Former boss of collapsed contractor had been chairman of bathroom installer Meddo

Garvis Snook, the former boss of collapsed contractor Rok, has died.

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Snook (pictured), 67, was chairman of Lincoln-headquartered bathroom and kitchen installer Meddo at the time of his death last week. Meddo confirmed he had died but declined to give any other details.

Rok fell into administration in November 2010 after its banks withdrew support for the company.

Joining EBC, a sub-拢100m-a-year turnover contracting business based in Exeter in 2000, Snook transformed the company into Rok, which grew tenfold to a peak stock market valuation of 拢437m in 2007.

>> Analysis: The breaking of Rok

In 2008 it employed more than 4,000 people, with turnover exceeding 拢1bn.

But the group encountered problems following the credit crunch, having racked up 拢70m in debt through a rapid acquisition programme.

This was followed by a series of profit warnings from its operations, including Avonside, a plumbing, heating and electrical business it acquired in 2007.

These announcements rattled investors, leading to Rok seeing its share price collapse. By 2009 the firm鈥檚 valuation had plummeted to a mere 拢34m. 

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