Gripple UK & Ireland appoints new Managing Director and new board Directors

Gripple, the market-leading manufacturer of wire joiners and tensioners for agriculture, innovative suspension solutions for construction and engineered solutions for civil, solar and infrastructure applications, has appointed a new Managing Director for the UK & Ireland and new board Directors.

Kevin St Clair takes up the role of UK Managing Director, following 21 years at Gripple, Charlotte Hill will replace Kevin in his former role as Operations Director and Sam Ryall, joins the UK board as Supply Chain Director.

Kevin started his career at Gripple in 2002 as the company’s first Quality Manager, responsible for implementing ISO9001 and ISO14001 Certification, before moving into a broader quality and supply chain management role and later becoming Site Manager at Gripple’s Riverside Works facility in Sheffield. Five years ago, Kevin was promoted to Group Operations Director, where he had full operational responsibility for Gripple’s six UK manufacturing sites.

Kevin St Clair, UK Managing Director, explains: “I am delighted to take up my new role at Gripple and to be working with a fantastic Board of Directors. My focus will be on delivering strong results in the UK as well as continuing to improve our global service and support."  

He continues: “Our markets and product range are constantly evolving as our strategy is to identify challenges that customers face and to develop innovative solutions, offering environmental, time and user-friendly benefits.”

Kevin adds: “Diversification remains a key part of our business, as we launch innovative solutions into the solar, utilities and industrial services markets. This is an exciting time for our business as we continue to target 20% of total sales from new products released in the last five years, with innovation, sustainability and greater efficiency as top priorities.”

(Gripple UK & Ireland Board, L-R as follows: Chris Bugg - Sales Director, Katrina Ritchie - People & Culture Director, Sam Ryall - Supply Chain Director, Kevin St Clair - UK Managing Director, Darren Cork - Head of Digital Transformation, Clare Legg - Finance Director and Charlotte Hill - Operations Director)

Charlotte Hill and Sam Ryall have both been promoted from their roles as Operations Manager and Supply Chain Manager respectively and join the Gripple UK & Ireland Board. The board also comprises Sales Director Chris Bugg, Head of Digital Transformation Darren Cork, People & Culture Director Katrina Ritchie and Finance Director Clare Legg.

Charlotte joined Gripple eight years ago as Product Manager and during this time has gained significant knowledge of the business, through her work in new product introduction, continuous improvement, engineering management and most recently as Operations Manager for Gripple’s Hellaby, Hawke Street and Riverside Works facilities. Charlotte has a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Manufacturing Strategy.

Sam Ryall joined Gripple four years ago from B Braun Medical in Sheffield, where she had worked for 18 years, most recently in the role of Purchasing Manager. Since she joined Gripple, Sam has developed an excellent supply chain team and has played a key role in guiding Gripple through unprecedented supply chain challenges, including Brexit, Covid-19 and the Ukraine war. 

Kevin St Clair explains: “Charlotte and Sam bring great qualities to the board. Charlotte’s performance over the years leaves me with no doubt that she will continue to deliver excellent results and strengthen the operations team further. Sam has demonstrated strong leadership skills and has proven to be a real team player, with great drive and enthusiasm, facing challenges head-on and finding solutions that have taken our business forward."

Kevin will continue to report to Ed Stubbs, who as Group Managing Director will dedicate more time to the development of the Gripple group worldwide - focusing on driving new product development and overseeing the creation of new operational facilities at the company’s newest Don Road facility in Sheffield.