Camira Looks to Future with New CEO
Award winning global textile manufacturer Camira has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer to head up its portfolio of group companies and position the business for the next phase of its global growth and development. Camira Group Ltd, with North American headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI has appointed Grant Russell to the top job, taking over from Steve Bullas who will now revert to Chairman of the Group. Mr Russell, who has enjoyed a successful career spanning nearly 30 years with speciality coatings and chemicals manufacturer AkzoNobel, joins Camira after most recently heading up AkzoNobelâs Wood Finishes and Adhesives business, growing annual sales to around $900 million. His appointment at Camira is part of the textile groupâs long-term succession planning and global business development strategy, which is targeting $155 million turnover by 2020.
Camira Group Ltd is a market leading, international textile manufacturer and distributor, manufacturing 10 million yards of contract fabrics a year which are sold in about 80 countries worldwide. Its main markets are commercial office interiors, education, healthcare, and public transport, with customers including the BBC, HSBC, PWC, Google and Transport for London. The company operates over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing at five locations in the UK, and an overseas manufacturing facility in Lithuania. Local warehousing and distribution is located in North America, China, and Australia, with a wide network of international sales offices, agents and distributors. Camira Groupâs last set of financial results, for the year ended 31 December 2014, saw turnover reach a record $112 million with a best ever EBITDA of $12 million. Earlier this year the Group received a Queenâs Award for Sustainable Development, its second in this category and fourth in total.
Mr Russell commented: âThis is a great business which has made textile design and manufacture innovative, exciting and relevant to the 21st century global business model. Iâm thrilled to be joining such a dynamic organization, and leading the business on the next stage of its global development as we consolidate our position in core European markets and ramp up our expansion in North America and Asia Pacificâ. Mr Bullas added: âWeâre absolutely delighted to have Grant on board. He has proven executive leadership expertize at the very highest level with a multi-national blue-chip organization. He will be instrumental in delivering our ambitious growth plans in an increasingly competitive and complex global marketplaceâ.
About Camira:
⢠Camira is a privately owned management led UK textile group formed originally in 1974 as Camborne Fabrics in Huddersfield, UK.
⢠In its modern day guise, Camira came into being in April 2006 following a management buy-out from former American parent company, modular flooring specialist Interface Inc.
⢠The company has 500,000 square feet manufacturing facilities across five locations in the UK and one in Lithuania. Its North American operation is in Grand Rapids, MI, where it holds stocked inventory and operates a cut yardage program for rapid distribution throughout North America.
⢠The company operates on a global basis through overseas offices in USA, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Poland, China and Australia, as well as an extensive network of agents and distributors.
⢠Grant Russell, during his career with AkzoNobel, was Managing Director of the organizationâs Wood Finishes and Adhesives business as well as Coil Coatings. Prior to that he was Market Director for International Paint.
