Management Team
Email our management team directly with your query and we will respond as soon as we can.
Mark Baron
Sales & Marketing Director
Stephen Midgley
Group Technical Director
Stephen Midgley
Group Technical Director
Since graduating from the University of Huddersfield I have over 25 years of experience in Nonwovens and Technical textiles. I head up the Research and Development division at John Cotton’s which has led to numerous industry leading and patented products.
In addition, I sit on several national, government and British standards committees representing the bedding industry on all aspects of performance testing standards and safety regulation.
I am passionate about new products, fibres and manufacturing process, enjoying the challenge of solving problems, meeting the customer’s needs and developing new and innovative products.
John Rhodes
Purchasing Director
Philip Gardner
Laboratory Manager
Philip Gardner
Laboratory Manager
Hi, my name is Philip Gardner and I’m Laboratory Manager here at John Cottons. I have worked for the technical department at John Cottons for over 20 years so I have a wealth of knowledge in the fields of textile testing and performance evaluation of sleep systems. I head up a team of dedicated professionals which on hand to satisfy your testing requirements.
Dr. Michael Pelegrinis
Research & Development Manager
Dr. Michael Pelegrinis
Research & Development Manager
I have a multidisciplinary scientific background in Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and Programming. Having completed my postgraduate studies at The University of Sheffield (MSc and PhD) I have become an expert in the field of Acoustics (member of Institute of Acoustics) and Mathematical Modelling of physical problems and experimental validation. I have published scientific articles in leading scientific journals (reviewer for Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing) and presented the findings at international scientific conferences. My involvement in a 2-year successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership project between The University of Sheffield and John Cotton Group Ltd. introduced me to the fascinating world of Nonwovens. My current role in the business is that of a Research and Development Manager with emphasis on developing new products for the technical textiles market and introducing new technologies to the business.
Garry Sands
Sales Manager for South West UK
Garry Sands
Sales Manager for South West UK
I have a varied background in many different industries predominantly in Australia and have lead teams as small as 10 to over 250. I have held senior positions with multinationals such as Panasonic, LG and IKEA and have experience in both the telecommunications and stainless steel manufacturing sectors. I owned my own successful retail business for over thirteen years and have a keen understanding of the challenges businesses face at every level. My studies include a Bachelor in Economics and Masters in both Marketing and Political Science. I joined John Cotton due to their strong family heritage, their passion for innovation and commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibilities.
Amanda Baron
Sales Office Manager
Amanda Baron
Sales Office Manager
I am the Sales Office Manager and have worked in the Nonwovens Sales Office at John Cotton for 24 years. I have a wealth of knowledge and experience in Customer Service and always strive to keep our customers happy and informed.
Ken Boulding
Sales Manager for South East and Ireland
Ken Boulding
Sales Manager for South East and Ireland
Having joined the sales team at John Cotton’s 20 years ago, I am the South Eastern UK area Sales Manager with additional responsibility of covering Ireland along with export sales around the world. My role involves developing new business with new and existing customers along with managing their accounts on a day to day basis. This is a role I am very passionate about and I enjoy.
Simon Chorlton
Sales Manager for Northern Area
Simon Chorlton
Sales Manager for Northern Area
I’ve worked for John Cotton for over 25 years. I started out working in the laboratory which gave me good grounding for product knowledge and understanding textiles. This then lead me to an opportunity within Nonwovens Sales. I am very passionate about this role because I really enjoy product development/innovations and building long lasting relationships with my customers.
Katie Gehm
Customer Service Coordinator
Katie Gehm
Customer Service Coordinator
I am a Customer Service Co-Ordinator in Nonwoven Sales. I have worked for John Cotton for 5 years and I have 19 years’ experience in customer service.
Anna Gawthorpe
Customer Service Coordinator
Anna Gawthorpe
Customer Service Coordinator
I have worked in the Nonwovens sales office since 2007. Dealing with day to day queries and inputting orders, I have built up a good relationship with our customer’s over the years. I have also had the opportunity to learn production planning which has broadened my knowledge of how products are made and how the factory and loading operates.
Karla Pokorska
Supply Chain Coordinator for Insulated Packaging
Karla Pokorska
Supply Chain Coordinator for Insulated Packaging
I am a Supply Chain Coordinator for Insulated Packaging in the Nonwovens Division at John Cotton. I have a broad experience in logistics, supply chain & customer service. I am always trying to find the best solutions to keep our customers happy & to make sure they get their orders delivered on time