Fothergill & Harvey plc & Fothergill Symonds Ltd.
Positions & Achievements
Internal Consultant to Group Board (1985-1986)
Fothergill & Harvey had a policy of bringing in potential CEO's into their business as consultants for a period to get them used to the culture of the organisation plus get them to understand what was a small but complex plc. I planned and had accepted a major rationalisation of the group’s major industrial textile subsidiary from 5 sites to 3. I also established strategic acquisition policy for group and led negotiations on one proposed acquisition.
Managing Director Fothergill Symonds Ltd. (1987-1990)
I became CEO of this subsidiary of the group specialising in coated products for the international defence and electrical industry with turnover of £6 million and 150 staff on 3 sites (2 in London and 1 in Blackburn). I prepared and had accepted a £3 million capital proposal to relocate and re-equip the 2 sites in London on to a single site in Runcorn. This included employing a totally new workforce as only a few of the original employees moved north. The move was achieved within budget and ahead of schedule with minimum disruption to business. Maintained support of southern workforce (the majority of whom were made redundant) to the point that they willingly helped in the training of the new workforce.
In 1988 Fothergill & Harvey was bought in a hostile take-over by Courtaulds for its senior management and innovative expertise. However the philosophies of the two organisations did not gel at management level and the majority of the subsidiary MD's and Directors, including myself left within 2 years. As a result the group was broken off and a lot sold off or integrated into other parts of Courtalds who did not gain value for the acquisition.