Sutton Street, Clerkenwell. Changed the name of company to A.M.S. Trading (Amstrad) Ltd., producing stereo amplifiers under the ‘Amstrad’ brand. Employed my ex-employer Sam Korobuck to run the production line as his company Robuk had gone bankrupt.
1973 – Moved to bigger factory at Ridley Road, Dalston to make full range of amplifiers, tuners and loudspeakers.
1975 – Moved again to larger factory at Garman Road, Tottenham. Started to import tape decks and was first company to enter the CB (Citizens’ Band) radio market.
1976 – Qualified as a Private Airplane Pilot in both practical and written examinations.
1977 – Bought the cabinet making company Fircastle Ltd from the liquidator. The company (renamed Amstrad) in Southend Essex, was bought with all plant and machinery to expand loudspeaker production.
1979 – Moved to larger cabinet works at Eastwood Industrial Estate, Southend to produce Amstrad stereo tower system rack units. Turned down a bid from Laskys who offered me £2m to acquire 75% of the company. Met with Kleinwort Benson to discuss the possibility of floating the company to the London Stock Exchange.
1979 – 1990:
Gained experience of City meetings, the production of prospectuses and circulars to share holders, corporate governance and yellow book requirements, stock market analysts’ meetings, litigation, television advertising, accepting hospitality to lunches and dinners with the Prime Minster, Prince of Wales, her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip. Gained experience of dealing with the media, charitable work, the importance of liability insurance, employment liability laws, the need for protection of patents and intellectual property. Entered the Real Estate market.
1979 – Engaged with Kleinwort Benson, Touche Ross and Herbert Smith, gaining first hand experience in numerous drafting meetings regarding the flotation of the company.
1980 – On 10th April renamed the company Amstrad Plc and floated it on the London Stock Market. Sold 25% of its shares for £2m – a better deal than selling 75% to Laskys for £2m.
1984 – Moved headquarters of the company to Brentwood Essex and built a new 400,000 sq ft factory in Shoeburyness Essex for production of hi-fi racked tower systems.
1984 – Launched first Amstrad Computer, the CPC464. Opened subsidiaries in Paris and Hong Kong.
1984 – Awarded Guardian Young Businessman of the Year at the Mansion House ceremony.
1985 – Launched the Amstrad word processor PCW8256.
1985 – Bought the rights to Sinclair Computers from Clive Sinclair (to prevent his company being placed in liquidation by Barclays Bank). [ 1985: Lord Sugar is taking tea with Stanley Kalms ].
1985 – Set up Amsprop Ltd, a real estate company owning commercial properties, as a diversification from too much dependence on the electronics industry.
1986 – Launched Amstrad IBM compatible computer PC1512. Agreed terms with Managing Director of IBM UK for a licence to produce compatibles (not the same man who failed to hire me in 1963!). Agreed terms with Bill Gates for Microsoft MSDOS licence.
1986 – Launched advertising and designed the PC1512 campaign with the slogan, ‘Compatible with you know who – Priced as only we know how’.
1986 – Invited to private lunch for 6 guests with the Queen and Prince Philip.
1986 – Formation of The Alan Sugar Charitable Foundation.
1987 – Opened subsidiaries in Madrid, Brussels, Frankfurt, Sydney, Dallas and Milan. Achieved 30% of total European market for PCs.
1988 – Led government’s Single European Market advertising campaign for DTI.
1988 – Engaged with Rupert Murdoch for the launch of Sky Television by undertaking to produce the equipment needed to receive the service, thus offering British consumers (for £199) the opportunity to view 16 new TV channels. Hitherto there had been only 4 terrestrial channels available. See here.
1988
1973 – Moved to bigger factory at Ridley Road, Dalston to make full range of amplifiers, tuners and loudspeakers.
1975 – Moved again to larger factory at Garman Road, Tottenham. Started to import tape decks and was first company to enter the CB (Citizens’ Band) radio market.
1976 – Qualified as a Private Airplane Pilot in both practical and written examinations.
1977 – Bought the cabinet making company Fircastle Ltd from the liquidator. The company (renamed Amstrad) in Southend Essex, was bought with all plant and machinery to expand loudspeaker production.
1979 – Moved to larger cabinet works at Eastwood Industrial Estate, Southend to produce Amstrad stereo tower system rack units. Turned down a bid from Laskys who offered me £2m to acquire 75% of the company. Met with Kleinwort Benson to discuss the possibility of floating the company to the London Stock Exchange.
1979 – 1990:
Gained experience of City meetings, the production of prospectuses and circulars to share holders, corporate governance and yellow book requirements, stock market analysts’ meetings, litigation, television advertising, accepting hospitality to lunches and dinners with the Prime Minster, Prince of Wales, her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip. Gained experience of dealing with the media, charitable work, the importance of liability insurance, employment liability laws, the need for protection of patents and intellectual property. Entered the Real Estate market.
1979 – Engaged with Kleinwort Benson, Touche Ross and Herbert Smith, gaining first hand experience in numerous drafting meetings regarding the flotation of the company.
1980 – On 10th April renamed the company Amstrad Plc and floated it on the London Stock Market. Sold 25% of its shares for £2m – a better deal than selling 75% to Laskys for £2m.
1984 – Moved headquarters of the company to Brentwood Essex and built a new 400,000 sq ft factory in Shoeburyness Essex for production of hi-fi racked tower systems.
1984 – Launched first Amstrad Computer, the CPC464. Opened subsidiaries in Paris and Hong Kong.
1984 – Awarded Guardian Young Businessman of the Year at the Mansion House ceremony.
1985 – Launched the Amstrad word processor PCW8256.
1985 – Bought the rights to Sinclair Computers from Clive Sinclair (to prevent his company being placed in liquidation by Barclays Bank). [ 1985: Lord Sugar is taking tea with Stanley Kalms ].
1985 – Set up Amsprop Ltd, a real estate company owning commercial properties, as a diversification from too much dependence on the electronics industry.
1986 – Launched Amstrad IBM compatible computer PC1512. Agreed terms with Managing Director of IBM UK for a licence to produce compatibles (not the same man who failed to hire me in 1963!). Agreed terms with Bill Gates for Microsoft MSDOS licence.
1986 – Launched advertising and designed the PC1512 campaign with the slogan, ‘Compatible with you know who – Priced as only we know how’.
1986 – Invited to private lunch for 6 guests with the Queen and Prince Philip.
1986 – Formation of The Alan Sugar Charitable Foundation.
1987 – Opened subsidiaries in Madrid, Brussels, Frankfurt, Sydney, Dallas and Milan. Achieved 30% of total European market for PCs.
1988 – Led government’s Single European Market advertising campaign for DTI.
1988 – Engaged with Rupert Murdoch for the launch of Sky Television by undertaking to produce the equipment needed to receive the service, thus offering British consumers (for £199) the opportunity to view 16 new TV channels. Hitherto there had been only 4 terrestrial channels available. See here.
1988
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