Member Article

Leading catering firm celebrates new senior hire

A North East catering company, which has been crowned the winner of the fastest growing small business award at the Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 for 2016, is announcing a new appointment to its management team.

Family-run Crosbys Catering Equipment, based in Brough Park Way, Newcastle, has recruited John Hodgson as the firm’s new managing director, as the firm celebrates achieving three years of exceptional growth.

John, who lives in Alnmouth, has a wealth of management experience spanning a 30-year career, specialising in financial control. At Crosbys, John will be responsible for managing the team’s finances and operations, in order to enable his predecessor as managing director, Roger Crosby, to focus on customer liaison and ongoing business development.

Crosbys was founded in 1990 by Bob Crosby and supplies crockery, cutlery, specialist catering equipment, paper and janitorial supplies to more than 2000 customers in the North, ranging from the smallest fast food outlets to the largest pub, restaurant and hotel chains, including London restaurants and Michelin establishments across the UK and overseas. The business also has a growing design department, providing consultancy, design and installation services for a range of catering spaces.

Crosbys’ new appointment John graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Economics and joined Arthur Young as a trainee accountant. He continued to work in senior financial roles in various North East businesses, including 15 years at an Ashington-based manufacturer as financial controller, where he led the company’s accounts, IT and HR departments. Most recently, John spent four years as finance director within a division of Rolls-Royce Power Engineering.

Roger Crosby, business development director, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome John to the team as we celebrate winning the fastest growing small business of 2016 award. After 27 years of growth under our family’s management, we feel that now is the appropriate time to pass the managing director baton to John, who will be a valuable asset to our senior team as we look to our future. Most importantly, this will allow me to spend more time working with our existing and new customers in developing the business and promoting further growth.”

John said: “I am delighted to be joining such a successful family-run business with a hugely impressive 27-year history. Crosbys is a renowned firm in the hospitality industry – both in the North East and on a national scale - and their latest award proves that they are continuing to go from strength to strength.”

Outside of work, John’s main interest is sailing. He is a member of Royal Northumberland Yacht Club at Blyth, although now most of his sailing is on the West Coast of Scotland.

For further information about Crosbys, visit www.crosbys.co.uk or tel: 0191 228 4800

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Crosbys .