44-671: The Bland Group Ltd. is made up of a number of small and medium-sized operating companies based in Gibraltar , the United Kingdom and Morocco . During 1810, English merchant Marcus Henry Bland arrived in Gibraltar, shortly thereafter, he established what would become the Bland Group. His decision to found the company in Gibraltar was in part driven by its location, it being the first guaranteed friendly port for British shipping after leaving
88-399: A 69-ton tug , which has become known as the first Bland ship; it regularly carried traffic between Gibraltar and Tangier , Morocco in its lifetime. The Bland Group, having identified lucrative commercial opportunities in the shipping industry, embarked on a rapid expansion in the sector through the latter half of the nineteenth century. Having initially focused on transporting freight across
132-462: A discrete legal capacity (or "personality"), perpetual succession , and a common seal . Except for some senior positions, companies remain unaffected by the death, insanity, or insolvency of an individual member. The English word, " company ", has its origins in the Old French term compagnie (first recorded in 1150), meaning "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers", which came from
176-526: A legal person so that the company itself has limited liability as members perform or fail to discharge their duties according to the publicly declared incorporation published policy. When a company closes, it may need to be liquidated to avoid further legal obligations. Companies may associate and collectively register themselves as new companies; the resulting entities are often known as corporate groups . A company can be defined as an "artificial person", invisible, intangible, created by or under law, with
220-490: A mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared goals. Over time, companies have evolved to have the following features: "separate legal personality, limited liability, transferable shares, investor ownership, and a managerial hierarchy". The company, as an entity, was created by the state which granted the privilege of incorporation. Companies take various forms, such as: A company can be created as
264-630: A series of new vessels to serve its historic routes between Gibraltar, Spain, Morocco, and Algeria , the firm opted to establish Transatlantic shipping routes between Gibraltar and the United States in this era. In 1928, George Gaggero directed the introduction of a pioneering car ferry service across the Straits. During the Second World War , many of the Bland Group's facilities, including its shipping agency, repair yard, and coal bunkers, operated under
308-627: Is a migratory bottleneck, or choke point, for an estimated 250,000 raptors that cross the Strait annually, and because it supports breeding populations of Barbary partridges and lesser kestrels . There are many insects in the reserve. In the late summer, praying mantises are conspicuous, as are dragonflies crossing the strait. 33 species of butterfly have been observed, including the Cleopatra , two-tailed pasha , swallowtail , Spanish festoon and striped grayling . Moths that may be seen at times include
352-608: Is a prominent headland , which accumulates migrating birds during the passage periods. The vegetation on the Rock, unique in southern Iberia , provides a temporary home for many species of migratory birds that stop to rest and feed before continuing migration for their crossing over the sea and desert. In spring, they return to replenish before continuing their journeys to Western Europe , journeys which may take them as far as Greenland or Russia . The Rock has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it
396-533: Is an area of considerable natural beauty and one of the main tourist attractions in Gibraltar. The Upper Rock area of the nature reserve can be reached by road or by the Gibraltar Cable Car , next to the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens . The reserve was established in 1993 to protect the area of land that the United Kingdom 's Ministry of Defence had decommissioned from military use. Its purpose
440-467: Is forbidden to feed the monkeys, but these rules have not always been followed. As a result, some of them have become aggressive and dependent on food from humans. In 2008 the government ordered a group of macaques to be culled that had taken to scavenging in the town centre. There are five species of lizard in the nature reserve, six snakes and an amphisbaenian . This last is a small, subterranean reptile that has no legs and no eyes. The most common lizard
484-504: Is the small green or brown Iberian wall lizard . The larger Algerian sand racer and the mainly nocturnal Moorish gecko are also common. Rarer lizards are the Turkish gecko and the ocellated lizard . Snakes include the horseshoe whip snake , Montpellier snake , southern smooth snake , false smooth snake , grass snake and ladder snake . The Rock of Gibraltar, at the head of the Strait ,
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#1732863126846528-601: Is to preserve the wildlife and natural and historical sites, while providing access to the public. The flora and fauna of the nature reserve are protected by the law of Gibraltar . The nature reserve was last extended in 2013 when it was renamed the Gibraltar Nature Reserve to reflect its wider scope outside the Upper Rock. The protected area now covers the Great Gibraltar Sand Dune , Windmill Hill and
572-632: Is where the Neanderthal discovery was made in 1848. The Gibraltar 1 skull was one of the first to be found. Neanderthal skulls have also been found at the Devil's Tower Cave on the North Front. It is possible that some of the last Neanderthals may have made the caves of Gibraltar their home before they died out 30,000 years ago. The Gibraltar Heritage Trust manages conservation of the historical sites and their development as tourist attractions. These include
616-457: The Europa Foreshore . Gibraltar has a typical Mediterranean climate, moderated by the sea that almost surrounds the peninsula. Summers are warm and dry, while winters are cool and wet. Temperatures range from 13.4 to 24.2 °C (56.1 to 75.6 °F). Annual rainfall is about 768 millimetres (30.2 in). The Levanter clouds provide condensation that keeps the vegetation green even in
660-643: The First World War , the company's fleet came under attack as a result of Germany 's decision to initiate unrestricted submarine warfare; two of its vessels, the Gibel Yedid I and the Gibel Hamam I were sunk, while a third, the Gibel Derif , successfully evaded a submarine attack. During the interwar period , the Bland Group continued to expand by sea, coal becoming a staple cargo. In addition to investing in
704-571: The Late Latin word companio ("one who eats bread with you"), first attested in the Salic law ( c. AD 500) as a calque of the Germanic expression gahlaibo (literally, "with bread"), related to Old High German galeipo ("companion") and to Gothic gahlaiba ("messmate"). By 1303, the word company referred to trade guilds . The usage of the term company to mean "business association"
748-457: The Ministry of Defence to construct the Gibraltar Cable Car . Further access to the frontier was permitted in 1985; the public availability of this landmass has help shape both the Bland Group and the wider economy of Gibraltar itself more towards the tourism sector. By 2015, a total of 160 cruise ships were reportedly visiting Gibraltar's port each year; the Bland Group conducted the majority of
792-504: The O'Hara's Battery , 100 Ton Gun at Napier of Magdala Battery , Heritage Centre at Princess Caroline's Battery and the Parson's Lodge Battery . Other military sites that are open to the public are the Moorish Castle , Devil's Gap Battery , Princess Anne's Battery , World War II Tunnels , Great Siege Tunnels and Charles V Wall . In the past, the Upper Rock was tree-covered. Most of
836-614: The dwarf fan palm are also found in parts of the maquis. Understory plants include the intermediate periwinkle , Butcher’s broom , Italian arum and Bear's breech . The firebreaks in the maquis are home to plants such as paper-white narcissus , common asphodel , giant Tangier fennel , wild gladiolus , Galactites and mallow bindweed . There are small areas of garrigue in the reserve, low scrub that includes wild rosemary , esparto grass , white asparagus , toothed lavender , cut-leaved lavender , teline, Prasium , shrubby scorpion vetch and germanders . The many cliffs around
880-407: The shareholders . In a company limited by guarantee , this will be the guarantors. Some offshore jurisdictions have created special forms of offshore company in a bid to attract business for their jurisdictions. Examples include segregated portfolio companies and restricted purpose companies. However, there are many sub-categories of company types that can be formed in various jurisdictions in
924-477: The 1970s, the firm made efforts to diversify into the wider transportation and tourism sectors. Investment in overseas ventures increased as well, at the expense of its traditional ferry services; the last car ferry to be built for the Bland Group was completed in 1954. Prior to the 1960s, the Upper Rock was out of bounds to all but military personnel. To better access this area, the Bland Group secured permission from
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#1732863126846968-627: The Barbary macaques that make the reserve their home. Gibraltar has a reintroduced population of Barbary macaques , the only wild primate species in Europe, the famous Rock apes. The macaques may be found at the Ape's Den near the middle cable-car station, at the top cable car station, and near the Great Siege Tunnels. As of 2012 there were from 200 to 250 macaques, all of them living in the nature reserve. It
1012-503: The Bland Group had sold GB Airways to British budget airline EasyJet ; its staff and aircraft were integrated into the operations of its new parent company. During the twenty-first century, the Bland Group opted to secure stakes in several companies related to the development and operation of hovercraft . These include manufacturer Griffon Hovercraft , services and charter operator Hoverwork Ltd , technical specialists Hovercraft Consultants Ltd , and scheduled operator Hovertravel . Under
1056-473: The Bland Group to his clerk, Joseph Gaggero. By 1904, Emmanuel Gaggero was in charge of the Bland Group's towing and salvage operations, opting to invest in fast vessels that could outrun competitors to respond to distress calls from third party shipping. During the early 1900s, the Bland Group continued to expand its fleet, focusing on commercial trade between North Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom. During
1100-443: The Bland Group's direction, several of these entities have been merged or otherwise closely cooperate for mutual benefits; other changes have included lean manufacturing investments and a focus on after-sales services to customers. James Gaggero is chairman of the board of directors. Company A company , abbreviated as co. , is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural , juridical or
1144-546: The British homelands. The business's initial activities was as a shipping agency, but it soon branched out into other related services. Ownership of the company was transferred to Marcus' grandsons, Marcus Horatio Bland and John Bland; four generations of the Bland family were involved in the Bland Group's management and ownership. In 1861, the firm was involved in the purchase of the Adelia ,
1188-518: The Straits, the firm branched into combined cargo-and-passenger transport using a fleet of multi-purpose vessels; other activities ranged from postal runs on behalf of the Royal Gibraltar Post Office to towing and salvage operations. Since 1891, the Gaggero family has been a dominant force in the management of the business. Then-owner John Bland lacked any direct heirs and thus opted to sell
1232-533: The United Kingdom, a partnership is not legally a company, but may sometimes be referred to (informally) as a "company". It may be referred to as a "firm" . In the United States , a company is not necessarily a corporation. For example, a company may be a " corporation , partnership , association, joint-stock company , trust , fund , or organized group of persons , whether incorporated or not, and (in an official capacity) any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, or similar official, or liquidating agent , for any of
1276-519: The direction of the British Government's War Office . Following the conflict, the firm continued its traditional services; during the 1950s, its car ferries were claimed to have been shipping in excess of 100,000 cars per year across the Straits. The Bland Group was affected by the deterioration of relations between Spain and Gibraltar, particularly the closure of the land border in June 1969. Throughout
1320-545: The dry season. These clouds form when moisture-laden easterly winds are forced upward by the cliffs of Gibraltar, and often form a cap over the Rock. The nature reserve contains many of Gibraltar's important natural history sites including caves such as St. Michael's Cave , with its many stalagmites and stalactites. St. Michael's Cave was first mentioned by Pomponius Mela in 45 AD, and many sources have mentioned it since. It has become an important tourist attraction. Concerts are held in its main chamber. Forbes' Quarry
1364-412: The foregoing". Less common types of companies are: When "Ltd" is placed after the company's name, it signifies a limited company, and "PLC" ( public limited company ) indicates that its shares are widely held. In the legal context, the owners of a company are normally referred to as the "members". In a company limited or unlimited by shares (formed or incorporated with a share capital), this will be
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1408-569: The hotel industry. In 1931, the Bland Group opted to start its own airline to serve the local market; this venture was initially named Gibraltar Airways. It originally operated a single Saro Windhover flying boat , providing an aerial link between Gibraltar and Tangiers capable of carrying up to six passengers. Following the building of a runway at Gibraltar during the Second World War, Gibraltar Airways took advantage of this development during peacetime to introduce larger land-based aircraft. It
1452-656: The region, but the Aleppo pine is particularly common in dry, limestone regions. There was a drought in the 1990s when many of the introduced trees died, although the Aleppo pine fared better than others. Gibraltar has more than six hundred species of flowering plants. The maquis , or dense Mediterranean scrub, is mostly made up of tall bushes that include wild olive , Mediterranean buckthorn , lentisc , Osyris and terebinth , and smaller bushes that include shrubby scorpion vetch , spiny broom , teline , wild jasmine , shrubby germander and felty germander . The bay laurel and
1496-423: The reputation of the exchange or particular market of an exchange. Private companies do not have publicly traded shares, and often contain restrictions on transfers of shares. In some jurisdictions, private companies have maximum numbers of shareholders. A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors;
1540-449: The reserve harbor joint pine , dwarf fan palm , sweet alison , Biscutella and wild parsley . Distinctive plants include the Gibraltar candytuft , white Gibraltar chickweed , Gibraltar saxifrage and Gibraltar thyme . The Gibraltar campion is a very rare species found only on Gibraltar that was thought for a while to be extinct. Mammals include the red fox , European rabbit and mouse-eared bat . The best-known residents are
1584-584: The second company being deemed a subsidiary of the parent company. The definition of a parent company differs by jurisdiction, with the definition normally being defined by way of laws dealing with companies in that jurisdiction. Gibraltar Nature Reserve The Gibraltar Nature Reserve (formerly the Upper Rock Nature Reserve ) is a protected nature reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar that covers over 40% of
1628-537: The shore excursions for the passengers of these cruise liners. According to John A Gaggero, the firm handled 52,000 passengers on tours from cruise ships during 2014, while 256,000 passengers made use of the cable car. The company has been involved in efforts to increase the area's attractiveness, such as the development of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve , as well as efforts to care for the local geography and historical sites. The Bland Group also has an interest in
1672-534: The territory's land area. It was established as the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in 1993 under the International Union for Conservation of Nature 's category Ia ( strict nature reserve ) and was last extended in 2013. It is known for its semi-wild population of Barbary macaques , and is an important resting point for migrating birds . Originally named the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, it was limited to
1716-520: The trees were felled for fuel during the Great Siege of Gibraltar between 1779 and 1783. Trees today mostly produce berries that are eaten by birds, who presumably dropped their seeds on the rock. The most common is the olive ( Olea europea ). Carob ( Ceratonia siliqua ) and nettle trees ( Celtis ) are also found. Trees have been planted along the paths, including the stone pine ( Pinus pinea ) and Aleppo pine ( Pinus halepensis ). Both are native to
1760-564: The upper part of the Rock of Gibraltar , a long and narrow limestone peninsula that rises to a height of 426 metres (1,398 ft) above sea level. The Rock is part of the Betic Cordillera , formed about 200 million years ago. From the crest of the rock there is a dramatic view of the area, including Spain across the Bay of Gibraltar and Jebel Musa of Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar . It
1804-406: The world. Companies are also sometimes distinguished for legal and regulatory purposes between public companies and private companies . Public companies are companies whose shares can be publicly traded, often (although not always) on a stock exchange which imposes listing requirements / Listing Rules as to the issued shares, the trading of shares and future issue of shares to help bolster
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1848-460: Was also involved in the ground-handling and facilities management of Gibraltar International Airport in a civil context, as well as influencing its subsequent expansion. Over time, Gibraltar Airways' fleet came to numerous jetliners which were operated upon numerous routes; its services were predominantly orientated towards the United Kingdom. In 1989, the airline moved its headquarters to Britain, being based at Gatwick Airport . Gibraltar Airways
1892-629: Was first recorded in 1553, and the abbreviation "co." dates from 1769. According to the Company Law of the People's Republic of China , companies include the limited liability company and joint-stock limited company which founded in the mainland China. In English law and in legal jurisdictions based upon it, a company is a body corporate or corporation company registered under the Companies Acts or under similar legislation. Common forms include: In
1936-410: Was renamed multiple times, being known as "GibAir" throughout much of its operating life and as GB Airways during its final decades of independent operation. In 1995, the airline became a franchisee of British Airways . At its peak in 2007, GB Airways operated a total of 16 Airbus A320 family airliners, and was reportedly carrying three million passengers annually. During 2008, it was announced that
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