3 September 2024
Ultimate Products plc
"Ultimate Products" or "the Group"
Non-Executive Director Board Changes
Ultimate Products, the owner of a number of leading homeware brands including Salter (the UK's oldest houseware brand, est.1760) and Beldray (est.1872), announces the appointment to the Board of two new Non-Executive Directors - Andrew Milne and José Carlos González-Hurtado - both with effect from 28 October 2024. In addition, Jill Easterbrook has notified the Board of her intention to step down as a Non-Executive Director on the same date.
Andrew has been CEO of AIM-listed Nichols plc, a diversified soft drinks business, since 2021 having joined Nichols as Commercial Director in 2013. He was previously a Sales Director for Coca Cola Enterprises, prior to which he held a variety of commercial roles at GSK, after having started his career at Marks & Spencer. He holds a BSc in Business and Technology from Sheffield Hallam University.
José Carlos is Senior Advisor to global private equity firm Advent International and to Roland Berger, an international management consultancy. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Dichter & Neira, a leading international data and market research company, and until recently was an advisor to Mintec Ltd, a leading provider of global commodity price data and market intelligence. He was previously President of International for Information Resources, Inc., a technology and data company, Group Chief Commercial Officer for international retailer Carrefour, and VP and Officer at Procter & Gamble, where he spent more than 20 years and has led a variety of global and regional businesses. He holds an MBA and a Masters in Law (equivalent) from Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid) and has lectured on Marketing and Business subjects in several universities in Spain and Israel.
Christine Adshead, Chair of Ultimate Products, commented:
"I am delighted to be welcoming two exceptionally high calibre individuals to the Board of Ultimate Products in the form of Andrew and José Carlos. Andrew brings with him an in-depth knowledge of the UK consumer goods landscape and a track record of success in a variety of commercial and management roles. José Carlos' vast experience of running and advising businesses across Europe will be hugely additive to our own ambitious growth plans for that region. I would also like to thank Jill for her significant contribution to Ultimate Products in her four years on the Board, and to wish her the very best for her future endeavours."
Other than the directorships disclosed above for Andrew Milne and José Carlos González-Hurtado, there are no matters requiring disclosure under UK Listing Rule 6.4.8.
For more information, please contact:
Ultimate Products +44 (0) 161 627 1400
Andrew Gossage, CEO
Chris Dent, CFO
Shore Capital +44 (0) 20 7408 4090
Mark Percy
Malachy McEntyre
David Coaten
Harry Davies-Ball
Isobel Jones
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited + 44 (0)20 7220 0500
Carl Holmes (Corporate Finance)
Matt Goode (Corporate Finance)
Abigail Kelly (Corporate Finance)
Charlie Combe (ECM)
Sodali & Co +44 (0) 207 250 1446
Rob Greening
Sam Austrums
Oliver Banks
This announcement is made in accordance with UK Listing Rule 6.4.6.
Notes to Editors
Ultimate Products is the owner of a number of leading homeware brands including Salter (the UK's oldest houseware brand, established in 1760) and Beldray (a laundry, floor care, heating and cooling brand that was established in 1872). According to its market research, nearly 80% of UK households own at least one of the Group's products.
Ultimate Products sells to over 300 retailers across 38 countries, and specialises in five product categories: Small Domestic Appliances; Housewares; Laundry; Audio; and Heating and Cooling. Other brands include Progress (cookware and bakeware), Kleeneze (laundry and floorcare), Petra (small domestic appliances) and Intempo (audio).
The Group's products are sold to a broad cross-section of both large national and international multi-channel retailers as well as smaller national retail chains, incorporating discount retailers, supermarkets, general retailers and online retailers.
Founded in 1997, Ultimate Products employs over 370 staff, a significant number of whom have joined via the Group's graduate development scheme, and is headquartered in Oldham, Greater Manchester, where it has design, sales, marketing, buying, quality assurance, support functions and warehouse facilities across two sites. Manor Mill, the Group's head office, includes a spectacular 20,000 sq ft showroom that showcases each of its brands. In addition, the Group has an office and showroom in Guangzhou, China and in Paris, France.
Please note that Ultimate Products is not the owner of Russell Hobbs. The company currently has licence agreements in place granting it an exclusive licence to use the "Russell Hobbs" trademark for cookware and laundry (NB this does not include Russell Hobbs electrical appliances).
For further information, please visit www.upplc.com.