Why Thornton & Ross is setting up a new centre of excellence in Huddersfield

FOR centuries, Huddersfield has been synonymous with the textile industry.

In the 19th century, the manufacture of men’s tweeds was concentrated in the Colne Valley and the area was also one of the first parts of Britain to use the Jacquard loom, which helped to create a hub of innovation which is still envied around the world.

The town distributed the material used to make cloth caps, which became synonymous with the Northern working man. Times have changed, but the commitment to innovation remains.

The Huddersfield economy is more diverse than outsiders might think.

Since 1922, the Colne Valley has been home to Thornton & Ross, a company behind a range of household pharmaceutical products which may well have found a place on your shelf. Brands such as Covonia, Hedrin, Cetraben as well as the disinfectant Zoflora, are all made in Huddersfield.

Today, Thornton & Ross is part of the STADA group, a publicly-listed company with headquarters in Bad Vilbel, Germany, which underlines its global significance.

The company’s executive vice president, Roger Scarlett-Smith is one of the driving forces behind a new centre of excellence, which could help to shape the future of pharmaceuticals around the world.

Mr Scarlett-Smith has spent his entire career in consumer healthcare and he believes the team at Thornton & Ross can help to improve the lives of millions of people.

Today he is at the heart of managing this multi-faceted business and representing the organisation’s many teams, including those working across manufacturing, research and development, marketing, and sales.

The law graduate from St. John’s College, Cambridge, aims to establish Thornton & Ross as a “partner of choice” in the generics and consumer healthcare segments of the pharmaceutical sector.

“We’re lucky to have quite a diverse business to keep all the different elements moving forward really well,’’ he said.

One of the company’s products - Zoflora - has been in the spotlight because of the spread of the coronavirus. Over the last few months, millions of people have become more aware of the importance of good hygiene in keeping a lethal virus at bay.

“Lots of people are keeping their homes clean using Zoflora which has been shown to be effective against viruses and so is attracting a lot of attention at this time of COVID-19,’’ said Mr Scarlett-Smith

“We’ve also got a range of over the counter medicines including household staples such as Covonia.”

STADA specialises in taking over companies and allowing them to play to their strengths.

Mr Scarlett-Smith said: “We’re very flexible and have used a lot of tender loving care to turn around businesses we have taken over. We can really target the people who need our products using influencers and social media.”

Investment has continued at the Huddersfield site under Mr Scarlett-Smith’s leadership, which means the company will continued to provide opportunities to ambitious graduates from local universities.

“We recently built a new production line in Huddersfield for Zoflora because we were running out of capacity,’’ said Mr Scarlett-Smith.

“Sales of Zoflora have doubled in the last two or three years.”

The coronavirus pandemic will create economic disruption which could last for decades. A new generation will become aware of the need to keep washing your hands.

“There will be a long term change with a greater awareness of hygiene after the crisis has ended,’’ said Mr Scarlett-Smith.

In recent months, Steven Makin, has been appointed as the new global head of innovation for the STADA Group.

The team in Huddersfield will help to produce a new wave of products that could become household names.

“We are setting up a global centre of excellence in Linthwaite,” said Mr Scarlett-Smith. “We are getting the right team on board for a strong innovation base.”

Social media has helped to spread awareness of Zoflora’s merits.

“Zoflora has attracted a lot of chatter in the Twitter sphere,’’said Mr Scarlett-Smith. “ We are looking to improve the existing formulations with innovation .

“We have high hopes for the new centre of excellence which will have a dedicated innovation team focusing on the consumer and science aspect of the business.”

“I love working here because you are providing products that really make a difference to people’s lives. We can bring brands to life by being creative.

“We have a very talented and diverse team in Yorkshire,’’ he added. “We do very well at attracting top talent.

“We have 500 staff at Linthwaite and hired about 100 people over the last 12 months. We are hiring the cream of the crop from local universities and we expose people to different challenges that they may not get in a more traditional pharmaceutical company.

“We are the biggest maker of emollients and creams in the UK,” said Mr Scarlett-Smith.

“Many NHS workers are having a terrible time with skin care. We are providing samples of our skin care free to the NHS on request.

“The crisis has boosted demand for our products, so the least we can do is support the NHS at a time when it really needs it.”

“It is fantastic to be leading a Yorkshire success story that has a heritage of almost 100 years.”

Anyone seeking the latest trends in this fast-growing and vital sector will soon be beating a path to Linthwaite.

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