2000-present Swire in the New Century

2002 Sir Adrian Swire re-appointed Chairman

Category: Corporate

Following the untimely death of Edward Scott CMG, Sir Adrian Swire resumed his role as Chairman of the Swire group until 2005.

2002 Guangzhou landmark

Category: Property

Swire Properties signed a joint venture agreement to develop and manage a four million square-foot complex in Guangzhou. Opened in 2011, TaiKoo Hui includes a retail centre, two office towers, a cultural centre, a five-star hotel and serviced apartments.

2005

Category: Corporate

James Hughes-Hallett (1949- ) becomes Chairman of the Swire group.

2006 A strategic partnership

Category: Corporate, Aviation

In 2006, a shareholding realignment increased Air China and CNAC’s aggregate shareholding in Cathay Pacific Airways, while Cathay Pacific increased its shareholding in Air China. The move cemented the strategic partnership between the key players in China’s aviation sector, while strengthening Cathay Pacific’s position as Hong Kong’s home carrier.

2008 New property ventures

Category: Property

Swire Hotels was formed to create and manage intriguing urban hotels in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the USA. In Beijing, Swire Properties began the phased opening of Taikoo Li Sanlitun, a retail-led, mixed-use development with a luxury hotel, and acquired a 50% interest in another mixed-use development, later named INDIGO.

2011 Renewing the fleet

Category: Marine Services

The China Navigation Company commenced an unprecedented new building programme to replace its entire fleet over four years. In total, 12 multipurpose vessels, 28 handysize bulk carriers and one cement carrier were ordered by the company for delivery between 2013 and 2016. All but four of the ships were constructed at Mainland Chinese shipyards.

2011 Importing cars to Hong Kong

Category: Trading & Industrial

Swire launched International Automobiles, the exclusive importer in Hong Kong and Macau for Abarth, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep passenger cars, as well as Volvo, UD and Renault Trucks.

2012 Swire Properties lists on Hong Kong Stock Exchange

Category: Corporate, Property

Swire Properties celebrated its 40th anniversary and was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

2012-15 Extracts

Category: Beverages & Food Chain

Finlays broadened the scope of its activities with a growing emphasis on extracts. The company became a leading supplier to the global food and beverage industry of ingredients and flavours extracted from tea, coffee and herbal sources. In 2012, Finlays acquired 20% of Damin Foodstuff, a Mainland Chinese company that was the world's largest producer of tea extracts; the shareholding was subsequently increased to 40%. In 2014, Finlays acquired 100% of Autocrat, a leading US-based manufacturer of coffee extracts and the following year, Finlays purchased 100% of Casa Fuentes, Argentina's largest tea estate company - a key supplier of the black tea favoured as a primary ingredient by the ready-to-drink tea industry in the US.

2013 Green investments

Category: Corporate, Trading & Industrial

Swire began to invest in a variety of businesses with a "green" focus. The group acquired a controlling stake in Argent Energy, a UK biodiesel manufacturer that produces road fuel by recycling used cooking oil, tallow and sewer grease.

2013 Upholding Hong Kong's air cargo hub status

Category: Aviation

The Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal opened at Hong Kong International Airport with the creation of 1,800 jobs. Capable of handling an annual throughput of 2.6 million tonnes, increasing Hong Kong's annual air cargo capacity by 50% to a total 7.4 million tonnes, it incorporated some of the most advanced terminal design and materials handling technology in the world.

2014 Investing in bio-jet fuel

Category: Aviation

Cathay Pacific Airways acquired a shareholding in Fulcrum BioEnergy, a world pioneer in converting municipal solid waste into sustainable aviation spirit or "biojet" fuel. The investment was a part of the airline's strategy to achieve a target of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and Cathay Pacific negotiated a long-term supply agreement with Fulcrum representing an initial 2% of the airline's annual fuel consumption.

2014 HAECO goes global

Category: Aviation

Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company ("HAECO") became a global MRO group with the acquisition of TIMCO Aviation Services (now renamed as HAECO Americas), adding North American airframe, line services, engine overhaul and cabin solutions to its portfolio.

2014 A new food business

Category: Beverages & Food Chain

Swire purchased a controlling interest in Chongqing New Qinyuan Bakery Company, a leading bakery chain in southwest China with over 550 stores in Chongqing, Guiyang and Chengdu now. Qinyuan became a wholly owned subsidiary in 2016.

2015 Barnaby Swire becomes Chairman

Category: Corporate

Barnaby Swire (1964- ) became Chairman while Merlin Swire (1973- ) became Deputy Chairman of the Swire group.

2015 New landmark in Chengdu

Category: Property

Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu was officially opened as Swire Properties’ joint venture, mixed-use development with Sino-Ocean Land. The development includes an open-plan mall, The Temple House hotel and serviced apartments managed by Swire Hotels, as well as a Grade A office tower.

2017 Quenching more thirsts in China

Category: Beverage

Swire Beverages (rebranded as Swire Coca-Cola in 2019) completed the acquisition of new franchise territories in Mainland China following a refranchising initiative by The Coca-Cola Company’s Bottling Investments. Swire Coca-Cola now owns 18 bottling plants in 11 provinces and the Shanghai municipality, selling the Coca-Cola family of beverages to half the country’s population – over 650 million people.

2017 New Shanghai Development

Category: Property

Swire Properties opened its fifth mixed-use development in Mainland China and first ever in Shanghai. Jointly developed with HKR International, HKRI Taikoo Hui comprises a shopping mall, two Grade-A office towers, two luxury hotels and a serviced apartment building.

2018 Swire Pacific privatizes HAECO

Category: Aviation

Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited ("HAECO") became a wholly owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific by way of a scheme of arrangement. Prior to privatization, Swire Pacific had owned approximately 75% of the shares in HAECO.

2019 Acquisition of HK Express completed

Category: Aviation

Hong Kong Express Airways Limited became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited in July 2019.

2020 Five generations of service

Category: Corporate

Despite the Swire group’s diverse and international focus, it is still very much a family concern, with a number of Swire family members actively involved in the business. The current Chairman of the Swire group, Barnaby Swire, and the Chairman of Swire Pacific, Merlin Swire, are the great-great-great grandsons of John Swire of Liverpool, who founded the business over 200 years ago. Merlin’s brother Sam is a Director of John Swire & Sons Limited. Barnaby's father, the late Sir John Swire CBE, was former Chairman of the Swire group (1966-1987) and Life President (1997-2016); Merlin and Sam’s father, the late Sir Adrian Swire, was former Chairman of the Swire group (1987-1997 and 2002-2005) and Honorary President (2005-2018).