Osborne GC

The Osborne Group of Companies, commonly referred to as Osborne, is one of the largest conglomerates within the EotLP.

Founding in the NRR

Michael Norman Osborne was born in the Irin region of the Catlish Empire, under the rule of Queen Vetka II, in the year 176. From a young age, Osborne showed technical and intellectual proficiency, and due to his family's good connections, he found an admirable education in the failing state. As he aged, and furthered his primary and secondary education, Empress Sharon, Empress Elean II, Emperor Tisym, Emperor William V, and finally Empress Joane all came and went, until the Latian Republic conquered the Plateau and destroyed the Catlish Dynasty. Osborne's father, John Fel Osborne, made every effort to keep his only son safe, which he managed to do, long enough for Michael to start his post-secondary education at the University of New Sparta. However, in 197, the New Roman Republic began easing their immigration process, and Michael and his father emigrated to the NRR, and began to look into several Business ventures within the NRR.

Osborne started the first high-class restaurant and Hotel in New Rome, known as The Lazy J, and made his fortune in the food business, before expanding into other sectors. The Lazy J opened two more locations within Nova Italia, and

Osborne's first expansion came in 201, when he opened a new skyscraper in LEGOtown, which at 6 floors tall was the tallest steel-and-glass construction in Nova Italia to that point. Most of the Office space was rented out, but Osborne also began a very successful set of Radio Stations based out of LEGO Tower, as it would become known, one in his native Leggish (A sub-dialect of Iselian Latin), Patrie Carman, and one in the NRR's official Iselian Latin, Publica Vox. Aside from the government-run 5 Radio Stations, Patrie Carman and Publica Vox. An intern on the project began proposing the idea of Satellite-broadcast Radio and TV throughout the NRR, and Osborne picked up the idea and began to investigate and invest into the idea. As soon as the Intern, Julia Yuvenis, graduated from high school (at the young age of 16), Osborne funded her post-secondary Education at the University of New Rome, and hired her part-time to assist in designing the first Osborne - branded satellites.

As time rolled on, it became clear to Yuvenis and Osborne that within the context of the NRR and EotBTH, outsourcing rocket launches would be exorbitantly expensive. However, the NRR lacked suitable locations to launch rockets internally. To overcome this, Osborne opened a new operation under the growing umbrella of the Osborne GC, called the New Rome Space Program (NRSP), which aimed to find a novel way to put satellites into Orbit from NRR soil. In the meantime, Yuvenis had also began to make romantic moves on Michael, and in the year 204, they were married, when he was aged 28, and she 18. This caused quite a bit of public controversy over their age differences, and her position within the NRSP. However, she clearly earned her keep at the NRSP, where she and Michael invented a new system of Space Launch. Dubbed the Osborne Slow Ascent Vehicle (OSAV), it was made up of a very sophisticated, air-ship-jet hybrid, which reached altitudes where the atmosphere was sufficiently thin that significant weight could be saved by eliminating aerodynamic pieces on a very small rocket, which was capable of putting a single Satellite into orbit at a time. The OSAV was only capable of carrying a single one of these Satellite Launchers, but it's successor (OSAVII) was capable of carrying up to 5.

With these systems now in Place, the range of Patrie Carman and Publica Vox grew exponentially, and in 205 they were joined by six TV Stations in three languages, With a News and general entertainment station in Latian Greek, Leggish, and Iselian Latin each, (Kathimarinés Istores, Cotodien Fabullan, and Holernae Hiskolia respectively), a Sports Channel in Leggish and Iselian Latin, (Makimas ludor, and De Republika Sporta), and an Iselian Children's Channel, Tempius Meuk. These went on to be not only incredibly popular within the EotLP, but popular outside as well.

In 205, Julia and Michael had their first children, twins named Sarah and Leonard. On the 1st of 209, four years later, Perseus Osborne, their third child was born.

Later in 205, while running some experiments for personal amusement and interest, Michael discovered that the air about 30,000 feet above the NRR was unusual and had many health benefits. To this end, Julia and Michael added another company to the group, Osborne Air, which would purchase cargo space on the OSAVs and OSAVIIs, and would bottle and can air from this area above the NRR, and resell it for the health benefits. Just three years later, in 208, several large businessmen banded together to buy out Osborne Air, for $ 2.3 Billion MON. AirSupply, as the company was renamed to, continued to pay for rides to the special air pocket on OSAV and OSAVIIs, but increased the operation's size to the point that, in just 7 years, they extracted all of the special, healing air, and AirSupply went Bust.

In 208, Michael was knighted by the Roman Consuls, Lucius Rufus Brutus and Horatio Iulius Tiberius, for his many contributions to the Economy and Social Landscape of the NRR.

In 210, Michael was elected to the NRR Senate, a very small and powerful group of people, made up of just 14 members, presided over by the single vote of the two Consuls. Among the most notable members of the Senate were Dracula Philips Davis, and Sir George Píthikos Simia.

In 216, a huge blow was dealt to the NRR Economy, and the Osborne Family, when the EotBTH, the NRR's Suzerain, passed down several new laws limiting the number of Legoian-origin citizens that could reside in the NRR, which forced the NRR to deport many Legoian-Origin citizens back to the Irin region, which had come under NRR control just a few years earlier for the second time, after a quick succession of overlords, including the Latian Republic, the Latian Spartan Rebellion, and the BensBed Republic. This caused huge uproar among Legoian-origin Romans, many of whom had lived their entire lives, or had their entire livelihoods connected to Nova Italia, and this was often one of the reasons cited for the later Rennian Rebellions. The Osborne's found easy permission to remain in Nova Italia, but their businesses suffered greatly. However, Michael used the opportunity of slow business to turn his attention more fully to Politics.

Michael never truly found further success in Business in the NRR, although the companies he had set up continued to make large amounts of money all the way through the end of the NRR's life.

In 227, among the broadcast

Transition to the EotLP

As the EotLP Engulfed the remains of the NRR, Michael and his family were all pardoned of any crimes by Sergio Ren, Emperor of the EotLP, and Michael was offered the position of Finance Minister in of the EotLP from 229 - 233. He accepted, and did marvellously to bolster the economy and make huge steps forward.

Integration with EotLP Government

To support and capitalize on the EotLP's Expansionist Agenda, the Osbornes founded three new branches - OsborneSpace, Osborne Aerospace, and Osborne Nautical Systems. OsborneSpace was headed up by a technical lead team of Leo and Sarah, and Osborne Aerospace was headed up by Julia on the technical angle, while Osborne NS was led technically by Michael.

OsborneSpace developed a novel, high-density fuel, that allowed them to create highly efficient and sophisticated rockets and launch systems, creating the EotLP's first Orbit-Capable rockets and launchers. Due to the low cost and high demand for Osborne's Launchers, OS became hugely profitable, and became the new public face of the Osborne GC. However, the endeavour had started in tragedy; Leo had launched on the first OS Mission alone, before sufficient testing had been completed, and the rocket had abruptly exploded mid-flight and his life had been cut tragically short.

Osborne Aerospace focused on producing long - range planes for both Cargo and Passenger Applications, on the civilian and military fronts. Their flagship products were the OA1 Pegasus, a hyper-capable Attack Helicopter, and the O5 Firebird Direct Combat Fighter, a suitable supplement to the EotLP's every-growing military. They also produced three models of civilian aircraft

Subsidiaries and Structure

OsborneSpace

Main Article: OsborneSpace

Originally registered as a subsidiary of Osborne Telecommunications,

Osborne MOVE

Osborne Automotive

Osborne Formula Lego Team (First Iteration)

Main Article: Osborne GC Engineering Formula LEGO Team

Osborne Formula Lego Team (Second Iteration)

Main Article: Osborne Racing