Durham Box appoints new general manager
Leading corrugated packaging manufacturer, Durham Box, has appointed Steve Dowbekin to the role of general manager as part of its ongoing planned expansion.
With over forty years of experience within the food manufacturing industry, Dowbekin brings extensive organisational skills and experience to the position. His progressive career has included appointments with retailers, bakeries, and manufacturers, including Maple Leaf Foods and Warburton’s. His most recent role was as Operations Director at Gateshead’s Northumbrian Fine Foods.
Dowbekin’s primary focus at Durham Box will be on areas across the business that require improvement, energising staff to work smarter and more effectively and developing systems across all departments to create optimisation improvements. A key part of his role will be spent with departmental heads focussing on people, behaviours, skills, discipline, empowerment of staff and succession planning.
“I believe a lot of skills come with experience, and I’m lucky to have worked in many businesses that have invested in me personally. I come from the shop floor and am proud of that fact, have performed most roles in my time, and have always recognised the importance of inclusion, respect, communication and leadership as key drivers of positive behaviour,” said Dowbekin. “I’d like to think I will bring change where needed, but done in a way that’s collaborative, cohesive, and enables each change to be sustained.”
Dan Morris, Durham Box’s managing director, added: “We are delighted to welcome Steve to our growing team here at Durham Box. His multi-faceted experience will be crucial for the next phase of our ongoing growth plans, and I look forward to seeing him really make a difference in his role, helping to build the foundations for the business to thrive as we continue to expand in the years to come.”