Kelkay, the market-leading manufacturer and distributor of aggregates, has appointed Alan Sheppard as UK sales manager.

Mr Sheppard, a GIMA council member and garden retail industry professional with 27 years worth of experience, has joined the company to build on its relationships with garden centre groups.

He joins Kelkay from Burgon & Ball, the manufacturer of agricultural and gardening tools, where he was head of sales. He managed sales teams and contributed to the company’s increase in turnover. He was part of the Burgon & Ball team that won consecutive GIMA Sword of Excellence awards.

Mr Sheppard oversaw the development of key sales channels for Burgon & Ball. These included retailers such as, Hillier, Blue Diamond, Klondyke, Dobbies, Haskins and Wyevale. Outside the UK, he set up Burgon & Ball’s US distribution network.

He started his garden retail management career at Badshot Lea Garden Centre before being headhunted by Sinclairs, where he held area sales manager and key account manager positions. Mr Sheppard then joined Town & Country where he managed 15 sales people.

Mr Sheppard said: “Kelkay has a clear focus and an ambitious strategy. To get directly involved with the growth of this business was a key factor for me. I’ll be mentoring and motivating the sales team here, supporting them as they strive to build on the impressive growth Kelkay has achieved in the last year.”

Richard Pyrah, sales director at Kelkay, said: “Alan has a deep understanding of our customers and knows this industry well. He’s also a proven people manager, which was a big plus for this appointment. His clear approach will help our whole sales team exceed the expectations existing and prospective customers have of Kelkay.”

Kelkay also announced its recent £1 million investment in new machinery. It completes the commissioning of the Pollington, East Yorkshire plant and will allow the company to increase efficiency, improve its products and enhance customer service, Kelkay says.