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| Rank Xerox | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rank Xerox |
| Type | Joint venture |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Industry | Office equipment |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom; Rochester, New York |
| Products | Photocopiers, office printers, duplicators |
| Owners | Rank Organisation; Xerox Corporation |
Rank Xerox was a British–American joint venture formed in 1956 between the Rank Organisation and the Xerox Corporation to market and manufacture copying machines and office equipment across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia. The company licensed xerographic technology originating from Haloid Photographic Company innovations and the patents developed by Chester Carlson and commercialized by Xerox. Over four decades Rank Xerox became a major supplier to institutions such as BBC, General Electric, British Airways, and government departments in the United Kingdom and across Europe.
Rank Xerox originated amid post‑war industrial expansion and technological transfer linked to Chester Carlson's invention of xerography and the corporate evolution of Haloid Photographic Company into Xerox Corporation. The Rank Organisation sought diversification alongside activities in film and leisure previously associated with J. Arthur Rank's enterprises and negotiated a distribution and manufacturing partnership that brought xerographic machines to markets in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Early milestones included adaptation of the Xerox Model 914 technology and establishment of manufacturing facilities in Rochester, New York coordination and European plants in locations such as Hemel Hempstead and Theale. Leadership involved executives and boards including figures drawn from Rank Organisation management and former Xerox Corporation directors. By the 1970s and 1980s Rank Xerox expanded product lines and service networks serving clients like British Telecom, Royal Mail, Deutsche Bank, Banco Santander, Société Générale, BNP Paribas, and multinational corporations including IBM and Siemens.
Rank Xerox produced and sold machines derived from xerography and continually adapted technology pioneered at Xerox PARC including concepts later influential to Canon Inc. and Ricoh Company, Ltd.. Notable product families included adaptations of the Xerox 914 lineage, mid‑volume office copiers, high‑speed reprographic systems, and later digital printers integrating software from firms such as Adobe Systems and hardware components from Motorola, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard. Research and development collaborations touched institutions like Imperial College London, Cambridge University Engineering Department, and industrial partners such as Toshiba, Fuji Xerox affiliates, Olivetti and Mitsubishi Electric. Rank Xerox equipment incorporated drum and toner technology, photoconductor innovations, and automated document feeding systems influenced by techniques from Bell Labs and manufacturing processes paralleling those at General Motors plants for precision assembly.
The joint venture structure placed shareholding between Rank Organisation and Xerox Corporation with a governance model reflecting transatlantic corporate relations seen in other alliances such as Rolls-Royce collaborations. Corporate offices interfaced with trade bodies such as the Confederation of British Industry and regulatory authorities including national patent offices in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom's Patent Office. Executives often moved between boards of multinational corporations like Unilever and British Steel Corporation, and auditors from firms such as Price Waterhouse and Deloitte advised on finance and taxation. In the 1990s corporate restructuring mirrored precedents set by reorganisations at Siemens AG and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone before the eventual absorption of operations into Xerox Corporation subsidiaries.
Rank Xerox influenced markets for office automation competing directly with Canon Inc., Ricoh Company, Ltd., Minolta, Konica, Sharp Corporation, Oki Electric, Gestetner, NCR Corporation, IBM, Fuji Xerox, and Olive (Olivetti). The company played a role in shaping procurement at institutions such as European Commission agencies, United Nations offices, and multinational banks, affecting resale, leasing, and maintenance models used by firms like Pitney Bowes and Xerox Financial Services. Rank Xerox's presence spurred standards adoption and interoperability discussions involving trade associations such as the British Standards Institution and influenced public procurement in countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
Rank Xerox advertising campaigns drew on media outlets including The Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, and television partnerships with broadcasters such as BBC Television and ITV. Marketing strategies paralleled those used by General Motors and British Leyland for industrial branding, utilizing sponsorship of cultural and sporting events connected to entities like Wimbledon Championships, Royal Opera House, and arts institutions such as the Tate Gallery. Collaborations with advertising agencies echoing Saatchi & Saatchi approaches helped establish corporate identity across Europe and in expatriate communities tied to commercial centres like London, Paris, and Frankfurt am Main.
Legal matters included patent litigation and licensing disputes involving Xerox Corporation patent families, competitors such as Canon Inc. and Ricoh Company, Ltd., and national intellectual property offices in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Antitrust and competition concerns arose in contexts comparable to cases involving IBM and AT&T; matters touched commercial contract law, warranty claims with clients like British Airways and Deutsche Bahn, and litigation involving service contracts and dealer networks similar to disputes seen with Ford Motor Company franchise relationships. Cross‑border regulatory compliance required interaction with authorities such as the European Commission competition authorities and national courts.
The legacy includes diffusion of xerographic technology across Europe and influence on successors such as Fuji Xerox and consolidation into Xerox Corporation operations in the late 1990s during corporate realignments like those experienced by Siemens AG and Alcatel-Lucent. Corporate archives, patents and industrial designs influenced researchers at institutions such as Science Museum, London, National Museum of Scotland, and academic collections at University of Cambridge and University of Oxford engineering departments. Former Rank Xerox personnel went on to leadership roles in firms including Canon Inc., Ricoh Company, Ltd., Konica Minolta, HP Inc., Xerox Corporation, and consultancy practices linked to McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group.
Category:Electronics companies Category:Photocopying