Strawberry and strawberry plant grower Edward Vinson Ltd has announced management changes following business expansion.

Chairman and managing director Peter Vinson has announced the appointment of his nephew Sean Figgis to the role of md as Peter Vinson , who will remain as chairman of the family-owned firm, frees up more time to work on the company’s breeding programmes in the UK and Spain.

Figgis has strong soft-fruit credentials with experience in management positions at Kelsey Farms and Mockbeggar Farms.

Other changes in responsibility include propagation manager Simon Warren who will be devoting his time to the expanded breeding programme alongside Peter Vinson. As a result, Richard Cook, previously responsible for the company’s Kent-based propagation, has been promoted to manage all aspects of the company’s propagation.

And Simon Warren Jnr has been appointed nursery manager of the company’s newly acquired glasshouse site in Deal.

Edward Vinson Ltd also reports strong sales of Everest plants: some 20 per cent up on 2003 levels and in order to meet demand, the firm has recently acquired a 1ha site at Virigina Water in Surrey. This will be managed by François van der Zee who already runs Vinson’s field propagation site in Hampshire.