textron aviation is the general aviation business unit of the textron group that was formed in march 2014 following the acquisition of beech holdings which included the beechcraft and hawker aircraft businesses .

the new business unit includes the textron-owned cessna .

textron aviation sells beechcraft and cessna branded aircraft .

while no longer selling new hawker airplanes , textron aviation still supports the existing hawker aircraft fleet through its service centers .

the ceo of cessna , scott ernest , was named as the first ceo of textron aviation incorporated .

textron aviation

textron is a network of companies including bell helicopter , textron aviation , textron specialized vehicles , textron tools and test , kautex and jacobsen .
textron aviation’s 1call support network provides a single point of contact for customers . textron aviation has announced that they’ve improved and enhanced their 1call …
textron aviation’s 1view is offered with both web - based access or as an offline application . textron aviation has announced the launch of their new technical …
principal subsidiaries : bell helicopter textron ; cessna aircraft company ; textron automotive company ; textron fastening systems ; textron industrial products ; textron turf care and specialty products .
when it comes to the field of aviation , textron has a long and robust history that includes the iconic aviation - focused brands of bell helicopter , cessna , beechcraft , hawker , tru simulation + training and textron ground support equipment . textron has consistently been at the forefront of the aviation industry , continuing to make revolutionary advancements .
donnelly further penetrated the aviation market with the purchase of beechcraft in 2014 , forming a new business segment called textron aviation that includes three powerful brands : beechcraft , cessna and hawker . by joining these three iconic brands , textron aviation brings 200 + years of combined aviation experience to the market and an installed customer base of more than 250 , 000 airplanes worldwide .
view sounding board : five minutes with textron aviation president and ceo scott ernest in pdf format . scott ernest joined textron aviation in 2011 after 29 years at ge aviation . ernest has led the company through a number of development projects and the merger of cessna aircraft and beechcraft corp . he recently sat down with the weekly of business aviation to talk about the company and the business aircraft . . .
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the g1000 avionics package offers cessna caravan pilots a variety of enhancements and features . textron aviation has received certification from both the faa and …
textron aviation is a leader in piston aircraft and offers a complete line of training and recreation aircraft with unparalleled performance , reliability and efficiency .
the textron aviation segment is the leading general aviation authority and home to the iconic beechcraft , cessna and hawker brands which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying . its product portfolio includes five principal lines of business : business jets , general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft , high performance piston aircraft , military trainer and defense aircraft , and a complete global customer service organization .
pratt & whitney ' s venerable pt - 6 turbine is one of the marvels of aviation . but like everything else in aviation , it requires overhaul . . . .
the citation m2 is positioned to take over the cessna citation mustang’s light jet role . according to textron aviation , they have just built the …
ron carlson did almost everything right but only luck transformed tragedy into an amazing aviation story .
the leading general aviation authority and home to @ beechcraft , @ cessna and hawker brands .
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the cessna turbo skyhawk jt - a offers improved takeoff performance , particularly in high and hot conditions . textron aviation has received certification from both the faa …
in our proflight pilot training centers , we offer a leading aviation training experience unlike any other .
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capitalizing on our expertise in aviation and defense , textron formed textron airland , llc , with the purpose of designing and manufacturing an affordable , capable jet platform based on commercially available technologies and processes for the tactical military jet aviation market . textron airland produces the scorpion , an entirely new twin - jet tactical aircraft designed to serve multiple missions for the u . s . and partner nations .
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also supporting our efforts in the aviation market is textron specialized vehicles . its product lines include e - z - go® golf cars and personal transportation vehicles , cushman® commercial and industrial utility vehicles , and textron ground support equipment for the aviation industry . its vehicles are found worldwide in environments such as golf courses , factories and airports .
our expanded network of support provides king air service at all textron aviation company - owned service centers in north america , paris , doncaster , uk , dusseldorf and zurich .
eisenhauer , robert s . , textron - - from the beginning , providence , r . i . : textron inc . , 1979 .
as a part of the company’s most capable and accessible global service network , textron aviation has more than 30 authorized service facilities supporting the fleet of aircraft throughout the asia - pacific region . in addition , the company also has five in - region field service representatives offering maintenance , inspections , parts , repairs , refurbishments and other specialized services for the entire range of textron aviation products .
further leveraging our strength in the aviation industry , textron acquired mechtronix in montreal , quebec , and opinicus in tampa , fla . in 2013 . donnelly combined these innovative flight simulation companies , along with textron’s aai logistics & technical services , to form tru simulation + training in 2014 .
only months after he assumed the leadership of textron , miller attempted a takeover of united fruit . when the attempt was thwarted textron returned to less ambitious acquisitions of small firms , particularly zipper and fastener manufacturers . by 1971 textron was ready for another ambitious takeover , this time of the kendall company , which would have placed textron in the healthcare business . the attempted takeover of kendall failed when another company outbid textron .
business aviation’s essential planning tool features digital - only sections with detailed , comparative data on business aircraft and equipment . . . . more
cwc – still a part of textron today , cwc produces cast iron engine components .
at the end of 1960 , royal little retired , but not before carving textron’s imprint into the transportation industry with the purchases of two companies that are still part of textron today : golf car manufacturer e - z - go and textron bell aerospace—which included bell helicopter . buying bell balanced textron ' s earnings base by increasing its government business .
textron aviation continues to integrate customer feedback and include the latest technology and performance capabilities into its industry - leading product line . the company continues to develop products and services that exceed customer expectations in india and throughout the world .
the breadth and depth of our aviation - focused products and support provides the aviation industry unique solutions from acquisition of aircraft to simulation and training offerings . in addition , textron has an extensive support network , which enables the company to offer maintenance and assistance through globally - based customer support facilities , as well as mobile service units to effectively and efficiently manage ground support needs .
women in aviation international ( wai ) has announced that it is now accepting applications for scholarships to be awarded in 2019 . at . . .
bca is the industry’s most reliable “how - to” source for business aviation intelligence . view individual articles ( subscription required ) . . . . more
how is the business and general aviation sector faring today ? we are seeing excellent results with our new citation latitude , which has become one of the world’s best - selling business jets since entering the market in august 2015 . it is now the leader in the midsize segment with more deliveries in 2016 than any other aircraft in its category . this is encouraging and reflects the growth that we’re seeing across many of our product segments . at textron aviation , we remain focused on investing in our products to help invigorate the business aviation sector .
growing up in wichita , kansas – the air capital of the world – i guess you could say i have always had aviation in my blood . my first job out of college was in aviation and every job thereafter . it is just such an exciting industry – connecting the world through flight .
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about textron inc . textron inc . is a multi - industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft , defense , industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services . textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as bell helicopter , cessna , beechcraft , hawker , jacobsen , kautex , lycoming , e - z - go , greenlee , textron off road , textron systems , and tru simulation + training . for more information , visit : urltoken .
last year , levil aviation showed off its wing - mounted portable adahrs called the bom . it kinda looks like its namesake , too . in this . . .
in our proflight pilot training centers , we offer a leading aviation training experience unlike any other . here are some of the qualities that differentiate us from our competitors :
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while we take great pride in our long history , we are even more excited by the future . textron is proud to partner with iawa in supporting the advancement of women in the aviation industry . by working together , we can continue to encourage , inform and inspire others to achieve their goals .
textron aviation continues to lead the market in india with its broad range of products that include best - selling aircraft such as citation business jets , beechcraft king air and cessna caravan turboprops and t - 6 military trainer aircraft , all of which are backed by the industry’s most capable global service network .
. textron’s automotive segment is a leading supplier of plastic products , such as instrument panels , fuel tanks , and interior and exterior trim , for cars and light trucks . the industrial segment manufactures a variety of products from fasteners , gears , pumps , and tools to golf carts , turf - care machinery , and aviation piston engines . in 2000 textron had about 70 , 000 employees and operations in about two dozen countries .
marking a major milestone for the company , textron was listed on the new york stock exchange on december 22 , 1947 .
with its solid footing in the aerospace industry providing financial stability , textron grew again with the purchase of jacobsen in 1978 . still a part of textron today , jacobsen produces the world’s broadest lines of professional turf maintenance equipment and lawn care machinery .
royal little retired from textron in 1962 and relinquished his seat on the board of directors . thompson maintained a strict policy toward textron ' s various divisions . the company would sell a particular division at the first sign of adverse performance . such was the case for textron ' s last textile holding in 1963 ; amerotron was sold when it ' failed to perform . '
the company vertically so that it soon controlled all aspects of its textile business , from the processing of raw goods to the distribution of finished products . in 1945 it adopted the name textron incorporated , which was shortened to textron inc . in 1956 .
falcon aviation continuously proves that everything is bigger and more luxurious in the uae with their high quality fleet of jets and helicopters . the vip charter company was raised in abu dhabi in . . .
geelong , australia ( feb . 28 , 2017 ) – textron aviation inc . , a textron inc . ( nyse : txt ) company , today announced it is displaying a variety of its product offerings at this year’s australian international airshow and aerospace & defense exposition ( avalon ) with channel partner hawker pacific , including a cessna citation latitude , beechcraft king air c90gtx , cessna grand caravan ex , cessna ttx , beechcraft bonanza g36 , cessna skylane 182 , and the textron airland scorpion jet model . the show will run from feb . 28 to march 5 in geelong , australia .
bell helicopter textron 206b - 3 jetranger iii civil helicopter , in police service , fort worth , texas , u . s .
these leading platforms are all backed by the industry’s most capable service network , including a robust network of authorized service facilities in india . textron aviation’s extensive engineering and manufacturing resources provide customers a worldwide network of knowledgeable technical support representatives and the largest distribution network in the world , offering timely and efficient delivery of high quality factory - owned parts .
straetz and dolan later divested textron of divisions not related to aerospace or technology . in effect , textron was being reconverted into an operating company . they professed impatience with subsidiaries that did not ' perform ' and promised to ' dump ' them without a grace period . straetz told fortune magazine , ' some of that concept of non - related diversification still exists , but we ' re trying to make textron a more focused company . ' the company operated principally around bell aerospace , which accounted for about one quarter of textron ' s sales .
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in 1984 textron was the object of a hostile takeover bid by chicago pacific corporation . it was the third unsolicited bid for textron , which had become a target because of its large debt . chicago pacific was one - sixth the size of textron . it had emerged from bankruptcy only months before the bid , selling all its railroad capital , including engines , track , and traffic rights . the company had a large amount of cash and was embarking on an acquisition program . textron , however , mounted a defense that rather easily foiled the takeover bid .
…businessman and investor who founded textron , inc . , the first major american corporation built on the concept of diversification , or conglomeration . …
textron aviation offers the broadest lineup of special mission platforms in the industry , with its entire product range available in special mission configurations using innovative technologies and advanced engineering techniques . the versatile cessna and beechcraft platforms continue to be used throughout the asia - pacific region in multiple roles such as air calibration , flight inspection , surveillance , maritime patrol and air ambulance .
in 1986 , textron continued to strengthen its position in the defense industry by forming textron marine & land systems from a bell helicopter business . a manufacturer of an extensive line of military security vehicles , including the commando™ family of four - wheeled armored vehicles , and marine craft , textron marine & land systems was chosen to produce the landing craft , air cushion ( lcac hovercraft ) for the u . s . navy .
if you are in need of an exchange or overhaul on your hawker or beechcraft landing gear , let textron aviation be your source for oem quality gear . with efficient support available 24 / 7 / 365 , you’ll benefit from competitive pricing , availability , and oem quality . our efficient one - stop - shop provides exceptional service with a single point of contact .
the strategic divestitures and complementary acquisitions that campbell orchestrated strengthened textron’s product portfolio . the company’s fastening & systems and fluid & power businesses were among those campbell sold , and overwatch systems and aai joined textron in 2006 and 2007 , respectively . as part of textron systems , overwatch has since evolved into advanced information solutions and geospatial solutions . similarly , aai transitioned into three operating units : electronic systems , support solutions and unmanned systems .
early in his tenure , donnelly faced the challenge of leading textron through a global economic crisis . during this tumultuous period , he put textron’s liquidity strategy on a strong path and spearheaded restructuring initiatives and operating improvements across textron , building upon campbell’s vision and taking it to the next level . with a steadfast focus on disciplined execution and profitable growth , he significantly increased the company’s pace of new product development and reinvigorated acquisition activities .
textron airland has developed , in the scorpion , a highly affordable twin - engine multi - mission jet for the tactical military aviation market . a versatile jet platform based on commercial best practices and proven high technologies , scorpion is designed as a multi - mission aircraft for diverse battlefield , security and training missions . more information about our initial aircraft is available at urltoken .
the best students from the five universities in the top hawk program will also have the chance at a summer internship with textron . cessna has …
under donnelly ' s leadership , textron’s steadfast execution of its financial and operational strategies continues to build value for all of its stakeholders . combined with its portfolio of renowned brands and some of the most sophisticated and leading technology products in the world , there are tremendous opportunities ahead for textron and its customers .
- - - - - - , ' the text on textron , ' barron ' s , june 14 , 1993 , pp . 32 - 33 .
to reflect the new business model and expanded product portfolio , little chose the name textron—a combination of
tex
from textiles and
tron
from synthetics , such as lustron . the theme of the advertising reflected little ' s vision :
from yarn to you , it ' s textron all the way .
in 1953 , textron purchased its first non - textile business , st . louis - based burkart manufacturing co . that supplied cushioning materials to the automotive market .
which cessna model was the first to receive seaplane approval ? the c - 37 ! the aircraft broke grounds in aviation innovation , featuring advancements like an electric fuel gauge and ball bearing controls . # avgeek # aviationhistory # cessna # tbt # history urltoken
, kansas , has built nearly half of the world’s general aviation aircraft in current use . it is known for its highly popular light , single - engine piston aircraft and citation series of business jets , including the citation x , which flies at nearly the
having reached the objectives he set at the beginning of the decade , hardymon retired in 1999 . his successor , lewis campbell , ushered textron into the 21 st century .
textron inc . has made so many changes in its corporate identity that any characterization of it is subject to revision on rather short notice . it has , however , consistently earned a profit for its stockholders . for that reason , many investors may not care what it does so long as it keeps generating a profit for them . textron , involved in many industries , has limited its areas of investment since the 1970s . through its bell helicopter and cessna subsidiaries , textron remains an important united states aerospace manufacturer .
textron aviation recently introduced the next generation garmin g1000 nxi integrated flight deck to its piston product line , bringing customers the latest in performance enhancements . the platform incorporates leading cockpit technologies including significant flight display modernization with faster processing times , improved graphics rendering and enhanced readability with led back - lighting . these capability improvements , as well as additional optional enhancements , combined with the company’s class - leading piston products offer pilots a greater overall flight experience .
one strategic priority was regaining an overseas presence , lost with the sale of ex - cell - o corp . ' s machine tool businesses in the mid - 1980s . in 1989 , however , u . s . regulators blocked textron ' s $ 250 million purchase of avdel , a british manufacturer of industrial fasteners . textron was able to make progress through a manufacturing venture in the netherlands with ford and a helicopter distribution arrangement in japan ( mitsui ) . textron had revenues of $ 7 . 4 billion in 1989 .
in october 1984 , textron emerged newly strengthened for expansion in a rising economy . straetz and dolan realized that strategic acquisitions would remain essential for sustained growth . in 1985 , textron acquired connecticut - based avco corporation , a $ 2 . 9 billion conglomerate that played a major role in the apollo missions of the 1960s and early 1970s . nasa chose avco to design and install the heat shield . avco pioneered the heat resistant material that charred to form a protective coating and block the heat from penetrating the space capsule . textron , which nearly doubled in size with this acquisition , transitioned the business to textron defense systems which evolved into today’s textron systems weapons & sensor systems . a leader in intelligence - gathering capabilities and advanced protection systems necessary for mission success , weapons and sensor systems continues to provide these heat resistant materials—the thermal protection material of choice for the current nasa orion crew exploration vehicle program .
general aviation aircraft / business jets ; aircraft aftermarket services ; military helicopters ; commercial helicopters ; tiltrotor aircraft ; rotorcraft spare parts and services ; unmanned aircraft systems ( uas ) ; uas support services ; armored security vehicles ( asv ) ; turrets and related subsystems ; advanced marine craft ; advanced flight training courseware and devices , including full flight simulators ; piston aircraft engines for the general aviation and remotely piloted aircraft markets ( lycoming ) ; high technology test equipment and electronic warfare test and training solutions ; intelligence software solutions ; geospatial analysis solutions ; aircraft and equipment financing .
as the decade drew to a close , textron experienced changes in leadership . miller’s tenure ended in 1977 when president jimmy carter nominated him to be chairman of the federal reserve . joseph collinson succeeded him and led the company until he retired in 1979 when robert straetz was named chairman and ceo . he and president beverly dolan would lead textron into the reviving economy of the ‘80s .
simon , jane , ' with its second billion - dollar buy , a remodeled textron eludes easy definition , ' new england business , september 15 , 1986 , pp . 37 - 39 .
shortly thereafter , dolan completed textron ' s $ 3 billion acquisition of avco . avco was formerly the aviation corporation of the americas , one of the three large aeronautic combines of the 1930s and the company that launched pan am and american airlines . over the years avco gradually sold most of its aircraft interests until , by 1985 , it was primarily a financial institution centered around the insurance business . ( it did continue to manufacture sections of large military aircraft , however . ) avco already was threatened by a takeover from a smaller company when textron , avco ' s preferred suitor , made its own bid . with the success of the avco acquisition , dolan replaced bob straetz as chief executive officer .
tell us about your career to date the majority of my career has been centred on customer service and support . i started out managing delta air lines’ customer support division , based in wichita , and then moved to koch industries , also in wichita , to lead the quality department for its aviation division . in 1999 , i joined then raytheon aircraft ( hawker beechcraft / beechcraft corporation ) as director of the global parts organisation . during my career at the company , i took on additional roles and responsibilities in the service organisation and eventually became the senior vice - president of global customer service and support . prior to assuming my current role at textron aviation , i served as senior vice president of turboprop aircraft and interior design , where i was responsible for the development of our popular turboprop platforms and led the interior design team .
citation latitude - welcome to the future of business aviation where the new citation latitude represents the perfect balance of comfort and efficiency . the latitude is the first business jet to combine a roomy , flat floor , stand - up cabin , with a midsize price and a best - in - class operating cost advantage .
forced it to stop production . the factory was reopened by cessna’s nephews dwane wallace and dwight wallace in 1934 , after which its products gained a leadership role in aviation by winning air races and setting sales records . during world war ii the company was an important subcontractor and a producer of a twin - engine trainer .
by the late 1990s , more than 30 percent of textron ' s revenues came from abroad . the company posted record results in 1999 as revenues increased 20 percent . textron acquired 18 business and entered two joint ventures while selling avco financial services for $ 2 . 9 billion . a fatal crash of a marine v - 22 osprey in april 2000 , however , raised doubts about the viability of the program .
no one knows your aircraft like the people who built it and our expertise is just the beginning . we offer general aviation’s farthest reaching service network , which includes company - owned facilities throughout the world , mobile and airborne service during aog events , and parts that ship the day you order them . watch service that gets you there
in 1985 textron surprised its stockholders by offering to sell its main operating division , bell aerospace . upon closer inspection the stockholders voted in favor of the proposed sale , but it marked a serious change in textron ' s stated intention to convert itself from a conglomerate into an operating company . the sale of bell was intended to raise stockholders ' return on equity and eliminate the corporate debt that made it an attractive takeover target .
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beechcraft king air 350i - with best - in - class range and payload , the beechcraft king air 350i is the business aviation solution without compromise . now featuring pro line fusion touch - screen avionics the king air 350i takes more passengers and cargo further , on less fuel than any competitor allowing customers to quickly and efficiently move their businesses forward .
in 2013 , textron acquired sherman + reilly , a manufacturer of underground and aerial transmission and distribution products and hd electric , a designer and manufacturer of power utility products and solutions that test , measure and control electric power . these companies have a rich history of innovative products . the combination of hd electric and sherman + reilly allows textron to offer a more complete product solution to the power utility customer than we had served with our greenlee products .
textron ' s vision is to be : one of the world ' s best managed companies ; excellent managers of shareholder resources ; a multi - industry company with global leadership positions in each of our businesses . key dates :
to deepen its focus on aircraft , automotive , industrial and finance , textron decreased its holdings in military contracting , insurance and consumer products , divesting
non - core
businesses that represented $ 2 . 8 billion in revenue .
these are but a few examples of textron’s commitment to innovation . all of our businesses are dedicated to developing advanced products and technologies to meet the current and future needs of customers , while making us leaders in the markets we serve .
true to its tradition of diversification so as not to rely on one industry , textron bought greenlee in the same year . based in rockford , ill . , greenlee , still a textron company , is known as a premier manufacturer of professional contractor tools that are recognized for their excellent value , superior performance and durability . with more than 4 , 000 offerings in its product line , it is the preeminent brand name among trade professionals who work with wire , cable and electrical infrastructure .
with only a decade left in the 20 th century , textron developed a laser - sharp focus on obtaining 100 percent of its revenues from its core businesses—aircraft , automotive , industrial and finance—and on increasing its international revenue as a source of growth .
through decades of innovation , textron brought many firsts and best - in - class products to the markets we serve . these are just a few examples of how we anticipate our customers’ needs and deliver products that help our customers solve business problems :
the sale was postponed following an improvement in the company ' s financial position . bell ultimately was retained and reorganized into two operating units : bell aerospace , which continued to handle the aeronautic business ; and textron marine systems , for marine projects .
beechcraft’s king air twin turboprop has long been popular , with more than 3 , 000 built since the 1960s , but that doesn’t make it invulnerable to market forces — and a weak international market has driven down deliveries in the first quarter of this year to just 12 , compared to 26 in the same period last year , the company reported last week . ceo scott donnelly said he expects those numbers to improve by the end of the year , and end up about the same as last year , when the company sold 106 king airs . revenues overall for the quarter at textron aviation were down $ 121 million compared to last year , primarily due to lower volumes of military and commercial turboprops .
leading the turboprop segment with more than 900 aircraft operating in region are the best - selling cessna caravan and beechcraft king air platforms . these aircraft offer an unmatched combination of performance and flexibility to meet a variety of business and special mission aviation needs . the total ownership experience goes beyond the ample range , solid load capacity and numerous cabin configurations by providing dependability and low operating costs , ensuring customers receive the most value for their aircraft .
what are your current duties ? i’m responsible for the interior design and engineering for all of textron aviation’s broad product lineup . my previous experience in customer support lets me see things from a customer point of view . i don’t have an engineering background , so i really challenge my team to think outside of the box and find ways we can incorporate customer input in everything we do . that’s how we are developing our new large - cabin citation hemisphere jet . we continue to engage regularly with our customer advisory board , which is comprised of industry executives operating various products in this class , to affirm what customers need in this segment . this input is a key influence as we continue to develop this world - class aircraft .
to help ensure that textron continued on a positive trajectory , campbell led a multi - year succession planning process that culminated with his retirement as ceo on december 1 , 2009 . scott donnelly , then - president and coo , succeeded campbell and became chairman of the board in september 2010 .
early in the new century’s first decade , campbell immediately set a new vision for the corporation : to become the premier multi - industry company , recognized for its network of powerful brands , world - class enterprise processes and talented people . this shared vision became a unifying mission for textron employees worldwide .
textron had high hopes in the $ 25 billion v - 22 tilt - rotor aircraft program . developed by bell and boeing for the u . s . marine corps , the fusion of helicopter and fixed - wing aircraft was expensive to fly . faced with few possible users in the united states , the company resorted to asking japan and west germany for funding for a civilian variant . fortunately , the market for civilian helicopters was up , and avco corp . , now the aerostructures division , had entered the booming airliner market , making wings for airbus . textron ' s automotive businesses also were generally lucrative .
as bell helicopter was making its indelible mark on the military , little’s successor , rupert thompson , and president g . william miller bade farewell to the textile industry in 1963 . thompson and miller continued little’s strategy of acquiring companies , penetrating various consumer markets with the purchase of watchband manufacturer speidel ; sheaffer pen ; staple and nail gun maker bostich ; and rhode island - based silver company gorham . throughout this period , textron was recognized as the pioneer of the conglomerate and one of the most highly diversified corporations in the u . s . in 1967 , the wall street journal called textron
the conglomerate king .
bell was the division most responsible for textron ' s identity as an aerospace company . that identity was preserved by the continuing success of bell . whereas bell ' s products were of good quality , however , a unique management structure also must be credited for the general success of the division and its parent .
textron continues to blaze a trail with innovative products created by our talented workforce , with a sales and service network that spans the globe . with a presence in 25 countries , we maintain a sound understanding of market environments , strengthen our capability to identify and respond to new market opportunities and engage customers more effectively .
v - 22 osprey tilt - rotor aircraft hovering above a carrier flight deck . developed jointly by bell helicopter ( a subsidiary of textron ) and boeing as a military transport , the aircraft can take off and land vertically like a helicopter or rotate its engines in midair and fly like a fixed - wing plane .
textron acquired cessna aircraft from general dynamics for $ 605 million in early 1992 . the company had made 6 , 500 small planes a year in its heyday , but this business had been crippled by an industrywide wave of airplane crash lawsuits . when textron bought it , cessna was devoted to manufacturing its popular line of citation business jets . legislation in 1994 to limit manufacturers ' liability on planes more than 18 years old , however , made making single - engined , propeller - driven aircraft feasible again , and the company resumed production on the small trainers that made it famous . cessna ' s revenues were $ 783 million in 1993 .
by the late 1980s , the hounds of peace could be heard over the steppes . the end of the cold war hurt defense company stocks , and as one analyst explained in forbes , conglomerates generally suffered according to their lowest common denominator . at the time , textron ' s 32 operating companies made up three groups : aerospace , commercial products , and financial services . in the last category , the company ' s paul revere insurance helped lift textron ' s balance sheet . still , aerospace , with 1988 sales of $ 3 . 6 billion , remained the largest division ( the other two had sales of less than $ 2 billion each ) .
rupert thompson left textron in 1968 after he was diagnosed as having cancer . the man he appointed to take his place was the company ' s president , g . william miller . the company miller took over was a well - diversified manufacturer of tools , industrial machines , consumer goods , plastics , appliances and , of course , helicopters .
realizing this vision involved a company - wide restructuring program to increase operational efficiency . the transformation included the consolidation of several manufacturing facilities , more unified systems and standards and shared services across the business units . campbell also championed the idea of moving textron’s most skilled managers from one business unit to the other , helping to bolster company - wide performance significantly .
textron started as a small textile company in 1923 , when 27 - year - old royal little founded the special yarns corporation in boston . sales that first year were just $ 75 , 000 . today that company has grown into a highly successful multi - industry enterprise recognized around the world for our network of powerful brands , world - class processes and talented people .
the post - world war ii economic boom came to a crashing halt during a decade marked by an oil crisis , a stock market crash and the demise of richard nixon’s presidency . yet , amid this turmoil , while many conglomerates struggled to maintain positive cash flow , textron persevered by winning new customers in the aerospace industry and by never wavering from its acquisition strategy .
as the demand for textiles further decreased following the war , little received approval from the company’s board of directors to diversify into unrelated businesses . this conglomeration process , begun in 1952 , became a model for other businesses to follow . among textron’s acquisitions over the next four decades were outdoor power equipment maker homelite ; camcar , a maker of fastening systems ; engine castings manufacturer cwc ; golf cart manufacturer e - z - go ; speidel , a maker of watchbands ; sheaffer pen ; staple - and nail - gun maker bostitch ; gorham silver company ; and the conglomerates avco corporation and ex - cell - o corporation . textron also developed a policy of selling weak divisions , which led to the divestiture of its last textile holding in 1963 .
rupert thompson was described as having combined alfred sloan ' s management strategy for general motors and little ' s strategy of growth through acquisition . textron maintained a consistency for meeting production and financial targets , demanding a 20 percent return on equity after taxes for the company ' s various divisions . thompson was the manager of a company that , perhaps , was better described as an asset portfolio , or ' management concept . '
hardymon retired in july 1998 , succeeded by lewis b . campbell . like his predecessor , campbell had grown up in the rural south and studied engineering before working in sales , marketing , and management positions . campbell formed his career at gm , rather than emerson electric , like hardymon . he joined textron in 1992 and became president and chief operating officer within two years . campbell also became board chairman in february 1999 .
designed and built with leading - edge technologies , textron airland’s scorpion jet is a bold new direction for tactical aircraft . the scorpion jet provides unparalleled acquisition and operating costs and is built to excel in numerous roles , including intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance , close air support , armed reconnaissance , maritime and border patrol and jet training missions . the company will be exhibiting a model of the scorpion jet at its avalon chalet .
revenues reached $ 8 . 3 billion in 1992 . aerospace contributed more than a third of the company ' s profits , in spite of the reliance on military contracts . the financial segment accounted for 43 percent of income ; commercial , 20 percent . james f . hardymon became ceo in 1992 after joining textron as president and chief operating officer three years earlier . ( he had previously held those two positions at emerson electric . )
bell ' s uh - 1 huey helicopter was used extensively during the american involvement in the vietnam war . after vietnam , textron cultivated a strong market for bell helicopters in iran . this $ 875 million market was lost , however , with the fall of the shah . from this turn of events , straetz and dolan learned the importance of maintaining a diverse group of customers . they tried next to establish a lucrative commercial market for bell .
miller ' s attempt to enter into the oil and gas business was cut short when he left the company in 1977 to take a position with the carter administration as federal reserve chairman , and then later as secretary of the treasury . one of miller ' s best qualities was his insightful recognition of the fact that the united states was rapidly transforming itself into a service - oriented economy . he brought textron into financial services by acquiring insurance and other financial service companies .
unlike most other firms , an unusual amount of authority was vested with textron ' s vice - presidents . a vice - president was thereby enabled to specialize in a certain area of the operation with the full authority of his office behind him . this also encouraged good communication within the top management echelon and allowed the president and chief executive officer to concentrate on more general matters , such as acquisitions and divestitures . many american corporations have admitted to copying this style of management .
recognizing the opportunities to move into adjacent markets in need of specialized vehicles , textron purchased bad boy buggies in 2010 and dixie chopper in 2014 . bad boy’s dual - motor , fully electric four - wheel drive vehicles—machines that combined unparalleled off - road ability with quiet , emissions - free operation—strengthened e - z - go’s house of brands . dixie chopper similarly impacted jacobsen . known as the maker of the world’s fastest lawn mower , dixie expanded our reach into the consumer and commercial sectors , including municipalities .
in 1956 royal little hired a providence banker , rupert thompson , to oversee what he admitted were his irrepressible impulses to acquire more companies . thompson made sure that textron ' s acquisitions were ' balanced , ' or sufficiently spread out so that a depression in any one market would not severely affect the company as a whole . based on this strategy , little and thompson established what has ( arguably ) been declared the world ' s first conglomerate . notable acquisitions in the 1950s included homelite , camcar , and cwc .
james hardymon , who was named chairman and ceo in 1992 , quickly set out to achieve these goals by acquiring cessna aircraft co . already popular with pilots worldwide , the u . s . government and foreign militaries , cessna—as a leader in light and medium - sized commercial business jets—balanced bell ' s significant defense - related business activity . textron’s purchase of cessna as well as germany - based kautex —a global fuel tank and system supplier to the automotive industry—bolstered its core ; these businesses’ revenues totaled $ 3 . 9 billion .
the man who replaced miller was joseph collinson . collinson ' s tenure was short - lived ; he retired from the company in 1979 . he was succeeded by bob straetz as chairman and beverly dolan as president . ( dolan had started e - z - go , the golf cart manufacturer , in his garage . he joined textron when it bought the company in 1960 . ) the new men in charge were quicker to sell divisions that were performing poorly . one of the first to be sold was polaris , the snowmobile manufacturer .
the man behind the success of textron , royal little , graduated from harvard in 1919 . he then sought practical business experience as an unpaid apprentice at a textile mill before working for the franklin rayon yarn dyeing corporation . there , he recognized the drawbacks of producing a product in a business vulnerable to volatile market cycles . as far back as the 1920s , little advocated diversification as a means to insulate a company from occasional slumps in certain lines of business . specifically , little advocated ' non - related ' diversification , that is , simultaneous operation of totally unrelated businesses . the system had to be unrelated so that heavy losses in one business would not affect the profitability of related industries .
little founded the special yarns corporation in boston , massachusetts in 1928 . with first year revenues of $ 75 , 000 , these were modest beginnings for the world ' s first conglomerate . by world war ii , the company had been renamed the atlantic rayon corporation . the textile business boomed during the war , but by 1943 , little was already looking to the civilian market . at this time , the company changed its name to textron . the name comes from ' textiles ' and the ' - tron ' suffix of synthetic fabrics such as lustron . ( it is hard to imagine a global conglomerate named ' señorita creations , ' but that was the advertising agency ' s first choice . )
textron also saw a decrease in deliveries of its beechcraft t - 6 trainers , delivering just two , compared to nine in the same quarter last year . first - quarter citation jet deliveries stayed about even — 34 last year , 35 for this year . the company reported a profit of $ 36 million in the first quarter compared to $ 73 million a year ago , primarily due to lower volume and mix . “overall , revenues and profit were down in the quarter consistent with our expectations , ” said donnelly . “we are continuing to execute our restructuring plan while maintaining our focus on new product investment and the integration of acquired businesses , all of which will have a positive impact on our long - term growth outlook . ”
the news comes after a year of soft jet sales for textron , which has been scaling back its workforce . the wichita - based company restructured in october after announcing layoffs at its regional facilities and launching an early - retirement program . it has a regional workforce of more than 9 , 000 employees . efforts to boost sales will focus on the latitude model , which is expected to see delivery growth , according to the wichita business journal . meanwhile , two more citations in the series are in the works . the super - midsize longitude jet is undergoing flight testing and is on schedule to achieve certification by year’s end , the journal reported . the larger citation hemisphere is under development and is expected to begin test flights in 2019 .
select company - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - all companies page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - aeroweb - a & d20 firms : arconic boeing general dynamics general electric harris corp . honeywell huntington ingalls l3 technologies lockheed martin northrop grumman orbital atk oshkosh corp . parker hannifin raytheon rockwell collins spirit aerosystems textron transdigm group triumph group united technologies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
this week ' s letters brought comments from readers about the trainer refurb market , old vs . new , updated proficiency rules and airline . . .
i was flying southbound in the los angeles basin in mid - july 2017 when i heard a vfr pilot trying to get a shortcut through the los . . .
even if no one died , mistakes of the past cling to the consciousness like a bad odor .
atol avion lost its prototype atol 650 amphibious lsa to an accident during a test flight on tuesday . the two crew members on board were . . .
the basicmed checklist weve been reviewing in the healthy pilot series ticks the usual boxesdizziness , sensitive gut , cancer , . . .
just don ' t expect all of them to behave like the pipers and cessnas you ' re used to .
when a former student dies in an accident , asking what - if is unavoidable .
daher ' s new tbm 930 is equipped with the garmin g3000 , the latest glass panel technology that also includes the most sophisticated . . .
the faa says owners of certain bonanza models can use an exhaust clamp made for cessna aircraft as an alternative means of compliance for . . .
a french helicopter pilot who was beaten and then forced at gunpoint to help pluck a convicted bank robber from a maximum security prison . . .
if you ever owned an airplane , or even just flew one , you always remember the first . maybe it ' s best not to .
bell and safran have agreed to work together to develop hybrid - electric power systems for bells evtol aircraft concept , the two . . .
blackhawk modifications has announced that its subsidiary , vector - hawk aerospace , will be offering the company ' s blackhawk xp67a engine + . . .
the faas suspension of the pafi testing is not encouraging . and the entire process should be more transparent .
theyre probably less valuable as real airplanes than paving the way for the practical electric aircraft of the distant future .
no amount of you tube video will prepare you when your breath is taken away by the sheer audacity of the collection at the u . s . air force . . .
airbus says it will change the name of its newly acquired cseries airliner program and launch a major marketing push that will include . . .
if youre old enough to have been around the block a few times , like me , you might not think too often about how different things . . .
norwegian amphibian manufacturer equator aircraft has completed its first test flight of the p2 xcursion electric amphib prototype .
before there could be the lindy hop , there had to be the scintilla shuffle .
a historic world war ii c - 47 that was nearly scrapped is again flying and readying to return to normandy next year . in this avweb video , . . .
this week , announcements have come in about pre - oshkosh warbird displays , leadership changes at sun n fun , new avionics update . . .


virgin care is a private provider of services to the national health service in england .

it owns 24 gp-led provider companies that provide nhs services through networks of gp surgeries ; and community-based nhs services .

virgin care

virgin care ' s financial set - up is very complicated and active companies include virgin care services ltd , virgin care ltd , virgin care provider services , virgin care corporate services ltd and several limited liability partnerships ( llps ) .
virgin care said it was
pleased to be chosen to deliver more joined - up care
.
for example , the contract in devon is with virgin care ltd , whereas the contracts in wiltshire , kent , surrey and staffordshire are with virgin care services ltd and the contracts in croydon and hastings area are with virgin care provider services ltd . the primary care contracts are with a number of different llps , including virgin care coventry llp , virgin care leeds llp and virgin care liverpool llp . in the year to end march 2017 there were at least 13 active llps .
virgin healthcare holdings and virgin uk holdings ltd are subsidiaries of virgin group holdings ltd , which is registered in the british virgin islands and owned by richard branson .
over the past few years virgin care has been successful in acquiring numerous medium to large contracts for community care .
since virgin care started on their journey , they have been focused on delivering high quality care , good value and the fantastic customer service you’d expect from virgin .
jsuk news -
richard branson’s virgin care has started . . . | facebook
preparations will now begin for services to be transferred to virgin care on april1st 2017 .
preparations will now begin for services to be transferred to virgin care on 1 april 2017 .
private healthcare provider virgin care has been awarded a £700m contract to run a council’s community care and health services despite protests from residents .
care australia and virgin australia today announced a partnership to support care’s work with thousands of poor communities in the asia - pacific region .
“virgin care could demonstrate through documentary evidence that following acquisition of services , they had managed to bring about a sustained , significant improvement to patient care . ” cqc report on virgin care services limited nhs community services in august 2017 .
the contract – the first time a for - profit organisation will deliver a council’s social care programme for adults – will see virgin care run or oversee more than 200 nhs health care and social care services in the area .
bath and north east somerset council have awarded a 7 year contract to virgin care to deliver community health and care services in the area .
virgin care has been awarded another pair of nhs contracts after being announced as the new community and urgent care provider by west lancashire ccg .
virgin care , part of sir richard branson’s business empire , already holds nearly 330 nhs contracts .
virgin care refute suggestions that the company will not pay tax at some point in the future .
the ultimate owners of virgin care and virgin group holdings ltd include trusts registered in the british virgin islands whose beneficiaries are richard branson and his family . the british virgin islands are a tax haven and entities registered there pay no tax . as a result of the link with the british virgin islands , questions have been raised over whether tax would be paid in the uk if virgin care made a profit .
in 2017 , virgin care ran over 400 nhs services , but despite the scale of its business the company shows no signs of making a profit . indeed , according to its accounts , since 2010 the company has recorded an annual loss in the uk . as virgin care ltd makes no profit in the uk , the company pays no tax in the uk . however , virgin care ltd is a small entity in richard branson’s virgin empire . virgin care’s ultimate parent company is virgin group holdings ltd registered in the tax haven of the british virgin islands .
under the contract , virgin care will run three statutory services – adult social care , continuing healthcare and children’s community health – from april 2017 .
a £700m contract to provide community health and care in bath and north east somerset over the next seven years has been approved for virgin care .
services will be transferred from not - for - profit social enterprise sirona to virgin care next april .
the deal will see virgin care take over more than 200 health and care services in people ' s homes and communities , in such areas as district nursing , dementia care and supporting vulnerable children .
“virgin care could demonstrate through documentary evidence that following acquisition of services , they had managed to bring about a sustained , significant improvement to patient care . ”
richard branson’s virgin care is to take over sheppey and sittingbourne hospitals as part of a £126 million deal .
virgin is to become the first private firm to run adult social care after winning a controversial £700million contract .
virgin care has started a high court action against nhs bodies and surrey county council over a procurement dispute .
the move by virgin care to acquire 100 % ownership was reported to be due to possible conflicts of interest between gps in the virgin care practices and the newly introduced ccgs . it appears that many gps chose to take full control of the gp provider companies , rather than relinquish control to virgin care and by 2015 , the number of contracts for primary care services , including gp services , held by virgin care had reduced substantially to 30 , 19 of which were gp practices .
concerns over care quality began in 2012 , when channel 4 ' s documentary series dispatches focused on virgin care ' s business in a programme entitled ' getting rich on the nhs ' . the programme reported on virgin care ' s clinic in northampton , which patients claim has become over reliant on locum gps and virgin care had failed in its commitment to extend opening hours .
the community hospitals , community nursing , intermediate care , community neuro rehabilitation , speech and language therapy , podiatry and continence services will all transfer to virgin care .
in july 2012 virgin care won a three year £131 million contract to provide a range of core nhs and social care services for children and adolescents in devon .
virgin care provides health and care services across the country . since 2006 they have treated more than six million people , making sure that everyone feels the difference .
then in october 2017 , hsj reported that virgin care was demanding an extra £5 million from east staffordshire ccg .
part of the virgin group , we make a real difference to people’s lives through our health and care services .
we’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done . you can hear more about virgin care from sir richard branson and our chief executive bart johnson , and read about sir richard branson’s pride for virgin care in his blog here .
a tory - led council last night agreed sir richard branson’s virgin care could run more than 200 nhs services .
the end of life care contract had three remaining bidders : virgin care , optum and an interserve consortium . however , in july 2017 the process was abandoned entirely .
the private company will run or oversee more than 200 health care and social care services in the area .
virgin care has two arms to its business in the hnhs : primary care services , including gp services and walk - in centres ; and community - based nhs services .
virgin care’s strategy has been to target large contracts containing numerous services in the area of community health and social care and increase the use of digital technology to reduce costs .
each limited company and llp reports its turnover individually , however they are all subsidiaries of virgin care ltd , which in turn is a subsidiary of the holding company virgin healthcare holdings ltd .
in 2016 the end of virgin care’s surrey - wide community health contract loomed and the whole process of tendering began again . interestingly , the ccgs in surrey decided to split the large contract that had been run by virgin care , into smaller contracts .
primary and secondary school immunisation programme in devon awarded to virgin care in december 2017 valued at almost £4 . 7 million over ;
please call our customer experience team on 0300 303 9509 . alternatively , you can phone virgin care directly on 0330 332 7890 .
treatment for people with diabetes will be among the services operated by virgin care under the deal . photograph : peter byrne / pa
virgin australia’s support also includes providing flights for care aid workers to reach poor communities and helping care to deploy staff experts to assist communities affected by emergencies in the asia - pacific region .
with the bath and north east somerset contract won in 2016 , virgin care became the first private company to take over adult social care services , including social workers . the essex contract won in 2017 also contains a large chunk of social care .
virgin care ltd is registered in the uk , however , an analysis by richard murphy , a chartered accountant at tax research uk , found 13 holding companies , some of them offshore , between virgin care and its ultimate parent company , virgin group holdings ltd based in the tax haven of the british virgin islands . virgin group holdings ltd’s principal beneficiaries are sir richard branson , reported to have a net worth of £2 . 7bn , and his family . according to murphy’s analysis , this type of company structure makes it unlikely that virgin care will pay any tax in the uk in the foreseeable future .
dr john caine , chair of the ccg , said : “we are pleased to announce that virgin care has been successful in this process . through the bid virgin care demonstrated a true understanding of our vision and we are assured it will deliver a quality service for our local community within this new model of care . ”
despite the company structure , which makes it unlikely to pay any tax in the uk in the foreseeable future , according to murphy , virgin care recently won contracts worth £500m to provide 30 primary care services across england , including gp practices , gp out - of - hours services , walk - in centres , urgent care centres and minor injury units . its website claims virgin care , which became part of the virgin group in 2010 , runs 230 nhs and social care services while employing 5 , 500 people .
private firm virgin care is to take over running nhs community health services in two parts of surrey in a £500m ( €605m ; $ 791m ) deal agreed with the local primary care trust .
as a result of losing the tender bidding process for a children ' s community care contract in surrey , virgin care l aunched legal proceedings in november 2016 against all eight commissioning organisations involved in the contract . a spokesman for virgin care told hsj that concerns about “serious flaws in the procurement process” prompted the company to launch proceedings .
a virgin care spokesman added : “we have been providing community health and care services for a decade , working with a range of partners to look after more than a million people a year . ”
virgin care provider services reported turnover of £5 . 4 million leading to a loss of £407 thousand for the year to end march 2017 .
according to the bath chronicle , it is understood virgin care will reinvest any profit made from its services in bath and north east somerset .
this support has already begun , with virgin australia supporting care to get additional staff into vanuatu after cyclone pam devastated the pacific island nation .
dr newton - howes added that virgin australia’s support would be critical in helping care deliver life - saving aid during times of international crises .
claire heneghan , chief nurse of nhs west lancashire ccg , said virgin care would “develop and enhance community and local walk - in and out of hour’s services” in order to relieve pressures on urgent care .
an analysis by richard murphy , a chartered accountant at tax research uk , has found 13 holding companies , some of them offshore , between virgin care and its ultimate parent company , based in the british virgin islands .
in march 2015 , an investigation by richard murphy , a chartered accountant at tax research uk , highlighted the use of tax havens by virgin care and other private companies working with the nhs . the investigation found 13 holding companies , some of them offshore , between virgin care and its ultimate parent company , based in the british virgin islands , a tax haven .
sir richard branson’s health firm , virgin care , has won a £700m contract to deliver 200 types of nhs and social care services to more than 200 , 000 people in bath and north - east somerset .
virgin care won a £280 million contract in march 2015 to provide services for the frail and elderly in east staffordshire . virgin care will be the prime provider under this seven - year contract and could sub - contract the work to other organisations . this is a fixed - price contract .
since we started on our journey we’ve been focused on delivering high quality care , good value and the fantastic customer service you’d expect from virgin .
judge deems decision to select virgin care as preferred bidder for county’s £132m children services contract was initially unlawful but rules deal should not be quashed .
virgin care was chosen over a consortium led by the social enterprise sirona care and health , which included avon and wiltshire mental health partnership trust , royal united hospitals bath foundation trust , dorothy house hospice care , and the gp organisation bath and north east somerset enhanced medical services .
virgin care has been very successful in winning contracts with the nhs , but if it does not win , the company will turn to the courts .
virgin care bid for but did not win the surrey - wide children ' s community care contract ; this was awarded to an alliance between surrey and borders partnership foundation trust and two social enterprises , csh surrey and first community health . the three year contract was worth £82 million . previously virgin care had run these services together with csh surrey and first community health .
there are concerns with the way virgin care runs its gp services . the sutherland lodge practice in chelmsford , essex , was taken over by virgin in july 2016 after the previous partners handed back their contracts following £400 , 000 funding cuts to their contract . prior to the takeover , the practice was rated outstanding , but in may 2018 the care quality commission ( cqc ) rated the surgery inadequate overall . the rating is based on an inspection carried out in december 2017 just 18 months after virgin care took over the practice . virgin care also received more money for the contract than the previous gps .
the procurement process for both the end - of - life care and cancer care since 2013 has cost the commissioners over £840 , 000 .
hsj reported that minutes from the burton hospitals’ board meeting on 12 january said : “the trust would have been in a position to sign the contract had it been able to reach an agreement with virgin care , however , this had not been possible…virgin care were discussing their contract issues with the ccg and a meeting had been scheduled between nhs england , nhs improvement , virgin care and the ccg…virgin care was clear that its issues with the ccg would need to be resolved prior to entering into a contract agreement with the trust . ” this could have a major impact on the burton hospitals foundation trust ' s finances .
virgin care did not win the bristol contract , but the issue of tax avoidance did not disappear . in 2016 , campaigners reiterated their concerns over tax avoidance as well as other issues whilst campaigning against privatisation of community services in bath and north east somerset ; virgin care was the preferred provider for this contract .
in march 2017 , ccg board papers seen by the hsj revealed that virgin care and east staffordshire ccg were in dispute over contractual arrangements . this dispute has impacted on burton hospitals foundation trust ; the trust is unable to agree a contract with virgin care under the prime provider model due to the ccg dispute .
since we started on our journey in 2006 we’ve been focused on delivering high quality care , good value and the fantastic customer service you’d expect from virgin .
the collapse of the £725m unitingcare contract in cambridgeshire meant virgin’s newly acquired contract would be the most lucrative ongoing deal for providing nhs care , he said .
the other bidders for community care were another private company , optum health solutions , and two nhs foundation trusts , lancashire care and bridgewater community healthcare . optum was the only other bidder for the urgent care contract .
since 2010 when virgin care was formed the company has not reported a profit but a loss of around £9 to £10 million each financial year . no profit means no tax is paid in the uk . however , virgin care’s position within the complex structure of richard branson’s empire has raised some questions about tax liabilities .
virgin australia group executive public affairs danielle keighery said , “care australia has an outstanding history of supporting millions in some of the poorest communities across the region and as a major provider of vital air services in the asia pacific region , virgin australia is proud to be standing alongside care to help support the region . ”
in 2012 , virgin care was the first private company to win a large contract for community services when it took over the provision of community care in surrey under a five year contract and the provision of children’s services in devon .
the dispute was settled in november 2017 with a payment to virgin care by the ccgs involved . the amount actually paid to virgin care is unclear . hsj saw details of a payment by nhs surrey downs in governing body papers , but these were removed from the website soon after . hsj notes what happened as follows :
trade union unison said members were
anxious
about virgin care taking over and it would hold the firm
to the high standard the workforce deserve
.
virgin ' s use of tax havens within its corporate structure , such as the british virgin islands , has led to controversy in the media . it also proved a component in a campaign against virgin care being awarded a contract with bristol ccg for children’s community services . in the end the contract was awarded to a community interest group .
a virgin care spokesman said :
we have a very strong track record of providing nhs care to vulnerable groups including children for many years now . , strengthened with extensive expertise through our contract to provide community services in surrey .
in october 2017 , the legal case was settled with a payout to virgin care . the full amount of the payout is undisclosed , however the surrey downs ccg noted in governing board papers that it had paid virgin care £328 , 000 . as six other ccgs and one council were involved and all paid virgin a similar amount then the full amount paid to virgin could be as high as £2 . 6 million . it is not clear what the payout covered or if nhs england also made a payout .
in february 2016 , the hsj reported that virgin care had made a legal challenge over hull ccgs plans for primary care provision in its area . hull ccg wants to create geographical groups of practices , each operating as larger scale providers . however , the initial plan to create the groups , by inviting groups of gps to take over practices currently run under time limited contracts , was challenged by virgin care .
labour mp for dewsbury , paula sherriff , revealed under parliamentary privilege in the house of commons , that when she worked for virgin care the company forced patients to attend extra appointments to boost profits . sherriff accused virgin care of insisting on “extra consultations before surgery , boosting their profits at the expense of the taxpayer and patient safety” .
nhs campaigners warned that the history of previous privatisations of nhs services in other parts of england may mean the quality of care patients receive drops once virgin takes over .
virgin care has developed and launched the care coordination centre model which is helping keep people healthy , happy and at home . our innovative technology , bringing together records from the whole health service , is allowing our care navigators to empower patients to look after their own health , stay well and reduce pressure on hospital services .
“employees need clear recognition from virgin that a well - run health service means investment in staff . our priority is an effective public service that values staff , and we will hold virgin care to the high standard that the workforce and the local community deserve . ”
“virgin australia has demonstrated that it is strongly committed to supporting the community . we are thrilled that virgin australia will be supporting our work across the region . this partnership will help to ensure that every dollar australians donate to care goes further , ” she said .
baroness morgan of huyton , an ex - director of failed care home firm southern cross , is a paid member of the advisory committee board for virgin group holdings ltd .
virgin care has become a major player in the market for nhs services since it entered the healthcare market in 2010 . over the past seven years the company has been awarded contracts worth well over £2 billion , with several large contracts in community health . virgin care has probably been the most active private company in the area of nhs contracts for community health and in 2016 the company made the move into adult social care .
in january 2018 , virgin care private , a new business venture from virgin care , opened its first health and wellbeing centre in birmingham . this is a purely pay - as - you - go service with no nhs contracts and no need for private health insurance . this is a new departure for virgin care , but is one of a number of private gp and health services that have sprung up around the country taking advantage of the difficulties in getting gp appointments and long waits for services . virgin care private allows a patient to jump queues if they have the money . the centre offers gp appointments , diagnostic tests , a range of specialist consultations , as well as psychological therapies .
virgin care was awarded two five - year contracts together worth £65 million in december 2016 by west lancashire ccg . the community health services contract is worth £45 million and the urgent care services is worth £20 million ; both start on 1 april 2017 .
“we will be working closely with the council and our new partners , virgin care , over the coming months to ensure that services and staff are transferred across safely on 1 april 2017 and to minimise disruption to the care and support that people currently receive . ”
commercial : nhs dorset has named virgin care as preferred provider of medical and community services at lyme regis medical centre in a contract worth up to £8 . 5m over five years .
the mother ' s lawyers argue that the council and nhs trust failed to comply with equalities legislation and their own equality policy , including by not conducting an equality impact assessment . they say virgin care failed to carry out a timely and comprehensive equality impact assessment . the lawyers are asking the court to declare the decision to give virgin care preferred bidder status unlawful .
a tory - led council agreed sir richard branson’s virgin care could run more than 200 nhs services - and campaigners fear it is the start of the health service being sold off .
in august 2016 virgin care was chosen as preferred bidder to take on a seven year contract , worth around £700 million with an option to extend for three years , to coordinate over 200 health and social care services in bath and north somerset . the contract was awarded in november 2016 despite substantial opposition . this is a prime provider contract with virgin care directly delivering and coordinating services , but with the option to subcontract to other providers where appropriate .
virgin care also did not win the contract for children ' s community services in surrey . however , in this case , virgin care began legal proceedings in november 2016 against the eight commissioning organisations involved . by october 2017 , virgin care was running , and this was only on an interim basis , adult community services for north east hampshire and farnham ccg , which is only a tiny proportion of the original 2012 - 2017 contract . this contract is a one year extension of the 2012 / 17 contract . as of march 2018 virgin has ageed to extend adult community care in the surrey health and north east hampshire and farnham ccgs for a year , this is worth £10 . 8 million and will serve 135 , 000 people .
“but staff are anxious about virgin care taking over . services are already under intense strain because of the government ' s failure to invest in social care . many community health staff are paid a pittance , despite the long hours they put in and their dedicated work .
in late 2017 , virgin care also launched the first virgin care private pay - as - you - go health and wellbeing clinic in birmingham , offering local people the extra choice and convenience of a city centre service and relaunched the feel the difference fund , £100 , 000 of ring - fenced funding dedicated to empowering our colleagues to implement their ideas for improving services .
care australia ceo , dr julia newton - howes said the partnership with virgin australia was built on the shared belief that australians have the power to change thousands of lives for the better .
virgin care , which has been handed contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds to run more than 230 nhs and social care services , is one of at least 10 private health firms seeking state - funded contracts whose company structures include tax havens , it can be revealed .
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virgin will also run the urgent care facility at paulton community hospital , which is 12 miles from bath , and subcontract a number of other services to other providers , including the provision of dementia and end of life care and a “hospital from home” service for recently discharged patients .
in january 2016 virgin won a bid to run adult community services across dartford , gravesham , swanley and swale region of north kent . this seven year contract is worth £18 million per year and could be extended for an extra three years . virgin care will take the contract from kent community health foundation trust , which reported that it lost out to virgin care in the area of price . kent community health foundation trust , said it scored ”slightly higher” on quality in the assessment process .
originally virgin care was strong in the area of gp services , however since the advent of ccgs the company has reduced the number of gp surgeries substantially . in october 2012 virgin care announced that it would be taking over all jointly owned gp - provider companies , to give virgin group 100 % ownership of assura medical . this meant that over 300 gps would have to relinquish stakes in the gp provider companies . at this point 358 surgeries were listed as being part of these provider companies .
the problem with virgin care’s use of receptionists to triage patients had already been noted by cqc inspectors : mrs mandal died two months after a cqc inspection of the urgent care centre , in which the inspectors noted :
we were concerned that there was a risk of a patient with a serious illness or injury being wrongly streamed and their condition deteriorating .
a & e doctors had also voiced fears about the virgin care centre ' s triage system , the inquest heard .
employees need clear recognition from virgin that a well - run health service means investment in staff .
two nhs foundation trusts have won a high court challenge over lancashire county council’s decision to award a contract to virgin care for the provision of public health and nursing services to children and young people .
primary care at hmps norfolk and waveney worth over £51 . 5 million won in 2014 ;
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the senior coroner at the inquest said she would write to croydon ccg , which buys in the virgin care service , with her concerns about the triage system , which gives receptionists with no medical training responsibility for deciding if patients need emergency treatment . virgin care are reported to have defended the use of a non - medically trained receptionist to triage patients and said that mrs mandal had been “correctly streamed” .
sutherland lodge surgery in chelmsford - virgin care took over this surgery in july 2016 after cuts in pms funding forced the gp partners to hand back the contract . the cqc had rated the surgery as outstanding .
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in november 2016 , virgin care was reported to be in the running for the £535 million contract for end - of - life care in staffordshire . the tender process for this ten year contract had been restarted ; it was put on hold following the collapse of the unitingcare contract in cambridgeshire and peterborough .
we have opportunities in health and social care roles across england , helping everyone feel the difference .
virgin care services ltd reported a turnover of £204 million ( up from £133 . 6 million 2016 financial year ) , leading to a profit of almost £8 . 2 million in the year to end march 2017 .
jonathan ashworth mp , labour’s shadow health secretary , said : “under the tories , hospitals are facing financial crisis while patient care suffers yet all the tories offer is further cuts and outsourcing to private companies like virgin .
last month devon county council and devon primary care trust confirmed they had selected virgin care to take over the running of services for children with disabilities , the children ' s mental health service , and school nurses and health visitors , from 1 april next year . the contract , worth more than £100m , has not yet been signed . bids by the nhs and charities with expertise in children ' s services were rejected . it has not been disclosed what changes , if any , virgin care plans to make to the services .
the council and the clinical commissioning group say virgin ' s proposed model is based upon two years of expert consultation .
a virgin care spokesperson said : “we are really pleased to have been selected to deliver the local vision for urgent and community care across west lancashire . we look forward to continuing our engagement with the local community so we can provide a high quality service that has been shaped by the people who use it . ”
virgin care ltd alone reported turnover for the period of £42 million , with a loss of £19 . 3 million and no tax was paid . income is entirely derived from nhs contracts and from work in the uk .
as a result of losing the tender bidding process , in november 2016 virgin care l aunched legal proceedings against all eight commissioning organisations involved in the contract . a spokesperson for virgin care told hsj that concerns about “serious flaws in the procurement process” prompted the company to launch proceedings . speaking about the contract when it was run by virgin and the two social enterprises , guildford and waverley ccg’s wellbeing and health scrutiny board said that children and young people had experienced “service variation with differing access for families…a well as gaps in service provision and variation in waiting times . ”
the new service will combine a range of existing services , including the healthy child programme , healthy schools , family nurse partnership and children’s centres . this contract contains social care as well as health care .
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virgin care is well aware of the criticism its involvement in the nhs has garnered , in particular the fact that it pays no tax in the uk and its links to a tax haven . the issue of virgin’s links to a tax haven was a major issue in its bid for a contract to run bristol’s children’s community health services in 2015 .
virgin will run sittingbourne memorial hospital and sheppey community hospital as well as livingstone hospital in dartford and gravesham hospital in gravesend .
in december 2017 virgin care was awarded the five year contract for the 0 - 19 year healthy child programme in lancashire by lancashire county council . the contract covers school nurses , health visitors and many other services for young people . previously it was run by lancashire care trust under a contract that expires at the end of march 2018 .
there are also issues with regard to care quality concerns one of virgin care’s biggest contracts . it came to light in october 2017 and was reported in the bath chronicle that virgin care managers had been asked to ‘hold off’ from contacting the cqc as the company struggled with it issues , despite managers having a legal obligation to report concerns . as a result of these issues , in the first three months of the contract , “patients had appointments cancelled , letters and reports were not sent out , and nurses had problems updating patient records , ” according to the bath chronicle .
currently , community care in bath & north east somerset is run by non - for profit company sirona .
we run over 400 nhs and social care services across the country . find a service near you here .
the company has acquired a string of nhs contracts recently , including a £700m health and care co - ordination contract in bath and north east somerset and a £17m a year community care contract in guildford and waverley .
the council said it was
an exciting new chapter in the integration of health and care services
.
in march 2016 , it was reported that the start of this contract had been delayed by a month and began 1 may 2016 ; this was due to the need to finalize some arrangements , according to the ccg and virgin care .
in october 2017 , hsj reported that virgin care is demanding more money from the ccgs . no amount has been officially confirmed , but hsj noted
that sources have told hsj the private provider has asked for nearly £5m extra .
it means that from 1 april virgin care will become the prime provider of a wide range of care for adults and children . that will include everything from services for those with diabetes , dementia or who have suffered a stroke , as well as people with mental health conditions . it will also cover care of children with learning disabilities and frail , elderly people who are undergoing rehabilitation to enable them to go back to living at home safely after an operation .
in early 2017 , according to virgin ' s website it was still running many but not all children ' s services in devon . virgin care ' s contract was extended whilst the ccg decided what to do . a report in the hsj in january 2018 , said that virgin is considering bidding for all of devon ' s children ' s services again . the contract is worth £259 million over seven years and the procurement process could start in febraury 2018 with a projected ocntract start in april 2019 .
eight out of about 50 surgeries in hull are run under alternative provider medical services ( apms ) contracts , which are due to expire in march and three of these are run by virgin care . hull ccg now has to undertake a full procurement process in four lots for the future provision of the primary medical care services currently provided through the apms contracts . critics note the additional cost that a full procurement process will place upon an already cash - strapped ccg . in march 2017 , the four lots were awarded to new providers ; virgin care did not bid for any of the lots .
murphy’s research also found that virgin care borrows money solely from a virgin holding company and reports that it will repay that loan , which will be corporation tax - deductible , when a profit starts to be recorded . that holding company is based in the uk but it , in turn , owes money to other parts of the virgin business , whose ultimate parent company is in the british virgin islands . this type of corporate set - up has potential for reducing or eliminating the tax liabilities of operating companies ; a company in the uk could always report a loss due to loan repayments to sister companies thereby never having to pay tax .
virgin was given preferred provider status for the £176 million adult community services for guildford and waverley ccg in august 2016 . virgin had run these services under the previous all - surrey contract . however , in february 2017 the ccg governing body reviewed the progress being made to mobilise the new service , and as a result it decided not to progress with virgin and has since begun a reprocurement process .
in november 2016 , essex county council awarded a seven year contract to virgin care , in partnership with barnardo’s , to run its pre - birth to 19 health , wellbeing and family support service across essex . the contract began in april 2017 .
the mother , who cannot be named for legal reasons , says her two children , aged nine and 13 , both of whom receive treatment for mental health problems , could be adversely affected by the planned takeover by branson ' s company virgin care .
virgin provides primary healthcare to several other prisons , including hmp coldingly , hmp bure , hmp downview , hmp wayland , and hmp highdown .
a virgin care spokesman said : “we’re looking forward to working with the many outstanding professionals , and a range of great partners , to provide and oversee high quality , easy - to - navigate services which are shaped by the people who use them . ”
it won foundation status on march 1 last year and was rated ‘good’ by the care quality commission in september 2014 .
it ' s the first time a for - profit company will deliver a council ' s social care for adults .
virgin care ltd was founded in march 2010 when virgin acquired a majority stake in assura medical ; the renaming took place in march 2012 . assura began life in 2003 as a property investment company , the medical property investment fund limited ( mpif ) , which then became assura medical in 2006 . the property arm of assura continues to trade as a separate company listed on the lse as assura group ltd .
“i am pleased that we can now start the process of transferring services . following extensive consultation with local people and a very rigorous procurement process , the ccg board is assured that virgin care is the right organisation to deliver the personalised and preventative care that local people have asked for , ” said dr ian orpen , the clinical chair of bath and north east somerset clinical commissioning group .
our health and social care roles let you do the job you love with the confidence that you can make a difference .
while not currently recording a profit in the uk after administrative expenses , virgin care borrows money solely from a holding company and says it will repay that loan , which will be corporation tax - deductible , when a profit starts to be recorded . that holding company is based in the uk but it , in turn , owes money to other parts of the virgin empire , whose ultimate parent company is in the british virgin islands . its principal beneficiaries are billionaire businessman sir richard branson , reported to have a net worth of £2 . 7bn , and his family .
a virgin care spokesman said :
we ' re looking forward to working with the many outstanding professionals , and a range of great partners , to provide and oversee high quality , easy - to - navigate services which are shaped by the people who use them .
since 2012 the company has won a number of large contracts covering community services , including ones in west lancashire , essex , north kent , wiltshire and in bath and north east somerset . at the end of 2017 , virgin care reported that it provided over 400 services around england .
a virgin care spokesperson said : “during the feedback from the commissioner we became concerned that there may have been serious flaws in the procurement process leading to an outcome that we strongly feel is not in the best interests of either the children and families we support or our valued colleagues .
and nearly 3 , 000 local residents have protested the contract via a petition by the campaign group 38 degrees . the authors of the petition – “don’t let virgin take over our community health service” – claimed that if the contract was awarded to virgin “it will contribute to the rapidly advancing privatisation of the nhs” .
in september 2015 an inquest heard of the death in september 2013 of madhumita mandal of multiple organ failure and sepsis . mrs mandal visited the virgin care run urgent care centre in croydon in agony and vomiting , according to her husband , where she was triaged by a receptionist with no medical training , as not seriously ill enough to see the a & e doctor but put on the list to see a nurse .
in april 201 7 , it was revealed that virgin care is in dispute with east staffordshire ccg over arrangements in the seven - year prime provider contract for frail elderly patients , people with long term conditions and intermediate care . the exact nature of the dispute had not been reported , but the dispute has had a knock - on affect on burton hospitals foundation trust and could have implications for the finances of the trust .
in december 2015 virgin care won a £64 million , five - year contract , to provide community health services in wiltshire for children , including children’s specialist community nursing , speech and language therapy and health visitors . the contract began in april 2016 and is worth £12 . 8 million per year .
“if and when i could take a dividend from virgin care ( which would make us a profit over and above our overall investment ) , i will invest 100 % of that money back into helping nhs patients young and old , with our frontline employees deciding how best to spend it . ”
in june 2018 , the decision by lancashire county council to award this £104 million contract was thrown out by a high court judge following the legal challenge from nhs trusts . the local authority’s process was deemed to be flawed in awarding this contract to virgin care . the judge , justice stuart - smith , stated the council’s decision to score virgin’s bid more highly than that of the nhs trusts’ was not substantially supported in its notes of the scoring procedure .
virgin care has been handed the contract by both bath and north east somerset nhs clinical commissioning group and conservative - led bath and north east somerset council . it is worth £70m a year for seven years and the contract includes an option to extend it by another three years at the same price .
due to the weight of opposition against virgin care being awarded the contract , additions were made to the contract . according to councillor vic pritchard , cabinet member for adult social care and health at bath and north east somerset council there is a clause in the contract that would require “any financial surplus made by the new prime provider to be reinvested into services in bath and north east somerset” . it is unclear whether this means the virgin will operate not - for - profit as it should be noted that definitions of
financial surplus
can vary widely . the contract has been opposed by unions and social work leaders .
we’ve provided health and care services across england since 2006 and we now treat more than 1 million people a year , helping everyone feel the difference .
we provide health and care services across the country . since 2006 we’ve treated more than 6 million people , making sure that everyone feels the difference .
we developed and launched the care coordination centre model which is helping keep people healthy , happy and at home . our innovative technology , bringing together records from the whole health service , is allowing our care navigators to empower patients to look after their own health , stay well and reduce pressure on hospital services .
virgin is expected to take over on april 1 . the contract was awarded by nhs swale clinical commissioner group and nhs dartford , gravesham and swanley clinical commissioning group ( dgs ccg ) .
the decision to work with virgin follows an exhaustive tendering process that has involved a large number of parents , carers , professionals and young people themselves as well as affected staff .
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in late 2017 , virgin care private was launched , the company ' s first venture in purely private healthcare . this business venture opened its first health and wellbeing centre in birmingham in january 2018 . this centre provides gp services , specialist consultations , diagnostics and tests and well - being services all on a pay - as - you - go service .
virgin care was awarded the contract for integrated sexual health service across the boroughs of hartlepool , middlesbrough , redcar and cleveland and stockton - on - tees in may 2016 by the council ' s of these areas . the contract is for five years with an option to extend to nine years . the five year contract is worth £36 . 2 million .