He succeeds Rolf Herold, who oversaw a decade of expansion that saw Lawton Tubes grow annual turnover to £230 million, build a 140-strong workforce across Coventry, Redditch and Poole, and extend sales to 42 countries. During Herold’s tenure, the company also secured two prestigious awards for international trade growth: The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2019 and The King’s Award in 2024, with export sales now standing at £26 million.

Rich Thomas, Head of People and Culture at Lawton Tubes, said: “Michael’s appointment is a real coup for us as he brings extensive industrial leadership experience, which will stand us in good stead as we gear up for an exciting period of further growth, with our new £20 million headquarters set to open in late 2026, alongside diversifying our product ranges.

“He also shares Lawton Tubes’ passion for creating employment opportunities for the next generation in the construction industry, as he personally launched the Institute of Brilliant Ideas to provide employment opportunities across a range of sectors to disadvantaged communities.
We’d also like to thank Rolf for his outstanding service over the years, as we look forward to an exciting future.”

Brown added: “Lawton Tubes is thriving on multiple fronts – from growing its domestic and overseas markets, innovating new products with its investment in its engineering division, whilst championing careers in the industry, so I can’t wait to get started.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to use my decades of commercial leadership experience to help them maximise growth opportunities over the coming years in key markets including heating and plumbing, air conditioning, medical and industrial.”

For more information, visit www.lawtontubes.co.uk.