Former CJ Lang wholesale director Dick Smith dies suddenly

Dick Smith, the well-known and highly respected former wholesale director at Dundee-based CJ Lang and Son, has died suddenly at the age of 80.

Smith retired from CJ Lang in October 2006 – two years after he initially planned to retire. He had agreed to stay on to tackle the wholesale division’s performance and was credited with its transformation: it achieved a 52% increase on 2003/04, and was 7.4% ahead of budget in 2005/06.

Grant Scrimgeour, now trading controller at William Yule, succeeded Smith as wholesale controller and paid tribute to Smith’s leadership: “Dick was probably the best thing that happened to the wholesale operation. When he first agreed to head it up, morale was low among the team. He turned the whole thing around.”

According to local newspaper The Courier (www.thecourier.co.uk), Smith was an honorary member of Tayport Football Club and rarely missed a match, home or away. During his long association with the game, Smith played in Australia for many years where he worked in sales and marketing roles.

Smith owned the George Hotel in Newburgh, Fife, for three years, and then worked for Watson & Philip, before joining CJ Lang in 1989. He was a council member of the Scottish Wholesale Association (formerly The Wholesale Grocers’ Association of Scotland) for many years. He was also a member of the Licensed Marketing Committees of both SPAR UK and Landmark.

Tel: CJ Lang (01382) 512100