Dash for Growth

The British Trade CorporationBritish Trade CorporationBritish Trade CorporationBTC held its 1st ordinary general meeting in February 1918. Since its share capital had been raised in instalments, for most of the period under review it had not been fully operational. It would, however, soon begin its dash for growth. It acquired the Trade Indemnity Company and the National Bank of Turkey as well as entering into joint ventures to undertake trade in Brazil and Portugal. It also established branches in Eastern Europe and South Russia. Perhaps its most fateful venture would be the NBTLevant Company, which it “fathered” iLevant Companyn September 1918. The Levant Company, in turn, acquired the Levantine merchant house of WhittallsWhittalls, established subsidiaries for Greece and Sudan as well as setting-up branches in Baghdad, the Ukraine, and South Russia. Both companies showed huge ambition in their respective dashes for growth.