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Anglo American restructure 'new' Tarmac

AS expected with a merger of this scale, there have been several casualties among Tarmac's top ranks.

Tarmac plc's group chief executive Roy Harrison has relinquished his executive responsibilities but has agreed to represent the new group on the Construction Producers Association and the Advisory Council on Business and the Environment. Bill Bolsover, Tarmac Quarry Products' chief operating officer, Chris Bunker, finance director, and Topmix managing director Keith Bryan have also been squeezed out in the shake-up.

Meanwhile, the newly created board of executive directors of AIM's 'new' Tarmac Group comprises: Keith Jackson, David Cather, John Bowater, Neil Evans, Peter Rothwell and Ken Riley. They will report to Robbie Robertson, chief executive officer of AIM, who in turn will report to Tony Trahar, chairman of both the new Tarmac Group and AIM, and an executive director of Anglo American plc.

 

Within the Tarmac Group a new regional structure for quarries, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete is being established, with the creation of four autonomous companies, each with its own executive board. Tarmac Northern, under the managing directorship of Graham Greenhalgh (former managing director of Tilcon North), will cover Scotland and much of northern England; Tarmac Central, under Clive James (former managing director of Tilcon South), will cover the Midlands and part of North Wales; Tarmac Western, under Tim Hall (former managing director of Nash Rocks), will cover the rest of Wales, Shropshire and Hereford and Worcester; and Tarmac Southern, under Paul Gwilt (former managing director of Midland Quarry Products), will cover the remainder of southern England.

The following executive directors have been appointed to run the four regional businesses:

  • Tarmac Northern: David Baxter (aggregates); John Ibbotson (concrete and mortar); Bob Boyd (finance); and Iain Haldane (business development)
  • Tarmac Central: Stuart Haines (aggregates); Jeremy Hilliard (concrete and mortar); Helen Douglas (finance); Steve Clare (business development); Roger Parnell (cement and lime); and Nick Woods (industrial products)
  • Tarmac Western: Anthony Morgan and Derek Smith (aggregates); and Malcolm Thompson (concrete and mortar)
  • Tarmac Southern: Mike Saunders and Mark Joel (aggregates); John Roberts (concrete and mortar); and Tim Jackson (finance).

Brian Howarth will assume temporary responsibility for Midland Quarry Products until a permanent appointment is made, while in Northern Ireland Jim Tomkies will report to Graham Greenhalgh, managing director of Tarmac Northern. Tarmac Concrete Products will continue to be run by David Blount.

In Europe, Alain Hecquet, president and director general of Tarmac France, and Cipriano Gomez, managing director of Steetley Iberia, will report directly to Robbie Robertson, while Mike Osborne, regional director for the Czech Republic and Poland, will report to Ian Pughsley, managing director Central Europe, who in turn will continue to report to Mr Robertson.

In line with AIM's stated intention to focus on expansion in continental Europe, Tarmac America is to be sold but in the meantime will continue to run as an autonomous company with John Carr as president. Elsewhere in the world operations will continue unchanged, with Stuart Jones, regional director Middle East and India, and Robert Taylor, regional director Greater China, continuing to report to Tarmac Group executive director John Bowater.

At Tarmac's Wolverhampton headquarters, Cedric Hollinsworth and Ian Sharpe, the business group directors responsible for the Tarmac Quarry Products central services departments, will also report directly to Mr Bowater, as will Tarmac Topmix central service functions. On safety, health and environmental services there will be a direct reporting responsibility to Tarmac Group executive director David Cather.

According to AIM, the various management structures under the four new regional boards will be determined by June, and within the same timescale an announcement will be made regarding the future structure of central services in Wolverhampton. In the medium term AIM say it is their intention to consolidate the central services and concrete products operations into a single office in Wolverhampton.

Commenting on the new arrangements, Robbie Robertson said: 'I am confident that the management structure we are setting out will provide the right degree of decentralized, empowered management....and I am also confident that we have the people in place to get the best out of a great business.'

 

 

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