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Visionary leading Quay regeneration

From the Echo, first published Wednesday 12th Dec 2001.

Lester Aldridge Business Person of the Year - WINNER: Peter Mills, chairman of Poole Properties Ltd

PETER Mills is a leading business figure at the forefront of the major regeneration of Poole Quay.

His instrumental role in the development of the Quay began in 1990 when he headed a management buy-in/buy-out of Poole Pottery.

The company's growing success can be attributed to his accurate and consistent trend-forecasting, along with his willingness to take risks and innovate in technology and design.

His in-depth awareness of the current market enabled him to instigate the "casual dining" ethos which has underpinned the tableware industry for some years.

This follows a period when increasing competition from international ceramic manu-facturers threatened the business.

Central to the business's success was the decision to return the main focus of Poole Pottery to the domestic market.

It was Mr Mills who decided to move the long-established pottery factory, saving more than 100 jobs in the process.

His long-term vision for Poole

Quay was for a mixed-use development of prestigious retail outlets, residential units and restaurants on the factory site.

He has led every process in the progress of the Dolphin Quays development, which is raising the profile of the town on a national and international scale.