Stanley Morrice, managing director of Aberness Group, will be leaving the company at the end of the month.
The announcement follows Palmer & Harvey McLane’s acquisition of the Scottish Mace wholesale business from Somerfield last week.
But Morrice said it had been his intention to leave Aberness ever since Somerfield bought the group, with the Mace business and 36 company-owned c-stores, in March 2004.
He added that he was pleased that P&H had taken on Mace in Scotland as it was already the number one wholesaler in the UK and could take the business
forward. Morrice is now considering other options within the grocery sector. He joined Aberness 11 years ago and has been MD for the past four and a half years. During his time as MD, Morrice said, the group’s turnover had increased by 50% and profits had trebled.
Prior to Aberness, Morrice was sales director at former Scottish Spar retailer and distributor Watson and Philip.
Meanwhile, yet another independent store from Aberness has left the fold. Immediately before the P&H acquisition, Somerfield had lost 10 Scottish Mace independents to Spar. Now Aberdeen retailers George and Graeme Knowles are moving to Nisa-Today’s. They will be joined by Somerfield franchisee Raj Patel in Leicester, who is moving back to Nisa after a year with Somerfield.
Northern Foods has appointed Jez Maiden as group finance director. Maiden is currently group finance director at British Vita. Northern Foods has also appointed David Nish as non-executive director and chairman of the audit committee. Nish is executive director for the infrastructure of Scottish Power.

Joe Jimenez, European president and chief executive officer of Heinz, is relocating to the US. He will split his time equally between the US and Europe to head geographical business units in Europe.

Former Waitrose and Somerfield buyer Jon Neale has moved to Australia to work with its biggest supermarket group Coles-Myer. Neale will be heading up category management for bakery and deli. Most recently Neale was sales and marketing director at cake supplier Queen of Hearts.
Beth Brooks
northern changes
jimenez off to us
neale moves to oz