Yorkshire lawyer takes MD role at Hanson Partners
A FAMILY-owned Yorkshire group, which owns clothing retailer Greenwoods Menswear, has appointed a new managing director to help spearhead its expansion plans.
Well known Leeds lawyer Laura Crawford has joined Hanson Partners as managing director.
The move comes as the private investment group is poised to rapidly expand the regeneration arm of its operations.
The company, based in Greengates, near Bradford, has promoted Mrs Crawford just a year after she joined as legal director from the Leeds office of law firm Eversheds where she was a corporate law specialist.
Over the last 12 months she has worked with chairman John Hanson, the textile entrepreneur, on several transactions including plans for the redevelopment of the former Holdsworth textile mill at Shaw Lodge Mills in Halifax into an £80m urban village.
John Hanson, chairman of Hanson Partners, said: “The past year has been an incredibly active and successful year for the whole group. Laura has been instrumental in our achievements since her appointment in April 2007 and I am delighted to welcome her as the group’s new MD.
“The next 12 months may prove to be a defining year for the group and we are very focused on the exciting opportunities which are presenting themselves in what is clearly a very difficult market for most.”
Mr Hanson’s grandfather Jonas Hanson started the family textile business Parkland in 1903 at Clyde Street Mills in Bingley.
After buying Greenwoods Menswear in 1997 Mr Hanson and his brother Paul have focused Hanson Partners on working with under-performing family businesses to improve and release shareholder value.
Last year the group bought a 20-acre site beside a loch in Kinross from cashmere business Dawson International.
Following a joint venture with the local laird, Jamie Montgomery, the site has been increased to 30-acres and is at the master planning stage to be developed into a retail, residential, leisure and tourism destination.
Hanson Partners was involved in the £2.6m sale of the trading arm of John Holdsworth & Co, the world leading moquette (a plush worsted fabric used in mass transport seating) manufacturer, to Yorkshire-based Camira Fabrics last year, preserving the historic Holdsworth brand.
Other deals have included the acquisition of a 50% stake in a mill site in Mirfield, near Huddersfield to be developed into a rural business park.
Other sites in the group’s property portfolio include a 10-acre Grade II Listed site at Park Valley Mills, Huddersfield and a partially developed site at New Wellington Mills in Oldham.
In April 2008, motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss opened the group’s new £2.5m Speedmaster car showroom and unique “themed” conference centre beside its headquarters in Greengates.
The motor racing themed conference centre is developing into a popular venue for business events and includes a range of historic cars ranging from Ferraris to Lagondas and Jaguars – which are all for sale – and the group’s aim is to develop this business into a “destination” site for motoring events.
The Board of Hanson Partners now comprises John Hanson, chairman; Laura Crawford, group managing director; Richard Davies, group financial director; Paul Hanson, group president & managing director of Speedmaster Conferencing; and James Hanson, managing director of Speedmaster Cars.
