Simon Showman founded Ultimate Products with partner Barry Franks in 1997. Originally founded as a stock clearance business it has come a long way since then. It is now the UK’s largest product sourcing company.
Simon co-founded UP with Barry Franks in 1997 and was the chief architect of the meteoric growth of the business. He is directly responsible for the key trading functions of sales and buying as well as continuing to be the key driving force behind the ongoing development of UP. Simon is a well-respected member of the North West business community, whose views are often sought by journalists and advisors on matters that affect wider business.
Barry Franks, co-founder of Ultimate Products, successfully grew the business in an executive capacity until the investment by Lloyds Banking Group in 2005, at which point he stepped back into a non-executive role. Barry has over 40 years experience of supplying UK retail in a number of different supply businesses and this experience adds significant value to the board decision making processes.
