Business History Explorer Supported by the Business Archives Council

Swire, John, & Sons Ltd

Other Business Names:

  • Swire, John Samuel
  • Butterfield & Swire
  • China Navigation Co
  • Taikoo
  • Taikoo Sugar Refinery
  • Taikoo Dockyard
  • Cathay Pacific Airways

Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:

  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Kobe, Japan
  • London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
  • Shanghai, China
  • Yokohama, Japan

Sectors:

  • Transport services Air transport services
  • Merchanting & trade, international & inland General trading & trade
  • Merchanting & trade, international & inland General trading co & agency house activities
  • Transport equipment production Shipbuilding & repairing exc small craft
  • Transport services Shipping services - long distance, inc ship ownership & management
  • Food & tobacco processing Sugar refining & sugar products manufacture

Notes:

Traces origins to a small merchant business established in Liverpool in 1816 by John Swire. Developed by his son, John Samuel Swire, 1825-98, into a major international trading house with strong Far Eastern links. Established his first Far East agency, Butterfield & Swire, at Shanghai, in 1866 and in 1872 established China Navigation Co to provide shipping services on Yangtze River and later China coast and throughout Far East. Took local trading name of Taikoo. Developed other interests at Hong Kong such as property ownership from 1881, Taikoo Sugar Refinery from the early 1880s and Taikoo Dockyard from c1910. After 1945 withdrew from China and developed important aviation interests in Hong Kong including Cathy Pacific airline. Continues as a major international business with a wide range of interests focused in the Far East

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