We believe that expertise and knowledge are the ultimate pre-requisites for success in any business and industry.  There are no shortcuts to acquiring either. Although our explanation for our pedigree is long, it is relevant to everything that we are today.

Peter Warr is founder and Chairman of the Stillwater Group Ltd, a holding company for the several companies Peter has formed, developed and managed over the last 20 years.

Peter began his career at City and Provincial as an apprentice fabricator in 1976 and over the next five years experienced the manufacturing industry from shop floor to office. In the five years that followed Peter held a number of senior management positions in a variety of window and sealed unit fabricators.  In each of these roles Peter created successful, profitable organisations and took the decision to benefit from this success personally.  In 1986 Peter formed A Plus Windows and Doors Ltd which quickly grew to establish itself as a leading fabricator in the manufacturing service sector.

In 1991, Peter expanded A Plus Windows and Doors to incorporate a Hardwood Window and Door fabrication division.  Peter took over an insolvent timber fabricator and, over the next few years, evolved its product offer to include a number of bespoke ranges serving the luxury hardwood window, door and conservatory market.

A decade later, Peter again added to his portfolio of companies within the fenestration sector, when together with a business partner formed Europa conservatories, a specialist fabricator for the roofing market.

Peter continued to grow and develop A Plus’ range of services and products, until in 2004 Peter decided the company required a strategic review of operations. With the help of his son Steven and the expertise of David Boast he created a new structure and direction for the business.

Peter restructured A Plus to form separate aluminum and timber fabrication companies, formed a PVC manufacturer, and acquired his largest customer, Just Windows and Doors (a retail installer to the home improvement market) in August 2006.  All these companies are now owned and managed by the Stillwater Group Ltd.

Steven Warr is currently the Managing Director of the Stillwater Group Ltd and is additionally responsible for all manufacturing companies within the group on a day to day basis.  At 31, Steven is the youngest of the Stillwater board, and has spent the last 10 years engaged in a variety of industries.  After graduating in Biological Sciences from The University of Birmingham in 1996, Steven began working for a small IT company specialising in Human Resources sector. 

His career in IT continued a year later when he undertook a graduate position at a City based software house servicing the insurance industry, specialising in systems for syndicates at Lloyds of London.  In 2000 Steven moved to another software house in the City, this time becoming involved in the Investment Banking sector.  Steven was promoted a number of times during his career in the City, and became increasingly involved in the business processes of the companies, rather than the IT.  This interest in business prompted Steven to seek a change of direction in his career and in 2004 he joined A Plus Windows and Doors Ltd.

Within his first year at the company Steven quickly gained a technical understanding of the manufacturing and office procedures. By the second year Steven had developed strong relationships with customers and suppliers, was running the business on a day to day basis, and had increased sales and profitability. 

David Boast has been involved in the management and strategic development of many companies for the past 30 years and is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Chartered Management Institute.  Originally training as an engineer in the machine tool industry and working in ICI Plastics division, David was attracted to join an American multinational, Schlegel Corporation in 1972 and quickly progressed to UK Marketing Director before he was 30 years old.   Ten years later David joined Sapa AB, a Swedish international group with core business of aluminium extrusion and building products, to be MD, and subsequently Chairman, of an ailing architectural hardware company which is now a world leader in its field. 

Appointed to the UK main board in the early nineties, David has held a variety of positions, always as CEO/Chairman within Sapa Group companies, mostly those requiring company restructuring, and has had considerable contact with other companies throughout Europe. Promoting a variety of products and services to both businesses and the consumer has been valuable experience in understanding customer and market needs.  Further experience in company acquisitions and new company formation coupled with long involvement in industry trade associations, has given him breadth as well as depth to his supportive leadership style.

At the age of 58, David retired from full time employment in the corporate arena and now heads up a management consultancy specialising in business planning and project management.  Additionally he is the Chief Executive of Wolsey Lodges Limited.  For the last two years he has been working with Peter Warr to help create the Stillwater Group through company acquisitions and the restructuring of A-Plus Limited.

Jon Palethorpe is an experienced company director with over 20 years in sales, marketing and company management, particularly in material supply to the construction industry.  Jon is comfortable with the demands of Balance Sheet and P&L management and has considerable experience in directing and re-structuring organisations, motivating and developing individuals and strategic planning. 

In the mid-eighties Jon joined the market leading bespoke carpet manufacturer Brintons.  Based in London selling to specifiers, contractors and large corporate clients Jon quickly established a strong commercial foundation.  Jon then went on to join Monarch Aluminium Ltd, a company specialising in the design and
distribution of aluminium fenestration systems where he spearheaded the Commercial evolution of the company from Monarch Aluminium to Sapa Building Systems Ltd and joined the Board as Sales & Marketing Director in 1999 at the age of 32.  The company now enjoys a market leading position within the UK. 

Educated in France and a bilingual French / English speaker, Jon moved into the International business arena in 2003 whilst also keeping his UK responsibilities.  He led the start-up of a new Sapa Building System unit based in Belgium focused on the development of the company’s presence in the large scale international project market, managing the scope and resources of a significant, but decentralised organisation. 

2005 saw Jon join the six man Management Team of the €370 million Sapa Building System Group and in 2006 assumed the role of General Manager for the Emerging Markets unit and responsible for the business units in Turkey, UAE, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 

Jon has been involved with several Trade Organisations and is currently a member of the Marketing Committee for the Brussels based European Aluminium Association.  He has attended Ashridge Business School and is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management.  He is now Commercial Director for the Stillwater Group.