The boss is back in town, as John Davies, former sidelined owner of top soft fruit growers the S&A Group – who had been asked to step aside by Lloyds Bank in April – returned to the fold this week at the company HQ at Brooks Farm, Marden.
A company statement issued to the Journal yesterday said that Frank Green, a local farmer and father-in-law of John Davies, had been appointed as the new managing director of S&A.
But financial director Trevor Gregory denied that Frank Green had been the source of a loan to John Davies, to clear what he had previously described to the Journal as “an issue between him (John Davies) and his bankers and not one between the bank and the company”.
He also said it was wrong of the Journal to have said in its exclusive story on April 1 that a member of Lloyds Bank was spending time on a weekly basis at the S&A HQ.
“We do not have a Lloyds manager in the airing cupboard, although the bank has been very supportive and continues to be so,” said Mr Gregory.
“The issue with the bank was a personal one and nothing to do with the business, and Frank Green coming into the business has made life with Lloyds – in terms of John Davies – more comfortable.
“The bank respects the qualities of the management team,” he said.
The company statement said that John Davies would continue as a company director: “He will advise and support Frank Green in all aspects of the daily running of the business. John Soper (former chairman) will continue on the board as a non executive director.
“The existing management team, who have brought about positive changes in the business in the past 18 months, will remain in place”, it said.
• An S&A planning application for change of use on an agricultural site to accommodate seasonal workers in mobile homes and demountable portable buildings, as well as for ‘Spanish’ polytunnels over strawberries grown on table tops – both at Marden - comes before Herefordshire Council’s central area sub committee today (Wednesday).
