Ei Group
Ei Group plc, formerly known as Enterprise Inns plc, is the largest pub company in the UK, with around 5,000 properties, predominantly run as leased and tenanted pubs. Ei Group plc is headquartered in Solihull, West Midlands. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Stonegate Pub Company in March 2020. History The company was founded by Ted Tuppen, initially with 300 pubs from Bass, as Enterprise Inns in 1991. The company listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1995. The group made a series of acquisitions including 1,864 former Laurel Pub Company pubs from Whitbread in 2002 and 4,054 pubs with the acquisition of the Unique Pub Company in 2004. Enterprise Inns had over 9,000 pubs on completion of the acquisition of the Unique Pub Company and it formed part of the FTSE100 Index at that time. However, the decline in the UK pub trade led to its removal from the FTSE100 in 2008. Due to its high level of debt the company stopped paying dividends to shareholders in 2009. Ted Tuppen stood down as Chief executive in February 2014 and Enterprise Inns rebranded to Ei Group in February 2017. In July 2019 Stonegate