Ben steps into limelight as Jenners Property renamed

Published on Tuesday 5 May 2009 22:19

A SCOTTISH shipping company is to bring its historic name back into the limelight by rebranding its property company – which bears the name of another famous family dynasty.

Ben Lines, which was a major player in the transportation of Scottish cargo in the 19th and 20th centuries, bought Jenners Property three years ago after the iconic Edinburgh department store was sold to House of Fraser.

Now Ben, which is owned by family-run firm EG Thomson Holdings, is to rename the division Ben Property.

EG Thomson still has a large shipping agency business in Asia and also operates business travel company Ben Lawries Travel. Since being sold to EG Thomson, the firm has more than tripled the number of properties on its books to around 170 and is on the lookout for further acquisitions.

Stuart Montgomery, business development director of Ben Property, said: "Both Jenners and Ben Line share a reputation for quality, professionalism and attention to detail that they have earned and sustained over many decades."

William Thomson, chairman of EG Holdings and also chairman of newspaper distribution and logistics company John Menzies, added: "Ben is a name that a lot of older people recognise as a quality brand, but we want to raise the profile of the name again today."