People: Aluminium systems supplier appoints MD; Law firm announces further growth; and more

Aluminium systems supplier Reynaers, which has its UK headquarters in Birmingham, has appointed Richard Hall as managing director for the UK subsidiary of the business.

He will oversee the continued growth of Reynaers as it expands its trade and retail offerings and builds on its success in the commercial sector.

Hall joins from Schaeffler, where he has held board positions for over 12 years, leading on projects across the automotive and industrial sides of the business in the UK and Ireland.

He said: “I was attracted to the role at Reynaers due to the strong emphasis on product leadership and customer relationships. The company has gone from strength to strength, having doubled the number of employees and turnover in the last decade.

“Following Reynaers’ huge successes in the commercial sector, we are looking to continue our growth across the UK. I am also excited about growing our UK trade and retail business. We have a great family culture at Reynaers with a very approachable team, a vast range of innovative products and we are in the enviable position of having a great set of commercial, trade and retail fabrication partners. I am focused on bringing these strengths together to encourage our customers to make use of our stunning Birmingham showroom and training centre.”

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Shropshire law firm GHP Legal will be starting 2019 with the opening of additional new office premises and several additions to departmental teams.

The firm announced the purchase of the former Co-operative bank premises in Oswestry town after merging with Milton Francis & Hughes in October 2018. With a head office in Wrexham and other offices in Chirk and Llangollen, the firm will continue to operate from its existing premises in Oswestry alongside the new offices.

In the firm’s latest round of appointments, solicitors Lowri Gwyn Jones and Ulia Choudhry joined the private client and residential property teams, along with legal executive, Sophie Bebbington. Sarah Tidswell also joined the property team as a qualified solicitor in December after becoming the latest in a long line of trainees to complete a training contract with the firm.

Richard Lloyd, senior partner at GHP Legal, said: “GHP Legal has gone from strength to strength in recent years and is still undergoing strategic growth. A multi-disciplinary practice with four offices serving a client base stretching across more than 10 counties in England and Wales, we are one of the longest standing and largest independent law firms in the region. 2019 promises to be another exciting year for us as we look forward to moving into the new Oswestry premises at The Cross.”

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Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has appointed a new president.

David Penn, of Bromwich Hardy, takes over from John Nollett and follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sydney Penn, who was president of the junior chamber in Coventry in the 1930s.

Penn, who has worked as a property professional in the region for more than 20 years, said his priority is to ensure there is enough employment land for Coventry and Warwickshire’s economy to continue to grow.

He said: “I am very passionate about Coventry and Warwickshire and I am passionate about business and the role it plays in making this region a great place to live and work.

“That is why it is absolutely vital that we tackle the issue around the chronic shortage of employment land. It is a topic that the Chamber of Commerce has been very vocal about in recent years and I want to make sure our voice continues to be heard.

“We need land supply for companies to be able to expand and also to attract inward investors into the area to create jobs and opportunities here.”