Drywite has appointed Saffie Dowty as sales director, marking the fourth generation of her family to take a leadership role in the 93-year-old Halesowen business.
Drywite evolved from the Pioneer Potato Company, which was founded in 1933 by Saffie’s great grandfather, Harold G Lee, when his fourteen-year-old son Malcolm had the inspired idea of selling ready-peeled potatoes in the local area of Smethwick and West Bromwich. To overcome the problem of peeled potatoes discolouring when kept out of water, Malcolm and his father formulated their own preservative. This caused such interest among local fish friers that they soon gave up peeling potatoes to concentrate on the production of the preservative, which they patented and named Drywite.
In 1935, the company changed both its name and its business direction to become Drywite, concentrating on the manufacture of Drywite Potato Preparation. Today, most vegetable processing companies, fish friers and general caterers throughout the world benefit from using genuine Drywite products.
Drywite has operated from its current premises in Park Lane, Cradley, Halesowen, since 1960 and, while much has changed over the years, its principal business values remain the same, with a focus on innovation, product quality, customer service, and long-term relationships.
Commenting on the appointment, managing director Kelvin Lee said: “I am delighted to welcome my daughter Saffie to join Drywite as sales director. Saffie’s appointment reflects our family’s ongoing commitment to our business, our customers, and the industries we supply. Having grown up around our company and its values, she has both a strong understanding of the business and a real passion for supporting our customers. She also brings a wealth of sales expertise, with over ten years’ experience as sales manager for a multinational company in the agricultural sector. I am sure that my father and grandfather would have been delighted to know that, after 93 years, the company is still in safe hands.”
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