Editing Jack Walker (section)

==Business==

===Walkersteel===
The youngest of three children, Walker was born in Blackburn and left school at 13.<ref name="localhero">{{cite news| title = Local hero who led the Rovers to glory | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1353315/Local-hero-who-led-the-Rovers-to-glory.html| work =The Daily Telegraph| date =2000-08-19| access-date =2010-01-26 | location=London | first=Richard | last=Savill}}</ref> Walker worked as a sheet metal worker and a conscript craftsman in the [[Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers]]. In 1951, following the death of his father Charles, Walker took over the family sheet metal business. [[Walkersteel]] was built from a back-street scrap metal business to a major force in the steel industry. By 1990 Walker had built up the business so successfully that it had become the largest steel stockholder in Britain, employing 3,400 people at 50 sites. In 1988 the business was making an annual profit of £48m. Walkersteel completed a major deal with [[GKN]], purchasing subsidiary GKN Steelstock.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-86-627_en.htm | work=European Commission Press Release Database | title=Press Release}}</ref> Following this Walker decided it was the right time to sell and opened negotiations with [[British Steel Corporation]]. Walkersteel was sold for a reported £360m, the highest price ever paid for a private company at the time.<ref name="walkersteel">{{cite news| title =Profile: Money, money, money man - Jack Walker | url =https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/profile-money-money-money-man--jack-walker-1540594.html | work =The Independent| date =1992-08-16| access-date =2010-01-26 | location=London | first=Norman | last=Fox}}</ref> Walker's sale of Walkersteel proved to be a less successful investment for its new owners British Steel, as the steel market entered a steep slump as a result of the [[early 1990s recession]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1353251/Jack-Walker.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Jack Walker | date=2000-08-19}}</ref> The Walkersteel brand has been revived following Walker's death but is linked in name only.

===Jersey European Airways===
In November 1983 the WalkerSteel group took over Jersey European Airways, already being the parent company to [[Blackpool]] based airline Spacegrand. The two airlines were initially run separately until 1985 when they were amalgamated and [[Exeter]] became the airline's headquarters and base for technical services.<ref name="spacegrand">{{cite news| title = Flybe Flights | url =http://www.directline-flights.co.uk/FlyBe | publisher =directline-flights.co.uk| access-date =2010-01-26}}</ref>

The airline grew throughout the 1990s and was recognised in 1993 and 1994 when it won 'Best UK Regional Airline'. The new millennium saw the airline announce a new brand name at the beginning of May: British European. The rebrand reflected the size and scope of what was now the UK's third-largest scheduled airline. July 2002 saw the start of a new beginning for the airline, British European was forced to dramatically change its business model to survive in such a highly competitive and aggressive new low-cost travel era. [[Flybe (1979-2020)|Flybe]] was born and along with changes to commercial, fleet and operational policies that were to transform the airline. On 5 March 2020 Flybe ceased operating and went into administration.

At the airline's Head Office in Exeter there are two buildings named in his honour: Jack Walker House and the New Walker Hangar, both based on the [[Exeter International Airport]] complex.

In 2013 Jack Walker's estate sold its entire 48.1% shareholding in Flybe.<ref>{{cite news| url =http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/deals/walker-family-sells-flybe-shares-6300152 | work=Manchester Evening News | title =Walker family sells Flybe shares | date=2013-11-13}}</ref>