BHETA has announced that vice president John Newcomb will stand as president at the June 3 agm, with the full backing of the board and the sector committees. A number of other representatives will also stand for key positions on the board and on the committees.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the association confirmed that after extensive talks with members, Mr Newcomb's name was one of three that came forward.

The other two, T&G Woodware md Patrick Gardner and Typhoon chairman Peter Battersby, while keen to contribute to the future of BHETA, felt "they were unable to make the time commitment required for the presidential role."
However, both Mr Gardner and Mr Battersby have indicated they are happy to serve on the housewares committee and the board respectively.

As well as Mr Newcomb standing for president, Western House md Gordon South will stand as treasurer, replacing John Baker who steps down at the agm. Le Creuset md Nick Ryder will stand as vice president and housewares sector chairman.

Hamilton Acorn md John Grayson has confirmed he will stand for a second consecutive term as vice president and DIY sector chairman, bringing some much needed stability to the sector.

It is hoped the agm and election, whatever the result, will draw a line under the uncertainty of the past 18 months and allow BHETA to move forward. The association said: "The board are keen to ensure that all members appreciate the election of a new president is a watershed in the association's recent history and will facilitate further developments aimed at increasing the benefits of membership for the full range of BHETA members."

Sector directors Will Jones and Peter Stone will be meeting with the respective candidates in the coming weeks and will then be making recommendations to their respective sector members. The agm has been confirmed for June 3.