Lawrence Batley, one of the founders of the cash and carry movement in the UK, has died aged 91 following a short illness.
Batley set up his first cash and carry depot, called Come and Get It, in Huddersfield in 1958. Within a year his 30,000sq ft depot was too small and he persuaded his bank to fund expansion.
Over the next 14 years he increased the size of his Huddesfield base and opened depots in Sheffield and Bradford, before taking the business public. The company now has 18 depots plus a pet food business, with a turnover of £650m.
Batley remained chairman of the company but "took a back seat in recent years", according to md Len McCormick.
Batley backed the founding of a museum near Huddersfield and sponsored a number of golf tournaments. He was awarded the OBE in 1991.
His funeral will be on Tuesday (September 3) at Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield.

{{NEWS }}