Martin Hughes

Company: Catrake Ltd

Acting Deputy Chairman: Martin Hughes, Director, Catrake Ltd. t/as Yorkshire Dampcourse (YDC) and Associated Preservation Systems, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Martin Hughes has been in damp proofing for 16 years. He has an honours degree in Agriculture from Reading University and so has a science background. His first job was with milking machines, then printing and packaging and then into damp proofing.

Before YDC, he was in a large corporation, where he finished up as general manager of their largest factory. He got there through sales and marketing roles. The marketing job gave him some experience in the acquisition and running of small companies. In 2000 he was able to buy out another local competitor, Associated Preservation Systems, and at then end of 2006, former member, A.J. Thorpe Preservation also joined the group, on the retirement of its owner.

He was co-opted onto PCA Council in September 2006, and elected as a full member in May 2007. Recently, after the retirement of the last chairman, PCA Council asked him to take the position of Acting Deputy Chairman.

From this position he will champion the role and interests of the smaller, single site, independent companies and work with PCA Council to bring about beneficial changes to PCA, ensuring value for money from subscriptions, and keeping members informed.