SCOTTISH family butcher, Simon Howie Foods, supplier of a range of butchery products to major supermarkets, has appointed former AB World Foods’ Australasia general manager, Andrew Staal, as its new managing director.
The appointment means that former MD Simon Howie becomes chairman of the company as Staal embarks on an ambitious business development drive to grow the firm’s £9 million turnover.
A Mancunian economics graduate, Staal is a commercially rounded, high calibre general manager who has consistently demonstrated an ability to impact the bottom line.
He has spent 15 years with what was Patak’s Foods, initially in an operational role, before moving into the commercial sphere as director of international sales.
Following Patak’s Foods’ acquisition by Associated British Foods in 2007, Staal oversaw the leadership and development of the £15m European business unit prior to his appointment as general manager for Australasia to establish a new company based in Sydney to bring the sales, marketing and distribution of the Patak’s brand in-house.
Commenting on his appointment, Andrew Staal said: “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to join a business that is in such great shape with clear potential to develop its commercial footprint.
“Simon Howie Foods is a business that has really impressed me – it has a portfolio of tasty, high quality products strong in both provenance and heritage, a loyal consumer following and a team of passionate and skilled people here at Dunning.
“My focus over the next few months will be to work with the team to identify and develop the optimum growth strategy for the business, then roll up my sleeves and drive it forward to deliver a step-change. This is just the start of the journey for Simon Howie Foods.”
Simon Howie added: “We’re delighted Andrew has joined us for a number of reasons; not least of which is his strong business development background.
“Andrew combines strong entrepreneurial instincts with sound judgement and outstanding interpersonal skills, together with a passion for leading, developing and working with high performance teams.
“He has a good balance of steely professional management skills and a very personable nature, which is important for our kind of business.
“When I was managing director of the food business, much of my day-to-day activities were taken up with other Group activities and much of the daily operational management of Simon Howie Foods was undertaken by our very strong group of team leaders.
“I’m convinced that the appointment of a managing director dedicated exclusively on the food business will drive growth significantly.”
Simon Howie Foods is part of the Simon Howie Group, which has an annual turnover in excess of £40 million and employs 400 staff across a diverse range of industrial sectors encompassing property, laminates, waste to energy, bulk goods handling and distribution and farming.
ENDS
For further information please contact Emma Loftus on 01764 686010
Issued on behalf of Simon Howie Foods by Liquorice Media tel 0141 561 4018 www.liquorice-media.com
Date 26th September 2011.
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