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Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Sir Colin Corness obituary: industrialist who went on to lead Glaxo
Sir Colin Corness took his perks seriously. When he became chairman of Glaxo (now GSK), he took a chauffeur-driven car to the company's Berkeley Square head office even though he lived only a few minutes' walk away. On £200,000 a year for two days a week in the 1990s, he was then one of Britain's highest-paid non-executive directors. 'We believe it is a fair salary for a man of Sir Colin's experience,' said a Glaxo spokesman. It was nearly double what Corness was paid latterly as chairman of Redland, the brick and tile-making firm he had joined 30 years earlier. Promoted to the board in 1977, he helped to turn it into one of the most successful companies in the European construction industry. 'I would just like to think I have continued with a very good recipe and made the most of it,' he said in 1991. 'Profits were £5 million a year when I joined. Last year they were nearly £250 million. Germany is booming and that is why we have recently been the UK's best-performing construction company. More than 80 per cent of our profits come from outside Britain, and we are the envy of the industry. There have been numerous competitors, of course, but we have always stayed ahead of those who have copied us.' Redland was founded after the First World War in Reigate, Surrey, to employ ex-servicemen making tiles from sand and cement instead of the traditional clay. That 1920s generation was still in control in the 1960s but Corness realised they would soon be bowing out, so it was 'the chance of a lifetime'. Within five years of his arrival they had all retired. The year before he joined the company a German, Rudolf Brass, turned up with a plan to introduce the tiles to West Germany, which was in the midst of postwar rebuilding. A joint venture followed, and when he took the reins Corness enthusiastically built more factories throughout Germany and eastern Europe. 'That was the secret of our success above all else,' he said. His undoing was a deal too far; a 1992 hostile takeover bid for Steetley, which also made bricks and tiles. 'We are bigger and we are rather more skilful at tax management than they are,' Corness said. But he underestimated the resourcefulness of Steetley's chairman, David Donne (obituary June 3, 2011). When they argued over who had the more bricks, Donne sent a helicopter to photograph the Redland brickyards. He squeezed the price up to £615 million, which stretched Redland so far that Corness stepped down and the firm was broken up a few years later. A barrister who never practised, Corness made a strong case against companies giving money to political parties, something he stopped at Glaxo as soon as he arrived. 'I disagreed with the practice of political donations,' he explained. 'After all, there had never been a poll taken as to what shareholders, employees or customers thought about such contributions.' Colin Ross Corness was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, in 1931, son of Thomas Corness and Mary (née Lovelace). Thomas owned a distillery that made George IV whisky and was taken over by Distillers Company, now part of Diageo. Colin had a brother, Ian, who became a sales executive. They were evacuated to the West Country during the Second World War. Growing up in Cheshire, as a Scout, Colin visited Alstonefield in the Peak District, regarded as one of Staffordshire's most attractive villages. He decided to live there when he retired. He attended Uppingham school and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read law. Having been denied a tank regiment, he did National Service as a lieutenant in the Royal Scots Dragoons cavalry. Corness entered the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar. He later obtained an MBA at Harvard Business School. He was engaged to be married but, his nephew Simon says, he remained single to prioritise his career. He was the first Cambridge graduate to join the Taylor Woodrow building group, at £500 a year. On his first day his boss told him: 'Before you start, as far as I'm concerned you don't know nothing.' Corness said: 'He was quite right, of course, so I immediately set out to remedy this.' He impressed the chairman, Frank (later Lord) Taylor, sufficiently for him to be made managing director of the construction arm aged only 30. But when he was poached by Redland four years later, Taylor was so angry he initially threatened that his firm would never again buy from Redland. 'It proved an empty threat,' said Corness, 'but it was many years before Frank would talk to me.' After he left Redland, he was welcomed back on to the Taylor Woodrow board. In the 1980s he was appointed to the court of the Bank of England and became a director of the SG Warburg merchant bank, National Westminster, the steel and aluminium firm Unitech, Courtaulds and WH Smith. He was chairman of Nationwide Anglia, the building society. Corness was also on the National Economic Development Committee for the building industry, the Industrial Development Advisory Board, the British-American Chamber of Commerce, the National Council of Building Materials Products and the Institute of Roofing. He was active in a number of charities. As chairman of Magdalene's campaign committee, his significant role in construction of the new library was recognised by having the top-floor reading room named after him. He was knighted for services to the construction industry in 1986. When he retired, he fulfilled his childhood desire to return to Alstonefield. 'I looked at many properties,' he said, 'but knew immediately that Stoneleigh, a Grade II listed Georgian property, was right for me. Its proportions were well suited to my needs and my collection of antiques.' He furnished Stoneleigh with a Georgian mahogany campaign secretaire, an 18th-century chest of drawers and a George III mahogany serpentine chest of drawers. Works of art included painted decoy ducks, a silver chamberstick, a 19th-century oak linen press, a vintage crocodile skin attaché case, a boot rack and a brass ship's gimbal desk lamp. The walls were decorated with an Edgar Hunt farmyard painting, a 19th-century Highland landscape oil painting and a John Speed map of Rutland. He eventually sold the property to live in London, where he enjoyed travel, music and tennis. Gerald Corbett, the former Railtrack chief executive who was a colleague on the Redland board, said: 'Colin set exacting standards of behaviour. Although he was quite old-fashioned, dry sherry before lunch and all the rest of it, with him your word was your bond.' Sir Colin Corness, industrialist, was born on October 9, 1931. He died on June 25, 2025 aged 93
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Removing fluoride from Miami-Dade's water supply is foolhardy and dangerous
Preventive measures After more than 50 years of practicing and teaching pediatrics in Miami-Dade County, I have witnessed the pain and horrific suffering of children and families who were ravaged by diseases which are now preventable and in some cases treatable, if not discovered too late. I have seen babies and children die or suffer from blindness, deafness and lifelong effects of diseases and neurological damage, including cerebral palsy and severe learning disabilities. Secondary effects include broken marriages and siblings who, exposed to these tragedies, cannot forget the pain and suffering. In many cases, the financial costs of these conditions are devastating. I congratulate Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava for taking a brave and well informed stance on fluoride. She has used sensitivity and sensibility on an issue that should not be controversial. We have the tools to prevent many conditions, including tooth decay. To deny them is foolhardy and dangerous. This should not be a political issue. If only all or our elected officials had the same empathy. There is much medical pain and suffering in this world and we owe it to humanity, if we can, to mitigate it. Dr. Philip Paul Miami Saving democracy Looking at the many ways the Donald Trump administration has been harassing critics, law firms, universities, judges and the news media, I conclude that America has crossed the line into competitive authoritarianism. Most modern authoritarian leaders are elected. They maintain their power through arrests, tax audits, defamation suits, politically targeted investigations and more, to punish and silence their opponents. They either buy or bully the media and civil society until opposing voices cave to their power. South Florida's three elected U.S. representatives and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are all Trump MAGA supporters and are complicit in helping Trump turn the country into a dictatorship. Citizens are slowly waking up to this fact and are working to vote these people out. Be a part of the effort by supporting good people who want to run for office and uphold the Constitution. Our democracy depends on it. Dewey Steele, Redland Too much green? Presidential recreation has been the subject of criticism for decades, regardless of party affiliation. One president was known for frequenting Martha's Vineyard, another for escaping to Delaware's beaches. Nixon's favorite was Key Biscayne. Critics decry the high cost to taxpayers of President Trump golfing at his own club in Palm Beach. The Miami Herald should investigate and compare the cost of Trump's recreation to that of previous presidents, with adjustments for inflation and possible increased security costs due to real threats on his life. It's hard to imagine how golfing at Mar-a-Lago could cost taxpayers more than any other presidential recreational activity. Michael S. Mills, Hendersonville, NC Medicaid helps I have held the hands of worried parents in clinic waiting rooms and helped seniors navigate healthcare options for 15 years. I've witnessed Medicaid's life-changing impact firsthand. Each day, I meet Floridians whose stories rarely make headlines: the single mother whose child receives life-saving treatments, the grandfather whose nursing home care is covered, the rural family whose local hospital remains open, all thanks to Medicaid. Congress is planning to cut Medicaid funding by more than $700 billion over the next 10 years. Nearly 4 million people in Florida rely on Medicaid for their health insurance and the proposed cuts put that vital coverage at risk. When a child with asthma can't access medication or a senior loses nursing home coverage, they don't simply disappear — they end up in emergency rooms, with more severe conditions, mounting medical debt and higher costs, which we all bear. I hope Congress rejects these proposals that would harm our most vulnerable neighbors while weakening Florida's economy. Nicole Licairac, MPH Community Health Specialist, Florida Health Justice Project, Miami Abandoning Afghans Re: the May 14 story, 'DHS terminates Temporary Protective Status for 9,000 from Afghanistan living in U.S.' The report stated that 'improved conditions in Afghanistan' would not prevent them from returning home. That is obviously not the case. Almost all Afghans on TPS are interpreters and other allies of the U.S. military who, with their immediate families, would be subject to death or other severe penalties should they return. It is absurd the Trump administration could propose ending a lifesaving program for those who helped us during that 20-year war. As a veteran, I am ashamed the U.S. has abandoned all honor. We are losing our good name in pursuit of political gimmicks. I hope those members of Congress who value the military tell President Trump to not dishonor the U.S. and threaten the lives of thousands just to please the MAGA base. Eric Tullberg, Palmetto Bay Stormy news The federal government's spending cuts to the National Weather Service, specifically as it affects hurricane forecasts, are actually beneficial to our mental health. Annually, five or six days before a possible 'hit' by a hurricane, an onslaught of updates contributes to mass hysteria, significant anxiety, a run on the supermarkets and more. All we need is a short, five-minute update every hour. Hopefully, this will happen. Guillermo A. Martinez, Coral Gables Misused funds Given the choice to spend $45 million on a parade or rehiring some of the laid off federal employees who make Americans lives easier, most Americans would chose the latter. This parade for President Trump is a prime example of everything DOGE was trying to eliminate. Art Young, West Kendall Special quality Well known facts about Joe's Stone Crab restaurant are always great to read in magazines all over the country. The success of the restaurant over so many years and its history is certainly impressive. However, that pales next to the Joe's ad in the May 16 Miami Herald, written by Joe's fourth generation family member Stephen Sawitz, who also is chief operating officer. Reflected is a spirit of generosity and care that is so needed. The warm invitation by a son to share a meal, learned from the matriarch through generations for inclusivity, is truly the 'secret sauce.' Karen Fryd, Miami Beach Trump said that? Am I the only one who remembers President Trump saying during his campaign that if he was elected, he would end the war in Ukraine on day one of his presidency? Valeria Mastelli, Key Biscayne Cruel stewardship A young manatee named Kangaroo recently appeared in the waters near Key Largo. Her pectoral fins were grotesquely swollen and entangled in fishing line. We called FWC, but she had swum away and was gone by the time they were available. We hope she returns and gets the urgent care she needs. Kangaroo's suffering reflects a larger truth: fishing line, hooks and traps are destroying marine life. This is not conservation — it's cruelty. Florida must stop calling killing a form of stewardship. Proposals to trophy-hunt black bears — just recently off the endangered species list — show how far we've strayed from compassion. For ethical vegans, true conservation means nonviolence. If we care about nature and the unity of life, then all recreational killing — fishing, hunting, trapping — must end. To those in power: if your idea of wildlife management involves harm, it's time to let compassion lead. Linda Bower, Miami Springs Whither North Dade? Our newly elected Miami-Dade County tax collector, Dariel Fernandez, has opened self-service printable vehicle registration kiosks at four Publix locations. Great idea. However, they are in Miami Beach, Homestead, Doral and Southwest Miami-Dade. Apparently, Fernandez is not here to serve all county residents' needs, as all of North Miami-Dade is cut off from this service, which he touts as 'Great news!' in mailers with his face on them. Roberta Lagrandeur, Miami
