The family-owned Trago Mills Group has appointed home grown talent as its new Managing Director. Brent Pinhay, who has worked for the landmark South West business for 19 years, is Penryn born and bred and has gained his experience by working in a number of areas within the organisation.

Mr Pinhay first joined Trago in October 1994 as a clerical assistant in the company’s busy pricing office at the Falmouth store. By October 2006, his hard work, dedication and team spirit had led to his appointment as Falmouth Store Manager, before being assigned as General Site Manager to the company’s largest store at Newton Abbot in the spring of 2008. His primary role there was to assist with the development of new £12m Garden Park, a project comprising of indoor and outdoor retail and leisure space, which opened in May 2009.

In August 2011, he was appointed as Group Operations Director, with overall responsibility for operations across all three of Trago’s stores. Mr Pinhay has been key in implementing a number of initiatives at Trago, including the expansion of facilities at the Newton Abbot site, developing on-site trading partnerships, the installation of photovoltaic (solar) energy at all three stores and playing a leading role in the development and implementation of an electronic point of sale (EPOS) system across the group, due to be completed in 2014.

Mr Pinhay was appointed as Group Managing Director in August 2013, upon the death of the late Mr Malcolm Sandbach.

He said: “I am delighted with this promotion and to be given the opportunity to lead the company forward at this very exciting time, as we look to embark on many projects, including ‘Click & Collect’, e-commerce and a fourth store in Merthyr Tydfil. I enjoy working closely with and motivating the team here at Trago and, despite my newfound responsibilities, I will remain very hands-on and practical when required.”

Chairman, Bruce Robertson said: “Brent’s rise through the ranks in recent years has been stellar, not least because he is Trago through and through and has made it his business to genuinely understand what the business is about and what makes it tick. His appointment as Managing Director brings an ideal combination of experience, enthusiasm and, indeed, relative youth to the Board, laying I believe a strong foundation for a future when I may no longer wish to be actively involved in the company’s daily affairs.....a little way ahead yet. Although work remains to be done in rebuilding the Board following recent sad events, it is in excellent heart and, as a team, is looking optimistically to the exciting challenges that face all businesses in this, the most dynamic sector within a generally rather troubled economy”.