The Kessler Group history

1989 Further expands concept to include partnering with smaller banks to issue credit cards.

In 1990, as a forerunner in environmental campaigning, Kesslers won the City Dragon Environmental Award for its work in cleaning up Bow Back Rivers, which ran close to Kesslers’ premises.

Tony Banks MP opened the new facility in October 1998.

HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh came to the factory to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Kesslers in London on 29 November 2001.

2004 Creates the first affinity/co-brand partnership with 2 major bank issuers — a super-prime/prime issuer and a near-prime/sub-prime issuer — to maximize the value of the partnership to the issuers and co-brand partners.

2007 Launches the risk-based funding business enabling issuers to expand their marketing acquisition efforts leveraging a $100 million investment by J.C. Flowers & Co.

2009 Launches debt advisory business in Australia, facilitating the sale of debt to third party buyers and optimizing collections performance via complex, in-house data analytics practice.

Preparations for the London 2012 Olympics were underway and the Carpenters Road site was purchased so that the building of the main Olympic stadium could begin.

2014 Creates new concept of “participation” model enabling agent banks to put some of their card programs’ receivables on balance sheet without moving credit card program in-house.

2016 Advises Capital One on its announced acquisition of Cabela’s credit card operation, including approximately $5.2 billion in credit card receivables and other assets.

2018 Signs several new Risk-Based Marketing clients and begins funding across multiple bank products.

In March 2019 Edward Kessler, founder of The Woolf Institute, returned to the board of the family business.