Stuart Burgin has been appointed chief executive of growing media, fertilisers and chemicals producer William Sinclair Horticulture.
Mr Burgin succeeds ceo Peter Rush, who is stepping down after two years. During his time in the role, Mr Rush commissioned Sinclair's new £25m compost facility in Ellesmere Port and re-launched the J. Arthur Bower's, Growing Success and Deadfast product ranges.

Mr Burgin, 52, has extensive senior management experience, most notably in the food and grocery sector, where he worked for RHM, Robert McBride and, most recently, Oscar Mayer as ceo. He will spearhead phase two of Sinclair's transformation from a traditional peat harvester to a world-leading producer of locally-sourced, ecologically sustainable growing media, as the company responds to the changing regulatory climate.

A turnaround expert, Mr Burgin will devise and implement a programme to streamline operations and return Sinclair to profitability following a period of heavy capital investment.

"I am joining a first class team," said Mr Burgin, "and I look forward to leading this great British company into a new era."