TRAVIS TRADING

Origins:

Travis Trading was the brainchild of wealthy industrial merchant Thomas Travis and was founded in the eighteenth century. He used his family's name to create a European Shiping and Transportation company created during the great navigational age of global expansion and exploration. Travis Trading or Travis Enterprises as it became known in certain parts of the world, enjoyed great success in trading with the Orient and soon became a powerhouse in shipping, so much so that it remained profitable for the next two centuries. The company also exploited the natural resources of Africa. This came about after one of Thomas Travis' son's, Henry, invested much of his own personal stake of the family fortune into the exploration of Africa after developing a taste for adventure.

Henry Travis:

Inspired by other explorers of the time, Henry made five trips to the continent over a timescale of 34 years and documented all of his findings into a series of books entitled 'Survey of Natural History'. However, thanks to lies spread by Henry's older brother who was head of the company at that time, Henry's reputation was tarnished and his book was never taken seriously. This allowed for all the information Henry had gathered to be almost exclusive to the rest of the Travis family.

Expansion:

Travis Trading went on to exploit the information contained within the books in the years to come. Travis Trading outposts sprang up all over Africa, mining for precious metals and developing oil and natural gas fields. Profits went through the roof and this led to the company being expanded with the opening of the 'Natural Resources Development Division' by the end of the 19th century. The company was expanded further in the 20th Century with the opening of the pharmaceuticals division which would lead to the company being re-formed to Tricell Inc in the 1960's.

Influence:

As a sidebar, Travis Trading also inadvertantly gave rise to Umbrella. Ozwell E. Spencer managed to get hold of a rare copy of Survey of Natural History and was particularly interested in the plant used by the Ndipaya tribe. His interest led to the discovery of the Progenitor Virus, which laid the groundwork for Umbrella's future viral research.
Excella Gionne, CEO of Tricell's African Division, has ties to the original Travis Family through her grandmother. Many Tricell employees believe that it is these ties that have seen her rapid rise up the company in the early 21st century.

Key Members:

THOMAS TRAVIS: -European merchant and company founder.

HENRY TRAVIS: -One of seven children. Prominent explorer and first discoverer of Ndipaya tribes that would later lead Spencer to the Progenitor Virus.