GCH Corporation Ltd is a privately owned and personally financed group of companies. Since the group was founded it has acquired nine industrial manufacturing and distribution businesses, supplying and servicing customers in the UK and Europe.
The nine profitable and well established subsidiaries include the leading manufacturer of vegetable storage boxes, a supplier and manufacturer of commercial vehicle components, a manufacturer, and distributor of light bulbs, lamps, fittings and an online retailer, a steel service supplier and stockholder, an automotive pressings manufacturer and fabricator, and anti-vandal accommodation unit producers.
After acquisition, each subsidiary business is kept autonomous, not absorbed or subsumed into a larger entity and the strategy is to grow and develop (not trade or strip) each business with investment capital and add-on acquisitions.
The Group is well capitalised, has a strong balance sheet, and is cash rich. There is no debt or external financing and no reliance on banks and all acquisitions are funded by cash resources.
Cassie Hutchings BSc. MBA
Chief Executive
Cassie is the founder and Chief Executive of GCH Corporation Ltd, responsible for leading and executing the Group’s long term strategy to grow organically and by acquisition into a substantial, diversified, industrial corporation whilst maintaining an entrepreneurial and dynamic culture. Since establishment, GCHC has acquired and developed a group of nine profitable diversified manufacturing and distribution businesses servicing the UK and Europe. Cassie has an MBA from Cass Business School in London from which she won an award for her MBA Thesis, achieving distinction, and a BSc degree in Psychology from Newcastle University.
Greg Hutchings BSc. MBA. Hon DBA
Chairman
Greg is the Chairman of GCH Corporation Ltd and has provided the initial capital behind the company. From 1983, Greg held the positions of Chief Executive or Chairman of Tomkins plc until October 2000. In his last year at Tomkins to April 2000 earnings per share and dividend increased by 15 per cent. Over the 17 year period to April 2000 Tomkins annual pretax profit rose from £1.6 million to around £500 million with uninterrupted growth, year on year. Compound growth in earnings per share over the period was circa 26 percent per annum with dividends increasing at a similar rate. From being capitalised at £6m in 1983 when Greg purchased a 30% shareholding, Tomkins grew to be quoted on the London and New York stock exchange at c. £5billion. From 2004 Greg was CEO of Lupus Capital PLC, now Tyman PLC, having acquired a 30% shareholding in order to develop an investment vehicle comprising the best aspects of both public and private equity until leaving to help found GCH Corporation Ltd.
Jason Cicero
Group Finance Director
Jason joined GCH Corporation Ltd in 2019 as the Group Finance Director and is responsible for the financial management of the GCH group of companies as well as providing strategic partner support both to the GCH Executive Board and the operational entity Managing Directors. A graduate of Cardiff University, Jason went on to qualify as a Chartered Management Accountant in 1991 with Allied Steel & Wire based in South Wales and has progressed his career with various blue chip enterprises such as Pirelli, Princes Soft Drinks and Stelrad Radiators before more recently with Hargreaves PLC and most latterly, PCM Inc, a prominent NASDAQ listed IT Reseller where, jointly with the MD, he successfully established the UK trading business incorporating 2 strategic acquisitions. Jason has held both Finance Director and Managing Director roles across a wide range of industries and business sectors.
Matt Whitaker
Matt joined GCH Corporation Ltd in 2015 as Financial Controller at Dent Steel Services Ltd a leading supplier of steel solutions and a subsidiary of GCH Corporation Ltd. In 2019 Matt became the GCH Group Financial Controller to support the Group Financial Director with all internal and external reporting and financial management of the Group, as well as the financial due diligence and post-acquisition integration of acquired businesses. Matt qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 2001 and has worked for a large independent steel distributor for several years and has a wealth of experience in financial management and analysis and providing strategic support to the board of directors. Matt also spent a few years as a financial analyst for Total, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies before he returned to the steel sector at Dent Steel Services Ltd.
Florina Andrei
Florina joined GCH Corporation Ltd in July 2016 as an Executive Assistant; she is responsible for the provision of executive administrative, communication and logistical support to the Chief Executive and the Chairman. Prior to joining GCH Corporation, Florina worked for several Private Family Offices as a Personal Assistant/Office Manager.
Sadie Breakspear
HR/Personal Assistant
Sadie joined GCH Corporation Ltd in October 2021 as HR/Personal Assistant; she is responsible for co-ordinating HR projects across the group as well as providing an administrative service to the GCH head office team. Prior to joining GCH Corporation, Sadie started her career in HR and has worked as a PA/Office Manager and an Operations Manager in the distribution sector.