Andrew Palmer at MT awards

Andrew Palmer, MD at Motor Transport Award-winning Suttons Group, is to retire at the end of April.

John Sutton, who currently manages the group’s international division, will take on Palmer’s responsibilities as group MD from 1 May.

Palmer (pictured second from right with Christine Bond of Mexichem Fluor) will step down  from his full-time executive role on 30 April, but will join parent company Thomas Cradley Holdings' (TCH) board as non-executive director in May.

TCH chairman Michael Sutton said: “The board and the shareholders would like to express considerable thanks to Andrew for the way in which he has transformed the fortunes of the company, making it a highly profitable and substantial global provider of bulk logistics services with an outstanding reputation for safe, high quality services.”

John Sutton will work alongside Palmer until the end of April and will join the TCH board. Sutton’s successor is yet to be announced.

Suttons Group won the partnership award for its work with Mexichem Fluor at the Motor Transport Awards in 2011.