes to commercial, fleet and operational policies that were to transform the airline. On 5 March 2020 Flybe ceased operating and went into administration.
At the airline's Head Office in Exeter there are two buildings named in his honour: Jack Walker House and the New Walker Hangar, both based on the Exeter International Airport complex.
In 2013 Jack Walker's estate sold its entire 48.1% shareholding in Flybe.
In 1988, Jack Walker donated building materials for the new Riverside Stand at Ewood Park. It is also thought that his money was used to pay for the acquisition and wages of Ossie Ardiles and Steve Archibald in the 1987–88 season.
Walker took full control of the club in January 1991 with the intention of turning Rovers into the greatest and most prosperous club England had ever seen. He also threatened to make Manchester United look "cheap" and further outlined his motivations in a 1992 documentary on the club. "I'm only interested in putting Rovers where they should be. Blackburn Rovers is one of the greatest football teams in England. They are one of the founder members and we want them right back on top." Within the first three years of his takeover Walker spent £25 million on new players. This included breaking the British transfer record twice, signing Alan Shearer from Southampton for £3.3 million in 1992 and Chris Sutton from Norwich City for £5 million in 1994.
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Jack Walker
Jack Walker (19 May 1929 – 17 August 2000) was a British industrialist and businessman. Walker built his fortune in the steel industry, amassing a personal fortune of £600 million. He then went on to become the owner and benefactor of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, which won the 1994–95 FA Premier League under his ownership.
The youngest of three children, Walker was born in Blackburn and left school at 13. Walker worked as a sheet metal worker and a conscript craftsman in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. In 1951, following the death of his father Charles, Walker took over the family sheet metal business. Walkersteel was built from a back-street scrap metal business to a major force in the steel industry. By 1990 Walker had built up the business so successfully that it had become the largest steel stockholder in Britain, employing 3,400 people at 50 sites. In 1988 the business was making an annual profit of £48m. Walkersteel completed a major deal with GKN, purchasing subsidiary GKN Steelstock. Following this Walker decided it was the right time to sell and opened negotiations with British Steel Corporation. Walkersteel was sold for a reported £360m, the highest price ever paid for a private company at the time. Walker's sale of Walkersteel proved to be a less successful investment for its new owners British Steel, as the steel market entered a steep slump as a result of the early 1990s recession. The Walkersteel brand has been revived following Walker's death but is linked in name only.
In November 1983 the WalkerSteel group took over Jersey European Airways, already being the parent company to Blackpool based airline Spacegrand. The two airlines were initially run separately until 1985 when they were amalgamated and Exeter became the airline's headquarters and base for technical services.
The airline grew throughout the 1990s and was recognised in 1993 and 1994 when it won 'Best UK Regional Airline'. The new millennium saw the airline announce a new brand name at the beginning of May: British European. The rebrand reflected the size and scope of what was now the UK's third-largest scheduled airline. July 2002 saw the start of a new beginning for the airline, British European was forced to dramatically change its business model to survive in such a highly competitive and aggressive new low-cost travel era. Flybe was born and along with changes to commercial, fleet and operational policies that were to transform the airline. On 5 March 2020 Flybe ceased operating and went into administration.
At the airline's Head Office in Exeter there are two buildings named in his honour: Jack Walker House and the New Walker Hangar, both based on the Exeter International Airport complex.
In 2013 Jack Walker's estate sold its entire 48.1% shareholding in Flybe.
In 1988, Jack Walker donated building materials for the new Riverside Stand at Ewood Park. It is also thought that his money was used to pay for the acquisition and wages of Ossie Ardiles and Steve Archibald in the 1987–88 season.
Walker took full control of the club in January 1991 with the intention of turning Rovers into the greatest and most prosperous club England had ever seen. He also threatened to make Manchester United look "cheap" and further outlined his motivations in a 1992 documentary on the club. "I'm only interested in putting Rovers where they should be. Blackburn Rovers is one of the greatest football teams in England. They are one of the founder members and we want them right back on top." Within the first three years of his takeover Walker spent £25 million on new players. This included breaking the British transfer record twice, signing Alan Shearer from Southampton for £3.3 million in 1992 and Chris Sutton from Norwich City for £5 million in 1994.