John Nike

Leonard John Nike

Nike expanded his John Nike Leisuresport Ltd business, and came to own dry ski slopes in Bracknell, Chatham, Llandudno, Plymouth and Swadlincote. He had plans to open a further dry ski slope in Wrexham. He also used to operate Bristol Ice Rink until it closed in October 2012. Nike owned Leisuresport World, a retail outlet chain specialising in the winter sports sector, with outlets at all five John Nike Leisuresport Complexes, along with an online shopping operation. In addition, he owns 94% of Techmat 2000 Ltd, which manufactures and owns the patents for the dry ski slope surfaces Skitech and Perma-snow, and the patent for the artificial grass surface Greengrass. Nike also used to own the Thames Valley Tigers basketball team until it folded in 2005.

Nike had various property and construction interests. In addition to his property letting and development company Key Properties Ltd, he owned Treescape Ltd (which specialises in estate management), Nike Construction Ltd (a construction contractor), 89.9% of Nike Design Ltd (who are architects and engineers) and the Bracknell building merchant Jubilee Building Supplies, which also has an online shopping operation. He was also a shareholder in The 33 Group Ltd, which lets out commercial property in Bracknell.

Nike funded The John Nike Athletics Stadium at the Bracknell Sport and Leisure Centre in 1984, The John Nike Lecture Theatre in the Agriculture Building at the University of Reading in 2000, The John Nike Digital Suite at South Hill Park in Bracknell in 2004 and The John Nike Dance Studio at The Brakenhale School in Bracknell in 2011.

He lived in Binfield. Nike died at a hospital in Reading on 25 December 2016.^[1]

Honours

• Nike was appointed as an
  Officer of the Order of the British Empire
  (OBE) in the 2002 New Year Honours List for services to business and the community in Bracknell
• Nike was commissioned as a
  Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire
  in 2005
• Nike was admitted as an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Bracknell Forest in 2013

References

• Nike Group of Companies – 25 years on
• Honorary Freedom of the Borough Award

External links

• Nike Group of Companies
• John Nike Leisuresport Ltd
• Leisuresport World
• Techmat 2000
• Perma-snow
• The Coppid Beech Hotel
• Nike Construction Ltd
• Nike Design Ltd
• Jubilee Building Supplies
• The John Nike Athletics Stadium
• The John Nike Lecture Theatre
• The John Nike Digital Suite
• The John Nike Dance Studio
• Sunday Times Rich List 2006