Thomas De La Rue was a printer in England in the 19th Century. His company initially gained success printing playing cards before gaining a reputation for beautiful greeting cards, postage stamps and bank notes . Today, the company is the world’s largest commercial security printer.

Thomas Cook was the world's oldest travel firm. In 1841, Thomas Cook, a British cabinet maker, had an idea to establish a travel agency and charge for facilitating transport. The First Excursion Train ran from Leicester to Loughborough, England, on July 5, 1841. From humble beginnings, he capitalized on the growing interest in tourism and organized package tours around Europe and, by 1872, the world. The firm ran hotels, resorts, airlines, and cruises for 19 million people a year in 16 countries. It also published numerous guidebooks, maps, hotel directories, exhibition catalogues, and periodicals. In 2019, the firm closed due to debt, modern commerce, and the internet.