A Bretonian Corporate Odyssey

[Bowex]

Border World Exports, commonly known as Bowex, is the single oldest shipping conglomerate in all of Sirius. Originally founded in 66 A.S. as the Bretonia Exploration & Trading Company, Bowex has been the backbone of the Bretonian economy for centuries, and has been involved in nearly every major event in Bretonian history. In addition, throughout it's history, Bowex has become known as a pioneer in the exploration of the border worlds, as well as a proxy colonial administrator for the Bretonian Parliament.

A Comprehensive Description

Borderworld Exports began as a small commercial concern in 66 A.S. by the name of Bretonia Exploration & Trading. The company was originally founded as a surveying and chartering group, with the goal of exploring the New London system's mineral fields. A short while later, the fledgling corporation branched out into the realm of shipping, transporting resources from the system's peripheral fields to Planet New London. As Bretonia expanded outwards from New London, BE&T's expertise in the realm of surveying allowed it to gain a significant corporate advantage, leading the way with the historic Bee One Explorer.

In 271 A.S. BE&T came under the leadership of Andrew Fletcher, 4th Viscount Stafford who was appointed as the Director of Operations of the company after the previous DO was forced into retirement by the Board of Directors. A number of awkward corporate scandals had come to light and it was considered altogether more convenient to scapegoat the incumbent DO than enact actual reforms to business practice and conduct. Under Fletcher, Bretonia Exploration and Trading would become infamous for its highly predatory business tactics, as he used his title and connections in the Bretonian government to BE&T's advantage. After gaining a series of increasingly lucrative state contracts, BE&T had the raw equity and political clout to steamroll a number of smaller shipping firms with vicious hostile takeovers. BE&T's rise in the corporate sphere did not go unnoticed, and after a particularly dangerous financial gambit involving the acquisition of Cambridge Shipping and the Heirs Re Group Insurance in 310 A.S., Prince Harry XXI issued a Royal Charter, vastly increasing the Crown's hold on the company.

Though initially seen as a positive move, many within BE&T became increasingly resentful due to state micromanagement and interference. In an attempt to cement their personal control over the corporation, the Principality's habitually appointed what the Board considered to be "incompetent sycophants" to the post of Director. This was considered an infringement of the Board's prerogative to appoint its own head, a right that the businessmen had previously considered sacrosanct. In retrospect, it was hardly surprising that in 318 AS (midway through the Bretonian civil war), a faction within the upper echelon of the company board evicted the Prince's supporters and threw in their lot with the Bretonian People's Navy, rebranding the company as Borderworld Exports to distance itself from the Principality. Bowex's new directors were instrumental in the victory of the BPN and exerted great influence within the Protectorate during the Interregnum, with many board members occupying senior positions within the government.

After the death of Lord Protector Nelson and the restoration of the monarchy, Bowex was once again incorporated into the new government as the Crown and military's primary contractor. This was achieved through another Royal Charter, which was amended to reaffirm the company as a private firm, give the corporation far more freedoms and prevent the executive from interfering in the DO appointment process, save in extreme circumstances. The situation soured once more in 420 A.S, after the coronation of Queen Anne I. In a move of considerable commercial cunning, the young Queen refused to renew Bowex's Royal Charter, crippling it's business model that was heavily based on state contracts. In the ensuring chaos, stock value plummeted, allowing the monarchy to snatch the controlling share of Bowex's stocks. In light of the extreme controversy surrounding the corporation's forced nationalisation, the Queen was forced to cede the right to issue Royal Charters to Parliament. Disgruntled, but able to conduct its business once more, Borderworld Exports got back to work. Bowex has been a key asset of the Kingdom of Bretonia ever since.

Though Bowex's relationship with the Crown has proved lucrative, it has also limited the company to its detriment, by forcing it to uphold standards of behaviour in relation to competition that were not previously required. 791 A.S saw the foundation of a new shipping firm, Gateway Interstellar, that was focused on catering to smaller, independent firms that Bowex had either snubbed for political reasons or overlooked due to the lack of perceived profits. Gateway was initially dismissed until the company managed to obtain a near exclusive supply contract with the Independent Miners Guild, vastly increasing its profits and threatening to cut into those of Bowex (due to their close partnership with BMM, the IMG's major rival).

The situation was further worsened in 793 A.S when, brokering a deal directly with the Crown, Gateway purchased the rights to Kensington Shipping Platform in New London, bypassing Bowex altogether. Outraged, the Board of Directors condemned the Crown's unilateral action, decrying it as 'irresponsible lunacy'. The incident led to the incumbent DO (Dame Mary Grover) resigning in disgust, and the Minister of the Trade and Industry (Lord Harold Umbridge) acquiring the nick-name 'Queen Anne'. Since then, Bowex and Gateway have been in fierce competition, with Bowex thus far unable to use its government influence to stamp out the energetic upstart. In contrast to Gateway's more moderate approach, Bowex has fully endorsed Bretonia's war efforts in the Taus and to this date has been responsible for maintaining the supply lines between Bretonia and the fronts in Leeds, Dundee and Tau 31.

Bowex has also seen a massive extension of its colonial powers, due to developments in the Omega 49 system. Originally discovered by Bretonian scouts in 816 A.S., Planet Gran Canaria (named Planet Sydney at the time) was claimed by Bowex with the Sirius Astronomical Union. After a significant amount of trouble with native Zoners, the claim was rescinded and Zoner sovereignty recognised, in exchange for the Zoners recognizing Bretonian sovereignty over the parcel of land the Port Jackson settlement was located on. This arrangement was happily settled upon, in the Treaty of Port Jackson. The colony, administrated by Bowex, grows daily as refugees flee the Leeds war zone to find a new life. The Colonial Authority and ExSec have also been given a mandate to develop the Chester system by Parliament, a sector that promises great potential as a colony and a through-way to the besieged Newcastle system.

1) An overview of Bretonia.
2) An overview of Bretonian history.
3) An overview of Borderworld Exports.

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