'Growth of chain due to city roots' (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Morrisons boss says firm will play a major role in Bradford

9:29am Monday 22nd November 2010 in Business By Chris Holland

Dalton Philips (left) with (from left) Councillor Ian Greenwood, Chamber president Harold Robinson, and Tony Reeves, chief executive of Bradford Council

The new boss of Morrisons, Dalton Philips, believes its success and growth into the country’s fourth largest supermarket is due to its Bradford roots And he has pledged the firm, which is Bradford’s largest private sector employer, will play a bigger role in boosting the district.

Mr Philips, who became chief executive in March, told 400 business leaders that while Morrisons had been good for Bradford, the city had been good for the business.

Speaking at the Bradford Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, Irish-born Mr Philips said he could not turn himself into a Yorkshireman like the firm’s president Sir Ken Morrison, but he said the firm’s commitment to Bradford ‘remains every bit as strong under my watch as under his’.

Mr Philips said: “Over the next months and years, I hope we will demonstrate this. I want to find ways to open up our headquarters to put it more in the middle of this business community. Hosting the recent Enterprise in Bradford Forum last month was only a start.

“I am also determined to do all we can to help promote Bradford as a great place to do business, to trumpet its strengths and help tackle any weaknesses. There is, for example, a tremendous energy, determination and entrepreneurial spirit among businesses and people. This can-do attitude remains strong. We need to build on this to make the name Bradford synonymous with innovation and enterprise – the goal, I know, of the chamber and city council. I strongly believe, too, that Bradford’s cultural diversity, in a truly global economy, will also prove a major advantage.”

There were also major challenges to overcome with above average unemployment, particularly among the young, and a high number of unskilled people.

Morrisons had a passion for developing skills and 30 per cent of its management had started on the shop floor. There was also a strong apprenticeship scheme in a company where 40,000 of the workforce were aged 16 to 24. Mr Philips said Sir Ken, who recently became a Freeman of the city, was known for his commitment to Bradford and there was never any thought of the business moving away.

He said: “The result is we are the biggest private sector employer in the city with nearly 5,500 staff based at Hilmore House, five stores and two manufacturing plants.

“Indeed, I’m delighted that Farmers Boy, our food manufacturing business in the centre of the city, is 30 years old this year.

“There are also very strong links between our business and many local firms.”