Businessman transformed fortunes of city firm

Leading Norwich businessman George Hill, who has died peacefully aged 89, transformed the fortunes of a long-established city box manufact-uring company.

In his 26-year career as managing director of Mansfields, then a near-monopoly maker of shoe-boxes for the city's footwear industry, he expanded into products for confectionery, perfumery and stationery. He was highly-regarded in the box-making industry for his drive and vision.

Born in Norwich on July 22, 1920, he went to the City of Norwich School but after one year in the sixth form, he went to work for the Briton Brush Company at Wymondham as a clerk.

He joined the army, serving with the Royal Artillery in Europe and India, and was demobbed as a captain. He returned to his former employer, where he met his wife who had just started work as a clerk. They were married in August, 1949.

He moved to Mansfields, which had been started by the city's shoe manufacturers in 1919, as a costings clerk. He was soon promoted to company secretary and then in 1952 he was made managing director.

Mansfields, which had lost its factory in St Saviour's Street in the fire raid on June 28, 1942, was struggling when he took over and over-dependent on the shoe industry.

He was "a hands-on" manager who invested, bought new packaging machinery and won new markets with top chocolate firms include Nestle's, Rowntree Mackintosh and Suchard. By July 1953, a record 1,040,000 Easter egg boxes had been made.

And in 1954, fancy boxes for sweet meats and stationery were introduced and soon 28,000 were being made daily. The Easter egg casket business was brisk and orders increased four-fold in just two years. And the enterprising Norwich firm was praised for starting a new night shift for women, employing 80 between 6pm and 10pm.

Under his leadership, Mansfields thrived and in March 1963, it employed more than 250 staff and won more contracts as he expanded into printing and packaging.

One of the biggest single contracts, which ran for several years, involved packing 5.25m cards for UNICEF, each with 10 greetings, into half a million boxes. In November 1965, one team of 17 girls on a Saturday morning packed 225,000 cards in four hours!

He left Mansfields in 1978, and took on some consultancy work before finally retiring in 1986.

He enjoyed gardening at his Sprowston home, brass rubbing and was passionate about clocks - restoring all types and often writing a detailed booklet on clock care for its owner.

He leaves a widow, Margaret, daughter Jenny, and grandchildren, Caroline and Lizzie.

A funeral service will be held at St Faith's Crematorium tomorrow (2.45pm).

Michael Pollitt