Baker Perkins companies in the UK and USA have appointed new managing directors. Dan Bassett has responsibility for the UK company based in Peterborough; Dan Smith for the USA operation in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

The appointments follow the decision of company owner John Cowx to relinquish his role as managing director: he continues as chairman.     

Dan Bassett joined Baker Perkins as a graduate trainee in 1990, and worked in sales before becoming commercial manager in 1999. He became sales manager for bakery and biscuit covering the UK and Ireland, and then took business sector responsibility for bakery, biscuit and industrial extrusion, before becoming director of capital sales for all food sectors in 2013.

Dan Smith became assistant manager of field service at Grand Rapids in 1995. He was appointed aftermarket parts supply manager two years later and operations manager in 2002. Since 2006 he has been general manager.

Geoff Hawley is replacing Dan Bassett as director of food capital sales. Geoff joined Baker Perkins in 2003 as sales account manager, bakery. He moved to the USA company in 2013 as sales director before returning to the UK last year to become strategic development manager – sales.

Baker Perkins has supplied machinery, systems and services to the food industry from its Peterborough and Michigan bases for over 100 years.