UK finalist 2021
Martin George
Chairman and Owner, Whitworth Bros. Ltd
Being fired from the family business might mean giving up and moving on for some, but not Martin George.
Resilience, guts and vision are key ingredients in any entrepreneurial quest, and Martin has demonstrated these qualities when tasked with turning around the ailing fortunes of Whitworth Bros.
Reinstated to Whitworth Bros at the insistence of the company’s bank, several years after being fired from the business, Martin led a bold turnaround strategy, buying back the flour milling aspect of the business from his family, which at the time was weighed down by ageing mills and a huge pension deficit.
Martin began a series of investments, including six new mills — creating competitive advantage, delivering lower costs per unit, as well as reducing carbon emissions for long-term sustainable operations.
I love to see a business grow, and my family buyout was a personal and business challenge, but the risk I have taken has given us a robust milling business for the future.
Martin is committed to never shying away from employing people better than himself and his forward thinking has revolutionised the milling industry.
