ELQ International, or Edward Louis Quartermaine International, (formerly ELQ Industries and ELQ Enterprises) is a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Port Charles. Owned by the wealthy Quartermaines, it is one of the largest businesses in the region. It is a rival company with nearby Chandler Enterprises and Buchanan Enterprises.
History
1980s and 90s
In 1980, Luke Spencer takes a job with the wealthy Edward Quartermaine and his niece Alexandria, who are searching for the Ice Princess, the world's largest uncut diamond. Laura Baldwin was soon hired as a secretary for Edward, which pleased Luke but Laura was also shocked when she discovered Luke was working for ELQ.
In 1984, Edward discovers what it is like to be broke when his daughter-in-law Monica and her new flame, Sean Donely, organize a hostile takeover, storm into ELQ's boardroom and take the company away from the Quartermaines. Lila Quartermaine, Edward's wife, makes their fortune back with a new business called Pickle-Lila.
In 1990, When Tracy's former beau David McAlister, wound up murdered with Tracy as the prime suspect. She asked Scott Baldwin to defend her which he only agreed to do, after he was granted the position as General Counsel at ELQ. After a short affair, Tracy became involved with the new CEO of ELQ, Paul Hornsby.
In 1991, Edward and his grandson Ned are successful at getting ELQ back from Paul Hornsby.
In 1996, Sonny Corinthos invests in ELQ; Jasper Jacks also gets a spot on the ELQ board. Neither of these makes Edward happy, especially when Jax teams up with Edward's daughter Tracy Quartermaine to take over ELQ. Ned's wife Lois was especially angry when Ned resumed his post as CEO of ELQ to help fend off Tracy and Jax.
Founder and former CEO, Edward Louis Quartermaine
In 1998, Edward promises his grandson A.J. the CEO position at ELQ if he can bring A.J.'s son Michael home to the Quartermaines. If A.J. succeeds, Ned will be out of a job. Edward is forced to eat his words when A.J. is able to bring Michael into the Quartermaine fold by marrying Michael's mother, Carly. A.J. threatens to leave with his new family if Edward doesn't fork over the CEO position. So, A.J. is appointed CEO, and Ned leaves, telling Edward that he will not come in and save the family again, especially when the whole thing blows up in his face.
2000s
In 2000, Edward kicks A.J. out of the CEO position when he learns that A.J. has burned down Sonny's warehouse, and for losing Michael. With ELQ without a CEO (Ned will not come back), Edward makes an odd move in courting corporate raider Jasper Jacks. Edward hopes that Ned will swoop in to save the company like he had done previously when Jax tried to buy out ELQ, but Ned remains true to his promise of not returning. Edward has a stroke of luck when Jax forgets about ELQ to go after a drug company to obtain medication for Lila's distant cousin Chloe Morgan from Helena Cassadine. Jax sells his shares of ELQ, which had come from A.J. and Tracy, to Edward. Edward then takes over as CEO of ELQ.
In 2001, Edward is outraged when he is voted out of the CEO position in favor of his granddaughter Skye Chandler-Quartermaine. Later that year when Jax sells controlling interest of ELQ to Lila, Edward hopes she'll make him CEO again. But, Lila tells him that he will be co-CEO with Skye. Edward has no choice but to accept Lila's decision.
When Edward fakes a stroke in 2002, Lila, uncertain of Edward's chances of a recovery, appoints Ned CEO of ELQ. Ned intends to use ELQ to go after mobster Sonny Corinthos, much to Edward's dismay.
ELQ seen in the Port Charles Skyline
In 2003, A.J. once again gets his chance to run ELQ when he becomes CEO after Ned is falsely accused of rape. However, A.J. later empties the Quartermaines' bank accounts and leaves town with Lydia Karenin, leaving Edward to step in as CEO once again. Skye is later booted off the ELQ board by Edward after learning that she is in fact not a Quartermaine.
When the ELQ-owned Port Charles Hotel burns down thanks to faulty wiring, Edward wants to take responsibility for the fire, but Tracy convinces him that it will be best for ELQ if he remaines quiet. While Edward recoveres from a heart attack that nearly killed him, Edward's grandson Justus Ward convinces Edward that he should act senile to avoid responsibility for the fire. Tracy takes advantage of the situation and goes after ELQ. Eventually, an arson report relieves the family of responsibility for the fire, and a battle for control over ELQ breaks out between Tracy and Edward with Tracy's son Dillon holding the deciding vote. Dillon is forced to side with his mother, and Tracy is named CEO.
In 2005, Tracy's husband Luke agrees to help Tracy maintain her position as CEO of ELQ for three months, which will be long enough to solidify the position. When it is time to vote for the new CEO of ELQ, Luke doesn't support his wife, and she loses out to mobster Lorenzo Alcazar.
In 2006, ELQ faces several lawsuits, after producing faulty condoms which cause the pregnancies of Elizabeth Webber by Edward's grandson Jason Morgan and Luke's daughter Lulu Spencer by Dillon.
In 2011, Edward pitches the idea of having Michael intern at ELQ. Jason tells him that Michael already has a job working for Sonny, but it is up to Michael to make the decision. Not giving up, Edward offers Michael's girlfriend Abby Haver a well-paying job at ELQ, under the provision that she gets Michael to work there alongside her. Edward is delighted when Michael accepts his offer, much to Sonny and Carly's dismay. Abby enjoys her work at ELQ, but Michael does not feel the same way and quits shortly after.
Edward with former CEO Tracy Quartermaine at ELQ. (2012)
Later, Tracy reaches out to Edward when mobster Anthony Zacchara threatens to inform the authorities and the Soleito family that she had secretly funneled her ex-husband Gino Soleito's money into ELQ years before.
Edward's passing and aftermath
In 2012, Edward dies and wills 60% of his stock to his living grandchildren (currently 10% each to A.J. Quartermaine, Skye Chandler-Quartermaine, Dillon Quartermaine, Ned Ashton, Jason Morgan [even though he was missing and presumed dead at the time]) and Robert Frank; 30% to his living great-grandchildren (currently 5% each to Michael Corinthos, Lila Rae Alcazar, Brook Lynn Ashton, Maya Ward [her mother Faith was never mentioned as to whether she inherited or is deceased], Danny Morgan and Kiki Jerome [although she's not biologically a Quartermaine, she is thought to be]); and 5% each to Edward's daughter-in-law Monica Quartermaine and the long-time Quartermaine maid Alice Gunderson. Edward's daughter Tracy Quartermaine does not inherit any stock, only the last jar of her mother Lila's Pickle-Lila relish, and Tracy mentions that Edward's son Jimmy Lee Holt had been written out of their father's will years before.
A.J. wants to be CEO of the company. He has voting support from Michael, Skye, Lila Rae and Monica. Tracy has voting support from Dillon, Ned, Brook Lynn, Maya and Alice. Both sides are tied at 41%, initially making Sam Morgan the deciding factor. She has controlling interest in Jason's and Danny's shares. She decides to split her shares to make both sides at 50%. To break the tie, secondary common shareholders (initially non-voting) have the deciding vote. It turns out that Lucy Coe, former daughter-in-law of Edward, has 1% that Edward didn't get back before he passed away. After Tracy agrees to the terms to underwrite The Nurses' Ball, lets Lucy move in to the Quartermaine Mansion and makes Lucy co-CEO of ELQ with her, Lucy gives her support to Tracy. (1-10-13)
Soon after becoming co-CEO, Lucy has a psychotic break and is confined to Ferncliff Asylum after attacking police detective John McBain believing that he is vampire Caleb Morley. A.J. and Michael then obtain proof that Tracy had funneled mob money from her deceased husband Gino Soleito through ELQ, and blackmail her into resigning and naming A.J. CEO. (1-28-13)
Tracy with former CEO A.J. Quartermaine at ELQ. (2013)
The government seizes the assets of ELQ, and this prompts AJ and Tracy to fight for control. Tracy then remembers that she inherited her mother's Pickle-Lila relish, which gives her the idea to save the company by marketing the relish for sale again. Meanwhile, A.J., Michael and the newly-hired Duke Lavery have the same idea, and both sides scramble to find the recipe to the relish before the other. A.J. has GH lab tech Ellie Trout identify the ingredients for the recipe, and Tracy steals the recipe. She gives orders to mass produce the relish so that she can revitalize the company and vote A.J. out as the CEO with the assistance of the mystery Quartermaine heir.
The mystery Quartermaine heir
While talking to his ex-wife Carly Jacks, A.J. suspects that she possibly knows about another Quartermaine heir due to her reaction when he mentions that they know all the heirs. Carly, however, won't give him any information. A.J.'s cousin Ned was listening in, and tells his mother Tracy about this.
Tracy then asks her ex-husband Luke Spencer to ask his niece Carly for information about the heir, but she only knows that the previously-unknown grandson of Edward, Robert Frank, had mentioned to her years before that he had a daughter named Lauren. Tracy then hires private investigator Damian Spinelli to find Lauren Frank for her. Tracy is forced to sign over ELQ to AJ for enbezzling mob money into ELQ. However, Damian Spinelli defects to AJ's side when he decides to not betray his girlfriend, Ellie Trout, a second time. Tracy hires Luke to track down Lauren Jerome (Franco's percieved daughter) and AJ has Spinelli track her down as well. Luke gets to Franco's illegally adopted mother's place first and she decides to side with Tracy. She gives Spinelli an address to a woman that woman's father had a debt to repay Luke. Spinelli talks to the woman and wastes time there, while Luke is talking to Ava Jerome (Lauren's mother). Luke reveals to Spinelli that it was indeed him that sent Spinelli on the wrong path and he assumes that Luke found Lauren. AJ and Tracy go on The Chew to have a battle of the condiments. The food experts on The Chew, various personnel, and even AJ's girlfriend Elizabeth get food poisoning, thanks to Robert "Franco" Frank who was responsible.
With Franco now revealed to be alive and the reveal of Kiki Jerome is Franco's daughter, the grandchildren now each have 10% of stock and 5% goes to each of the great-grandchildren. Tracy decides to try to go through with the takeover and summons a shareholder's meeting due to her majority of shareholders (with her original 42.5%, and Ava Jerome's proxy of 10%). Diane Miller presides over the shareholders meeting and helps with the online voting for shareholders not present (like Ned, Dillon, Maya, etc). It was thought that Tracy would win with Franco's shares with Ava voting giving Tracy 52.5% and Kiki Jerome aligning with AJ due to the fact her mother and her "aunt" called a corporate meeting. The vote is taken and it's revealed that AJ Quartermaine as of now retains his position as CEO with the 52.5%/47.5% (with a 5% shareholder flipping over to AJ's side). Alice Gunderson, a 5% shareholder, flipped over to AJ's side. AJ makes Alice a "honorary Vice President and head of security" then kicks Ava and Tracy out of his boardroom.
Connie Falconeri then overhears Sonny and Morgan Corinthos talking to each other about Kiki not being Franco's biological daughter. Connie, trying to save her paper The Press from going under, wants to break the story, so she goes to her friend Tracy for help in getting proof. Tracy lets Connie into Ava and Franco's bedroom, where Connie finds Kiki's birth certificate, which lists Silas Clay as the father. Connie prints the story Kiki not a Q on the front page of the paper the next morning, letting the whole town know that the ELQ vote was invalid since Kiki didn't have the right to vote since she is not a Quartermaine and therefore not included in Edward's will.
Without Kiki being a stockholder, Edward's living great-grandchildren are back to having 6% each, instead of 5%. The new percentages add up to a 50-50 tie between A.J. and Tracy. Tracy then goes to Lucy to secure her 1% of the non-voting stock, which she needs to be the tie breaker. Lucy gives Tracy her 1% and breaks the tie.
2014
Tracy once again became CEO and A.J. went back to drinking soon becoming a prime suspect in Connie Falconeri's murder. After A.J. was murdered by Sonny Corinthos, Fluke started taking an interest in ELQ wanting to use it to fund his drug operation. When Fluke wanted to marry Tracy to gain control of ELQ, Ned Ashton became suspicious because of Luke's pass misdeeds. Ned gained even more suspicion when he and Michael discovered Fluke was making passes at Kiki Jerome. Fluke succeeded in marrying Tracy forcing Ned and Michael to quickly convince the other stock holders to remove Tracy as CEO. Not wanting the position to leave the family Michael stepped in and Tracy vowed revenge. While acting as CEO, Michael hired his brother Morgan Corinthos to oversee ELQ's waterfront restoration project. According to Michael, ELQ had been working with the community to revitalize the area, building new high rises and restoring homes such as the Brownstone.
Personnel
- Michael Corinthos - CEO
- Morgan Corinthos - Brownstone Renovation Project Manager
- Tracy Quartermaine
- In control (in 2013)
- A.J. Quartermaine - Controls 21% of voting stock (his own 12% and 9% via proxy from Sam Morgan)
- Skye Chandler-Quartermaine - Controls 18% of voting stock (her own 12% and Lila Rae Alcazar's 6%)
- Ned Ashton - Voting stockholder (12%)
- Dillon Quartermaine - Voting stockholder (12%)
- Tracy Quartermaine - Controls 9% of voting stock (via proxy from Sam Morgan); non-voting stockholder
- Brook Lynn Ashton - Voting stockholder (6%)
- Michael Corinthos - Voting stockholder (6%); via proxy from Carly Jacks who controls it
- Maya Ward - Voting stockholder (6%)
- Alice Gunderson - Voting stockholder (5%)
- Monica Quartermaine - Voting stockholder (5%)
- Lucy Coe - Non-voting stockholder (1%)
- Not in control (in 2013)
- Sam Morgan - Controls 18% of voting stock (Jason Morgan's 12% and Danny Morgan's 6%); proxy of 9% each given to A.J. Quartermaine and Tracy Quartermaine
- Jason Morgan - Voting stockholder (12%), non-voting stockholder; controlled by Sam Morgan, who gave a proxy to A.J. Quartermaine and Tracy Quartermaine
- Lila Rae Alcazar - Voting stockholder (6%); controlled by Skye Chandler-Quartermaine
- Carly Jacks - Controls Michael Corinthos's 6% of voting stock; gave proxy to Michael
- Danny Morgan - Voting stockholder (6%); controlled by Sam Morgan, who gave a proxy to A.J. Quartermaine and Tracy Quartermaine
- Bold typeface represents the current CEO
- Edward Quartermaine (1978-1989)
- Alan Quartermaine (1989-1990)
- Ned Ashton (1990-1991)
- Paul Hornsby (1991)
- Ned Ashton (1991-1996)
- Edward Quartermaine (1996)
- Ned Ashton (1996-1999)
- A.J. Quartermaine (1999-2000)
- Edward Quartermaine (2000-2001)
- Skye Chandler-Quartermaine (2001-2002)
- Co-CEO Edward Quartermaine (2002)
- Co-CEO Skye Chandler-Quartermaine (2002)
- Edward Quartermaine (2002)
- Ned Ashton (2002-2003)
- A.J. Quartermaine (2003)
- Ned Ashton (2003-2004)
- Edward Quartermaine (2004)
- Tracy Quartermaine (2004-2005)
- Lorenzo Alcazar (2005)
- Tracy Quartermaine (2005-2013)
- Co-CEO Tracy Quartermaine (2013)
- Co-CEO Lucy Coe (2013)
- A.J. Quartermaine (2013)
- Tracy Quartermaine (2013-2014)
- Michael Corinthos (2014-present)
- Those that appear in bold are current personnel
- Lila Rae Alcazar - Voting stockholder (6%) [in control of Skye Chandler-Quartermaine]
- Lorenzo Alcazar - Former stockholder (30%); former CEO
- Brook Lynn Ashton - Voting stockholder (6%)
- Ned Ashton - Former CEO; voting stockholder (12%)
- Lee Baldwin - Former Chief Legal Counsel
- Scott Baldwin - Former stockholder, former Chief Legal Counsel
- Julia Barrett - Former stockholder
- Amanda Barrington - Former board member
- Katherine Bell - Former stockholder
- Asher Caldwell - Former employee
- Skye Chandler-Quartermaine - Former CEO, former board member, voting stockholder (12%), controls Lila Rae Alcazar's voting stock (6%)
- Lucy Coe - Former Co-CEO, non-voting stockholder (1%)
- Michael Corinthos - CEO; former junior executive; voting stockholder (6%)
- Sonny Corinthos - Former board member, former stockholder
- Alexis Davis - Former Chief Legal Counsel
- Bill Eckert - Former stockholder
- Alice Gunderson - Former honorary Vice President, former security adviser, voting stockholder (5%)
- Abby Haver - Former executive assistant
- Paul Hornsby - Former CEO
- Carly Jacks - Former stockholder (30%)
- Jasper "Jax" Jacks - Former stockholder
- Ava Jerome - Former director of special projects
- Duke Lavery - Former employee
- Danny Morgan - Voting stockholder (6%) [in control of Sam Morgan who gave A.J. and Tracy Quartermaine each half via proxy]
- Jason Morgan - Voting stockholder (12%), non-voting stockholder [in control of Sam Morgan who gave A.J. and Tracy Quartermaine each half via proxy]
- Sam Morgan - Former employee, controls Jason and Danny Morgan's voting stock (18%) [gave half each via proxy to A.J. and Tracy Quartermaine]
- A.J. Quartermaine - Former CEO; former employee; voting stockholder (12%)
- Alan Quartermaine - Former stockholder; former CEO
- Alex Quartermaine - Former employee
- Dillon Quartermaine - Former employee; voting stockholder (12%)
- Edward Quartermaine - Founder, former controlling shareholder, former owner, former Chairman of the Board, former CEO
- Lila Quartermaine - Former stockholder
- Monica Quartermaine - Voting stockholder (5%), non-voting stockholder
- Tracy Quartermaine - Former CEO; board member; non-voting stockholder
- Laura Spencer - Former secretary
- Luke Spencer - Employee
- Cheryl Stansbury - Former employee
- Justus Ward - Former board member; former Chief Legal Counsel
- Maya Ward - Voting stockholder (6%)
Subsidiaries
- L&B Records — Record label founded by Edward's grandson Ned Ashton and his wife Lois Cerullo, seized by Edward Quartermaine in 1996
- Donely Shipping — Shipping company once owned by Sean Donely
- Jacks Cosmetics — Cosmetics company founded by Jasper Jacks
- CoeCoe Cosmetics - Cosmetices company owned and founded by former ELQ co-CEO Lucy Coe
- Chloe Morgan Designs - Design company owned by Chloe Morgan, and later by her distant cousin and Edward's wife Lila Quartermaine
- Port Charles Hotel — Elegant hotel that was purchased by the Quartermaines in 1993 until it burned down, The Metro Court was built on this site, which ELQ never owned.
- Pickle-Lila — Pickle relish manufacturer founded by Lila Quartermaine
- Pickle-Eddy — Pickle relish manufacturer founded by Tracy Quartermaine
- Lila's Kids Summer Camp — Youth camp established in honor of benefactor Lila Quartermaine
