Johnson Service Group confirms CEO succession and Apparelmaster MD

Textile and workwear specialist Johnson Service Group today confirmed that Peter Egan’s appointment as chief operating officer will take effect on April 1, ahead of him taking up the role of chief executive officer.

The group, based in Preston Brook, Runcorn, also announced today that Gerry Moore will be appointed as managing director of its Apparelmaster brand with effect from April 30.

Mr Moore joins JSG with more than 25 years’ experience within the textile rental sector where he has held a number of senior positions in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

As previously announced, current chief executive Chris Sander has agreed to remain with the group until the end of 2018 in order to ensure a smooth and effective handover to Mr Egan.

Mr Sander said: “We are pleased to have recruited someone of Gerry’s calibre to lead our Apparelmaster workwear business.

“Gerry has a proven commercial track record, is very customer focused and has excellent people skills.

“We have the strength and depth across our management and operational teams to support our business during its next chapter of growth.”

Headquartered in Cheshire, JSG provides textile rental and related services across the UK.

The group is a leading supplier of workwear and protective wear in the UK, clothing more than 1.3 million people a week.

It also provides premium linen services for the hotel, catering and hospitality markets, and high-volume hotel linen services, processing approximately 8.5 million items a week.

Its famous Mersey dry cleaning business, Johnson Cleaners, was sold to Wythenshawe-based shoe repair chain Timpson for £8.25m in its 200th birthday year, in January 2017.

The cleaning firm started life in Liverpool in 1817 as a silk dying firm. It was based in a landmark headquarters in Mildmay Road, Bootle.