Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

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PGD
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Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by PGD »

In my construction industry newsfeed today: Peter is retiring from the chairmanship of Breedon.

When I was site materials engineer for a county council on motorway reconstruction projects, late 70s / early 80s, Bardon Hill was a one quarry operation owned by the Tom family. I knew Peter's late brother, Chris, from site meetings.

Peter built up the business through organic growth & acquisition, overcoming technical problems: their replanting with a Standard Havens continuous drum coating plant was a disaster; segregated, variable quality material: it got the gas axe.

But Bardon Ltd was grown to become an element of Aggregate Industries, a successful national supplier, formed around the eponymous quarry company. Eventually the business was sold to Holcim & Peter stepped down as chairman.

In a blink, there he was in the chair at Breedon, then a small, one quarry operation on the Leics/Derbys border, the only limestone in Leics. it's no surprise to the industry that Peter's grown that, so now it too is on the cusp of being a nationwide player.

Congratulations, Peter, on a stellar career. Not just a brilliant businessman but, like me, a quarryman to the tips of your steel toecap boots. As your 80th birthday approaches, I wish you a long & happy retirement with even more time for Welford Rd.

With the millions from the sale of your shares, would you think about buying Tigers a decent pack, please? :smt002
MurphysLaw
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Peter Tom

Post by MurphysLaw »

He has retired as Chairman of The Breedon Group today.
Reports state that he is to continue with his role at Tigers. If so, I wonder if he is to devote a little more time and energy into sorting things out?
Mind you, at almost 80 years, and having pocketed many more £millions from selling Breedon shares, I think I'd be tempted to take it easy and enjoy the spoils :smt004 :smt030
MurphysLaw
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by MurphysLaw »

Sorry PGD, you just beat me to it and my post duplicates yours.
I did contact the Mods to suggest they merge the posts into one thread....

It will be interesting to see which way Mr Tom now goes with Tigers. I hope he still has the energy and desire to sort out the current problems, and, as you suggest, perhaps further invest in the Club.
PGD
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by PGD »

MurphysLaw wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 12:22 pm Sorry PGD, you just beat me to it and my post duplicates yours.
I did contact the Mods to suggest they merge the posts into one thread....

It will be interesting to see which way Mr Tom now goes with Tigers. I hope he still has the energy and desire to sort out the current problems, and, as you suggest, perhaps further invest in the Club.
No probs ML; it was right to merge. IIRC, Peter lives in Jersey & for tax reasons is limited to how much time he can spend in England. This might work against him being more active in managing the club/business.

My comment about Peter coughing up for new players was tongue-in-cheek! Peter has a BoD who are appointed to manage and, notwithstanding performances on the pitch, the business appears well run. Unlike some other clubs, we aren't dependent on sugar daddies who might, one day, tire of signing cheques. I'd sooner be in our position than say, Wasps.

Investment in a hotel & carpark will secure income streams for the club's future. I've no doubt that Peter's business acumen has been used to the great benefit of the Tigers & hope, in his retirement from the construction materials supply industry, he'll continue as our chairman for a long time.
MurphysLaw
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by MurphysLaw »

Yes, I knew that he lived in the Channel Islands (I thought it was Guernsey, but hey, similar).

My comments too were partly made 'tongue in cheek', but I do hope that he might choose to put in some more time in with the Tigers Board now. As you say, his experience should certainly help with the development projects.
However, many on here think that over the last few years the Board has been responsible for some poor decisions, and some serious re-organisation is needed.
Dangerous4
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by Dangerous4 »

When we get the pack put to rights, we should then start moving forward, both as a team and as a club. :smt023

Happy retirement Mr. Tom. Let's hope you can spend more time at Welford Road, sorting out the problems we have.
Ilsontiger1725
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by Ilsontiger1725 »

I don't want to burst the bubble of congratulations to Peter on his retirement from Breedon but the possibility of his spending more time at Tigers fills me full of dread. If you agree that the two most important people in a club are the owner/chairmand and DoR/Head coach, then he has been an absolute disaster for Leicester Tigers and a major cause of its decline from top club in the country to also-rans flirting with relegation and cannon-fodder for the best teams in Europe.
If he'd run Breedon as he's run Tigers, then Breedon would have gone pop years ago and he'd be pushing his barrow down to his allotment rather than jetting off to the Channel Isles. Everywhere you look, it's gone wrong on his watch - the team, the coaching set-up, and even on his CEO's admission, the catering and merchandising.
So, Peter, please sell your shares in Tigers, pull up a deck chair on your veranda and just watch Tigers from afar.
Alandrin75
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by Alandrin75 »

Ilsontiger1725 wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:51 pm I don't want to burst the bubble of congratulations to Peter on his retirement from Breedon but the possibility of his spending more time at Tigers fills me full of dread. If you agree that the two most important people in a club are the owner/chairmand and DoR/Head coach, then he has been an absolute disaster for Leicester Tigers and a major cause of its decline from top club in the country to also-rans flirting with relegation and cannon-fodder for the best teams in Europe.
If he'd run Breedon as he's run Tigers, then Breedon would have gone pop years ago and he'd be pushing his barrow down to his allotment rather than jetting off to the Channel Isles. Everywhere you look, it's gone wrong on his watch - the team, the coaching set-up, and even on his CEO's admission, the catering and merchandising.
So, Peter, please sell your shares in Tigers, pull up a deck chair on your veranda and just watch Tigers from afar.
My understanding is its the opposite of this and the disaster at Tigers is because he has been focused more on his real job, whilst trusting others to run tigers. The phrase "eye off the ball" springs to mind.

With free time available I think PT could kick some :censored: and drag us back to the top.
Ilsontiger1725
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Re: Peter Tom - retirement from Breedon

Post by Ilsontiger1725 »

Hi Alandrin
I can see where you're coming from but have to disagree. PT is Executive Chairman (not honorary) and the buck stops with him. If he was too busy running Breedon, then he should have either resigned as Tigers' Chairman or got somebody to act for him whom he could trust. As Tigers' malaise has been some time coming and not just a sudden collapse of form over the last season, he would have had ample time to react to stop the rot if that appointment was not working.
No, I'm sorry the buck stops with him and to use another saying, the fish rots from the head.
Things won't improve until he leaves but as he's just been re-elected (last November's AGM) by the shareholders with a vote of "over 99%", then I'm afraid we have another 2 years at least of his "leadership" of this once great club.
When Peter Tom became Chairman, we were one of the top clubs in Europe - now we're struggling to stay in the Premiership.
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