Roger (centre right) is seen here handing over to David Chapman (centre left), the new managing director of Matsuura UK, with sales director Domenic Seminerio (left) and technical director Ronnie Bryan (right)Roger Howkins, the managing director of
Matsuura Machinery Ltd, has retired after 28 years’ service, 15 years as managing director. Matsuura says he was “very much respected throughout the company and wider UK manufacturing community for his relaxed, friendly manner and consensus style of leadership”.
Roger’s forward-thinking and progressive ethos earned him the loyalty and respect of all who worked with him. The latitude and understanding he gave employees to grow into their roles and fulfil their potential to best serve the company is described as “a defining and unique factor of his years of leadership and earned him a fierce loyalty and respect of all colleagues”.
His many major milestones include overseeing the expansion of the company’s portfolio to include additive manufacturing (AM), and the outright purchase and complete overhaul of the company’s Leicestershire headquarters in Coalville. Other highlights include achieving ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 under his leadership, as well as winning numerous awards – significantly one recently for ‘Outstanding Workplace Culture’.
The Matsuura UK business of today is completely unrecognisable from the company he inherited all those years ago, and he leaves behind “a grateful workforce, a healthy balance sheet and a stable and successful business model”.