The Fourth Bridge!

Fourth Generation of Leadership for 93-Year-Old Family Business

Drywite Limited has announced the appointment of Saffie Dowty as Sales Director, marking

the fourth generation of her family to take a leadership role in the 93-year-old Halesowen

business.

Drywite evolved from the Pioneer Potato Company Ltd, which was founded in 1933 by

Saffie’s Great Grandfather, Harold G Lee, when his fourteen-year-old son Malcolm had the

inspired idea of selling ready-peeled potatoes in the local area of Smethwick and West

Bromwich. To overcome the problem of peeled potatoes discolouring when kept out of

water, Malcolm and his father formulated their own preservative. This caused such interest

among local fish friers that they soon gave up peeling potatoes to concentrate on the

production of the preservative, which they patented and named Drywite.

Kelvin and Saffie pictured at Drywite’s Halesowen headquarters, representing the third and fourth generations of family leadership within the business.

In 1935, the company changed both its name and its business direction to become Drywite

Ltd, concentrating on the manufacture of Drywite Potato Preparation. Today, most

vegetable processing companies, fish friers, and general caterers throughout the world

benefit from using genuine Drywite Products.

Drywite Ltd has operated from its current premises in Park Lane, Cradley, Halesowen, since

1960 and, while much has changed over the years, its principal business values remain the

same, with a focus on innovation, product quality, customer service, and long-term

relationships.

Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director Kelvin Lee said: “I am delighted to

welcome my daughter Saffie to join Drywite as Sales Director. Saffie’s appointment reflects

our family’s ongoing commitment to our business, our customers, and the industries we

supply. Having grown up around our company and its values, she has both a strong

understanding of the business and a real passion for supporting our customers. She also

brings a wealth of sales expertise, with over ten years’ experience as Sales Manager for a

multinational company in the agricultural sector. I am sure that my father and grandfather

would have been delighted to know that, after 93 years, the company is still in safe hands.”

https://drywite.co.uk/