Sephra Europe, a leading supplier and manufacturer of professional dessert and bakery products based in Fife, has announced the promotion of their Operations Manager to Director.
John Laughlin, who has been with the company for twelve years, will expand his responsibilities as the business continues to grow. Sephra Europe operates from its European headquarters in Kirkcaldy, with a sister division in Pennsylvania, US.
“My time with Sephra has been an exciting journey,” said Laughlin, reflecting on his tenure with the company. “The business has grown significantly over the years, and I’m looking forward to broadening my role. It’s a real milestone moment after twelve years of hard work, learning, and growing with the business. I’ve had the privilege of playing a part in some major moments, from our move to new premises in 2019, to building the supply chain that helped launch our retail popcorn business, Sephra Popcorn, which is now the UK’s favourite tubbed popcorn.”
The promotion recognises Laughlin’s dedication and contribution to the company’s success in the competitive professional dessert and bakery market. Sephra Europe specialises in equipment and ingredients for the hospitality and catering industry, serving customers across Europe from Scotland.
John explained that, over the past few years, as the business has grown, his involvement in it, across many different parts, has increased.
“For me, this has meant I’ve been involved in not just operations, but also aspects like financial oversight, recruitment and HR, marketing, and managing a much larger team. This promotion feels like a formal recognition of how my responsibilities have expanded over time. It’s a step up, yes, but also a continuation of the direction in which things have been heading as the company has scaled.”
“A big focus for me right now is working closely with our growing operations team to keep improving how we do things – whether that’s tightening up inventory control, driving better supplier performance, or finding smarter ways to automate processes. I’ve been really fortunate to have great people around me. Nicky Gray, our Operations Assistant, has been doing fantastic work – she’s incredibly bright, full of ideas, and already helping to implement new processes that are making a real difference. And since joining us in November, Andy Girvan, our new Procurement & Inventory Manager, has brought a huge amount of experience and is already having a strong impact. Alongside that, we’ve got some big infrastructure projects underway – expanding the warehouse and office space, and better integrating the packing room – all part of setting the business up for the next phase of growth.”
Managing Director and Company Founder, David Archer, said: “After 12 years of unwavering commitment and exceptional service, I am very proud and happy to see John promoted from Operations Manager to Operations Director at Sephra Europe Ltd. John’s steadfast dedication and tireless input have been central to the company’s growth, and I’m excited to see his leadership continue to help shape our future success. Congratulations, John!”
