LOCAL businessman Howard Lewis, owner of Morris Brothers, Tenby, stepped closer to the top in a national trade association when he was recently elected first vice-president of the British Hardware Federation at a packed 105th annual general meeting held in the imposing surroundings of the House of Lords.
Morris Brothers, which sells hardware, outdoor pursuits equipment and clothing, was established in 1866 and has been owned by the Lewis family since 1939. Howard entered the family business in 1964, after attending Wrekin College, Shropshire and working for 18 months with J. W. Carpenter, the well-known hardware shop in the Earls Court Road, London.
A former chairman and member of Tenby Round Table, Howard is a member of Tenby Rotary Club and former chairman of Tenby Commercial Ratepayers Association. His interests include scuba diving, skiing, bee-keeping, history and Morgan sports cars.
The British Hardware Federation is one of the leading trade associations in the country, representing over 3,500 independent hardware retailers, specialist cookshops, pet product retailers, builders' merchants and agricultural and garden machinery dealerships.