Page 35 - Yorkshire Rich List 2017

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Max Smith-Hilliard and family £125m
2016
Position: 46= £120m
Max Smith-Hilliard sold his Normanton-based meat processing business, Forza AW, to Asda last year. He remains chief executive and is regarded as a major player in the UK pig-meat industry.
He owned 50 per cent of the business which, at the time of the sale, was turning over more than £300m, with a £23.5m pre-tax profit. Dividends of £16.5m were paid.
The Asda acquisition followed a five year joint venture between the supermarket and Forza.
The business’s main focus is now on procuring, slicing, processing and packing cooked meats
for Asda stores. The company has more than 500 suppliers and 1,800 employees, involved in a wide range of products from continental meats to cocktail sausages.
York-based Max Smith-Hilliard, aged 59, has a £10m interest in Cleckheaton fresh meat producer Kober, which was also taken over by Asda, supplying the supermarket with bacon, steaks and joints.
Kober employs more than 550 people.
He is a motorsport enthusiast and races historic
Formula One cars. He has had 30 podium positions in more than 75 races and finished second in his class in the 2016 FIA Masters Historic Formula One championships. He has had five wins and 12 podiums in the 2017 series in a Cosworth-powered Shadow DN5. He also competes in the FIA Historic Sports Car Championship in a Chevron B19.
His motorsport interests are contained within Forza Historic Racing Ltd which was incorporated last September.
He remains chief executive and is regarded as a major player in the UK pig-meat industry.
FAST LANE: Max Smith-Hilliard races historic Formula One cars and has had 30 podium postions in 75 races.
2016
Position: 46= £120m
A BIG PART: Andrew Page joined the company in 1974, which now has branches all over the UK.
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Andrew Page £125m
The Leeds-based Andrew Page car parts group is celebrating its centenary this year. It was established by the late Andrew Page in 1917. Andrew Page’s grandson, also Andrew, 64, sold a major interest in the automotive group in 2010, and then re-invested in it.
In October 2016 the company was acquired by US Nasdaq-listed motor parts distributor LKQ Corporation in a pre-pack sale.
LKQ also owns Euro Car Parts in the UK. It acquired all of the assets and operations of Andrew Page apart from seven of its 109 branches. At the time of the sale Andrew Page had a sales turnover of almost £200m and 2,000 full and part-time staff.
The company established a partnership with private equity funders Phoenix Equity Partners who put £109m into the company in 2010 to develop its business.
Based in Bullerthorpe Lane, Leeds, Andrew Page is one of the UK’s largest distributors of car parts, workshop equipment and diagnostics.
The business was established by the late Andrew Page in 1917 in Leeds as a wholesale motor factors.
In 1946 his son James Page formed Andrew Page & Co Ltd, and his son, the current Andrew Page joined the company in 1974.
It now has branches all over the UK and continues to develop into a successful a ermarket organisation. The AP-Tech division was created in 2000 supplying workshop equipment and training. The Auto Education programme was established three years later to improve the skills of garage technicians.
Further site acquisitions took place in 2012 and 2014 when it took over 21 sites from the former Unipart Automotive business. In 2015,
the company undertook a major expansion of its Markham Vale distribution centre in Derbyshire. Last year Andrew Page acquired the Solid Auto brand and business which specialises in Japanese and Korean car parts.
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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28 2017 THE YORKSHIRE POST 35
BRUCE ROLLINSON REX FEATURES