Thwaites review: two directors exit

Brewer Daniel Thwaites' retail director Paul Howarth and property director Malcolm Harrison are to leave the company, the Morning Advertiser has learnt.

The decision follows a strategic review of the Blackburn company's business, which will also see the appointment of a new commercial director to control brand and new product marketing.

Sales director Brian Jenkins, who was due to retire next year, is to remain at the Star Brewery for two extra years but will lose marketing responsibilities to enable him to push freetrade business into new areas.

Managing director Peter Morris, who joined Thwaites last May, stressed that Howarth and Harrison will both be replaced. He said the company's new-look operations board would enable the company to "beef up" its business.

Morris denied reports that Thwaites planned to put a large tranche of pubs up for sale, but said the company would continue to off-load between 20 and 30 houses per year.

He said Thwaites had historically run too many pubs in too few areas, especially in its industrial east Lancashire heartland, and it needed to broaden its horizons.

He stressed that no further redundancies on top of the 25 announced three weeks ago were envisaged. "The current board has been together 10 years, which is too long, and we need new blood to help us capitalise on our strengths which have been underplayed over the past few years.

"These changes will help Thwaites push its business forward, particularly in brewing and brand development. We are the biggest brewer in the north but need to break out from what has been a parochial environment and become much more cosmopolitan in our thinking," he said.

Both Howarth and Harrison will remain with the company for the next two months and announcements about new heads of the pub and property departments plus the appointment of a new commercial director will follow.