Sir Ken Morrison - A True Yorkshirman

The news broke yesterday that Sir Ken Morrison the head of the Wm. Morrison Supermarket group had died aged 85.

I have a very slight personal interest in Sir Ken, as my wife nursed one of his relatives, and we got to know some of the family as a result. Like Sir Ken, they were unassuming, gentle and kindly people.

Sir Ken began working for his father, at the age of nine, on the family run eggs and butter market stall they had in Bradford market. One of his jobs was checking the eggs against a light. From these humble beginnings he grew the company into the 4th largest supermarket in the UK. He returned from National Service in 1952 to run the family business, which he didn't want to see sold.

His success was due, in the main, to his honest, sincere and humble approach to both his staff and his customers. The floor cleaner was treated by him in exactly the same way as the managers and office staff. He always kept his "feet on the ground" and was known to visit his stores as a "customer". He was known to have turned off lights that had been left on, check waste bins to see if any unnecessary food had been thrown out and also help stock the shelves! He had even been seen tidying up the shelves in rival supermarkets!

He had what some would call old fashioned views on many things. When asked if he would consider the appointment of management consultants, his reply was typical (and forthright) - "If you don't know how to run your own business it's time to give up isn't it?"

Ken was an outspoken Yorkshireman. After the 2010 appointment of Dalton Phillips as the CEO, at which Ken was not happy, he kept a careful eye on the company goings on, and forecast that things were not looking good for the company under Dalton Phillips direction. His predictions were correct and the company began loosing market share and for the first time forecast negative results.

At the AGM in 2014, Ken showed his mettle when he squared up to Dalton Phillips with this comment....

"When I left work, and started working as a hobby, I chose to raise cattle. I have something like 1,000 bullocks, and having listened to your presentation, Dalton, you have a lot more bulls**t than me!"

The following year David Potts was appointed as CEO and the company has been successfully turned around and in 2017 announced the best festive results in seven years.

I am sure Sir Ken would have been delighted at those results.