🠈  Carlson Group History  🠊

Carlson Group

Corporate Timeline

• 1938: Curt Carlson started Gold Bond Stamp Company with a $55 loan from his landlord.
• 1962: Carlson bought a Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis.
• 1975: Carlson invested in TGI Fridays.
• 1977: Carlson acquired Country Kitchen restaurant chain.
• 1981: Carlson acquired an incentive management company called E.F. MacDonald Motivation Co..
• 1986: Carlson established Country Inns & Suites brand.
• 1989: Edwin C. "Skip" Gage became CEO.
• 1994: Carlson merged with a division of Accor called Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.
• 1997: Carlson launched GoldPoints.com (which became Club Carlson in 2011.
• 1997: Carlson sold Country Kitchen.
• 1997: Carlson acquired Regent Hotels & Resorts from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
• 2000: Carlson acquired Park Inn by Radisson and Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts.
• 2005: Carlson acquired 25% stake in Rezidor Hotel Group
• 2012: The company became Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
• 2014: Sentinel Capital Partners and TriArtisan Capital Partners acquired TGI Fridays for a reported $800 million.
• 2016: Carlson divested its hotel division.
1960 Arne Jacobsen designed the The Royal Copenhagen in Denmark was hailed as the world’s first designer hotel Carlson entered the hotel business in the Americas through a 50 percent interest in the Radisson Downtown Hotel in Minneapolis 1986 Carlson Hotels and SAS International Hotels signed a partnership to bring the Radisson® brand to Europe 1987 Carlson Hotels launched the Country Inns & Suites® By Carlson brand 1994 SAS International Hotels signed a franchise agreement with Carlson Hotels to manage the Radisson brand in EMEA, which would later become Radisson Blu 1999 Carlson Hotels launched the guest loyalty program now known as Radisson RewardsTM 2002 SAS International Hotels became The Rezidor Hotel Group and acquired franchise rights to Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson 2005 Carlson acquired 25 percent ownership of The Rezidor Hotel Group, solidifying the company’s commitment to global growth 2006 The Rezidor Hotel Group completed an initial public offering on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson purchased additional shares, increasing its ownership to 35 percent 2007 Carlson increased ownership in The Rezidor Hotel Group to 41.7 percent
• 2009: Carlson sold its marketing business to Group Aeroplan of Canada for $175 million.³
2009 Radisson SAS brand name was updated to Radisson Blu 2009 First Hotel Missoni opens in Edinburgh to great acclaim 2010 Radisson Blu became the Largest Upscale Hotel Brand in Europe, per MKG Park Inn becomes Park Inn by Radisson Rezidor named one of the Most Ethical Companies of the World by Ethisphere Institute 2012 Carlson increased its ownership in The Rezidor Hotel Group to 51 percent, and the two joined forces in a strategic partnership and went to market as Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is named Hotel Group of the Year at Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2012 2014 Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced a new brand in the luxury segment, Quorvus Collection Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced a new brand in the upscale lifestyle select segment, Radisson RED 2016 HNA Tourism Group acquired Carlson Hotels, Inc. The Rezidor Hotel Group entered the economy segment with a 49% stake in prizeotel 2017 Federico J. González became Rezidor’s President & CEO and Chairman of the Global Steering Committee HNA Tourism Group Co., Ltd. announced a mandatory public offer to acquire all shares in Rezidor 2018 Country Inns & Suites By Carlson becomes Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group becomes the Radisson Hotel GroupTM A new global brand architecture, introducing Radisson in EMEA and launching a Radisson Collection Radisson Hotel Group rebrands Club Carlson loyalty program to Radisson Rewards Rezidor Hotel Group AB (publ) renames to Radisson Hospitality AB (publ) on 7 May 2018. A consortium led by Jin Jiang International Holdings Co., Ltd (Jin Jiang International) completed the acquisition of Radisson Hospitality, Inc.

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