New commercial director is appointed
Interior accessories manufacturer Rothley is continuing its drive for commercial growth with the appointment of David Laschke as its new commercial director.
The skilled director will join the team to help lead the company at Discovery park, Wobaston Road, Wolverhampton, through a rapid growth and development phase.
Mr Laschke has extensive experience, and recent roles include managing director at Manor Reproductions and more recently as general manager at Security Hardware (Eurocell), which makes him a perfect complement to the existing leadership team.
He joins Rothley’s leadership team who were brought together by chairman, Keith Ashbourne, in 2019, to reinvigorate the company and to build upon the traditional, respected brand that Rothley stands for, by adding modern manufacturing agility and intense consumer focus.
As well as Mr Laschke and sales and marketing director, Simon Cox, the current leadership team at Rothley includes three directors, previously at L G Harris – Ken Xu, Stuart Hobbs and David Cooper. They were a part of the team who steered the company through a 700 per cent growth phase and eventual sale to Orkla, a Norwegian conglomerate company.
"Rothley is driven by innovation and a desire to bring fashionable and practical product masses with no compromise on quality, and I'm delighted to be part of their journey," said Mr Laschke.
Stuart Hobbs, managing director of Rothley, said: “I’m delighted that David sees the same opportunity for growth at Rothley as we do.
“We have now got the fundamentals right and have cultivated strong roots, which are driving rapid growth. We are extremely fortunate to have David joining us to help lead the company through this exciting phase.”
Mr Ashbourne added: “Since our decision to reinvigorate the company, we have established our own manufacturing site in China, invested greatly in researching consumer trends and introduced over 700 new products.
“We’ve seen rapid new business acquisition and now have the most opportune business horizon we have ever had! With David joining our team, we’ll have the skills and capacity to combine great stewardship with excitement and growth.
“I’m very proud of the decisions that we’ve made to recruit not just a strong, diverse leadership team, but a cohort of young, ambitious and creative executives in sales, marketing, HR, operations and finance. The company is now growing at its fastest and healthiest pace in decades.”
Laschke’s appointment marks a continuous period of growth for the DIY manufacturer, who recently took over a new warehouse and office space in Wolverhampton, spreading over 56,000 sq ft and allowing them to double stock levels.
