Widely regarded by everyone at Hill's Panel Products as our 'founding father', Malcolm Hill, who gives his name to HPP, has recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
Malcolm is no stranger to everyone in the firm, popping in almost daily. He still has an office here and likes to keep abreast of events and chat to staff, who surprised him with a birthday party on one of his visits before he departed for a celebratory holiday in the Caribbean.
With a background in finance and timber, Malcolm was managing director at neighbouring George Hill Timber when he became HPP's first MD following a de-merger 32 years ago.
Joined by sons Martin and Stephen, and a handful of staff who also made the move from next door, Malcom established HPP on this piece of land that was then in the shadow of George Hill. The new firm had one warehouse, a trade counter, offices and some 'borrowed' storage space at George Hill's, until our site started to take shape with the construction of our own warehouse about 12 months later.
Since then we've added 10 new warehouses and production units, and a second trade counter in Sheffield.
Martin Hill, who runs HPP with his brother Stephen and MD Keith Wardrope, says: "With his background in finance, dad took on the role of finance in the new company while Stephen and I took on the manufacturing, sales and distribution. That's how HPP came to be."
Formed to supply melamine-faced chipboard (MFC) components to the fitted kitchen and bedroom industry, our range of merchandise has expanded significantly over the years, with more than 7,000 products, covering a huge range of full and processed sheet materials, vinyl-wrapped furniture doors and furniture fittings.
Our own products include Avanti doors, Glide sliding doors, and Aspect and Aspire kitchens and bedrooms. We also supply products by brands such as Blum, Egger and Kronospan.
Away from work, Malcolm's had a lifelong love of flying and aviation after doing his National Service in the RAF. He became a qualified private pilot at the age of 40 and flew a Cherokee Arrow four-seater plane for 43 years, accumulating 2,500 flying hours.
He is a former Liberal councillor, in the days before the Liberal Democrats, and was chair of Saddleworth Parish Council for a time, and he has been Chairman of Saddleworth Male Voice Choir for 25 years - a role he holds even though he doesn't sing.
He is a member of Saddleworth Rotary Club, joining from the Saddleworth Round Table. He was president of the Saddleworth branch from 1986-87 and again in 2009, actively involved in promoting the charity & flying visiting Romanian visitors around the local countryside during cultural visits.
And although Malcolm's been a regular visitor to the Caribbean over the years, Martin explains that's down to his mum, Margaret: "I'd say his favourite destination is their caravan in Wales, but my mum loves going on long haul holidays, so he goes under sufferance really!"