Southern Trident significantly strengthens its senior team with the appointment of Steve Harper as their new CEO.

Speaking on the occasion, Balaji Manoharan, Founder, Southern Trident said: “Steve’s appointment as our CEO reiterates our commitment to be at the forefront of the peat-free initiative, which continues to gain momentum in the UK. His strong cross functional industry background, coupled with the pivotal leadership role in structured, effective programs such as the Responsible Sourcing Scheme, made him a natural choice. All of us at Southern Trident are delighted that the company’s core value of delivering sustainability and strong appetite for growth will now be supported by a CEO who has dedicated a significant part of his professional career to advocate such a notable environmental cause, alongside delivering commercial results.”

Steve will bring to the team his deep knowledge and experience during his 20 years in the industry, having held key roles, including Sales Director at William Sinclair Horticulture and Managing Director of the start-up peat-free growing media company, Vital Earth and is past Chair of the Growing Media Association.

Steve joins Southern Trident from The Greener Gardening Company (previously Bord na Mona) where, as Sales and Marketing Director he helped to develop the company's UK market and was instrumental in the rapid growth of its distribution base and launch of their own peat-free compost brand. Steve also chairs the industry wide Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media working with Defra, the HTA, NGO’s, retailers and other manufacturers.

Steve says about the move: “I am hugely excited to be joining the Southern Trident, their initial products are already recognised as being pioneering and award winning, bringing a whole new dimension to the growing media market and being welcomed by retailers across the country. A strong team is being brought together to rapidly expand this business with plans to become a significant manufacturer of the future. Where previously peat producers dominated the market with access to their core raw material now Southern Trident is in control of its destiny bringing its coir-based products from its factories in India delivering both innovation and quality to the UK market.”

Southern Trident Ltd, through its brand Coco & Coir™ in the last 12 months has enjoyed substantially beyond budgeted, increased sales growth. Southern Trident is a UK company with strong roots in India supplying high quality coir based growing medium and eco-friendly doormats. Customers are supplied direct from source to market in a fully Southern Trident managed seamless operation. Sustainability is at the heart of Southern Tridents foundation believing that the coconut is the perfect crop that will work for the consumer, the environment and meet the aims of the Southern Trident strongly held company values, Green today, Greener tomorrow.