General society of Belgium

The General society of Belgium (in Dutch: Generale Maatschappij ) was one of the largest companies which never existed in Belgium. It was founded in 1822 by the king Guillaume Ier of the Netherlands and existed until in 2003, when its single shareholder of then Suez Lyonnaise of Water amalgamated it with Tractebel to form the Suez-Tractebel group.

History

The king Guillaume I created the company in for the third time 1822 under the name of Algemeene Nederlandsche Maatschappij Begunstiging van of Volksvlijt , a company of which the goal was to improve the standard of living of the country mainly by its public equipment and D to develop its industry. After the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and the independence which of followed, the company became Belgian under the French-speaking name of General society of Belgium . Of 1831 with 1836, the company sold the majority of its land fields in order to release from financial means to invest in the industrialization of the State. Approximately 28.000 hectares, of which about half made up forests, were put on sale public. The General society of Belgium was used until in 1850 as national Banque as Belgium.

Before the Second world war, the company invests in the roads, the railways and the channels. It was also the main operator in the Belgian colonies, as with the Belgian Congo. After the stock exchange ace of 1929, the company separated its banking from the remainder of the group, creating the Générale of Bank (now Fortis), but while remaining its principal shareholder.

Begun at the end of the Eighties, and disturbed by the tender offer of Carlo de Benedetti, the share taken by Suez in the capital it SGB increased until a takeover supplements in 1998.

Subsidiary companies

Belgian Coditel
Maritime company - transport company cargo liner
Distrigas
Electrabel
National Factory of Herstal - manufacturer of weapons
General of Bank
Tractebel
mining Union of High Katanga - mining company in Africa

See too

Suez in the genealogy of the names of the companies

Directors

Random links: