The UK's leading manufacturer of vegetable and materials handling equipment, Haith Group, has added 40 years of manufacturing experience to its board with the appointment of Mark Lloyd as the company's first-ever non-executive director.

Haith Group appointed Mr Lloyd last month to support the company's senior management team, led by managing director Duane Hill.

"Haith Group has enjoyed a long and sustained period of growth, and we are proud to be the UK market leader in our sector," says Duane. "The Haith family, myself and our current senior management team have developed a strategic plan for the short, medium and long term. As part of the planning process, we identified the need to seek the knowledge and guidance of people with different experiences, insights and perspectives.

"Mark fits the bill perfectly. He has enjoyed a long and successful career and has a strong track record of delivering business growth and increased efficiency wherever he has worked. He has a wealth of experience, having worked across production operations for several manufacturing businesses and has established and developed his own successful business.

"We are very much looking forward to working with Mark, and we are confident that with his input, we will achieve our strategic objectives both in the UK and globally."

Mr Lloyd's career began in the 1980s when he joined Pegler Ltd, a manufacturer of industrial valves, radiator valves and compression fittings based some six miles from Haith's Armthorpe site. Mark left Pegler after ten years and spent the next three decades in director roles for several furniture manufacturers, Dunlop Slazenger and, most recently, kitchen manufacturer Omega PLC. As well as helping increase the efficiency of existing businesses, in 1999, Mr Lloyd also started his own venture.

"Haith is an extremely well-known and highly respected company," says Mark. "I enjoyed four decades of helping businesses grow and become leaders in operational efficiency. After 13 years at Omega PLC, I decided to step down and pursue other interests. When the opportunity arose to be involved with Haith, I couldn't wait to get started. Having seen Duane's vision for Haith, I was keen to be involved and help the business achieve its goals. The plan Duane and his team have developed is exciting, and I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead as we seek to move Haith to the next level both here in the UK and overseas."

Established in 1947 and incorporated as a limited company in 1964, Tickhill Engineering, which trades as Haith, is one of the world's leading designers and manufacturers of vegetable handling equipment and materials handling machinery. The two-time Queen's Award for Enterprise-winning company employs more than 120 people in Armthorpe, near Doncaster, and has an annual turnover in excess of £19 million.

Haith's range of vegetable handling machines includes grading, washing, bulk handling, weighing, pre-pack systems and water treatment solutions and are relied upon by hundreds of food producers, packing companies and farmers in the UK and overseas.

For more information about Haith, visit www.haith.co.uk.