Our Story

I’m Alan Crook and I became Managing Director of Cottam Brush in March 2022 having started in the business in August 2001 as Manufacturing Manager. Previously, I’ve worked in the engineering industry, starting as an apprentice in 1978 and progressing through various roles at 3 different companies.  I’m married with 3 daughters and 4 fantastic grandchildren which means I don’t have a lot of time to do many other things other than watching a bit of football every other week down at the Stadium of Light with my dad.

Hi, my name is Sue and I’m the Sales Manager for Cottam Brush. I love my job and being immersed in the ‘world of brushes’. The best part is building relationships with customers and learning about the many uses for our brush solutions and the industries they serve. I am part of the Leadership team, so I help with business planning, as well as mentoring our team to improve processes and drive change through our business. We have a great team here, that I am very proud to be a part of. In my spare time I enjoy walking, mountain biking, cooking, travelling, and spending time with my family.

Hello, my name is Nick and I love products and design. From creating new ones to re-packaging existing – I find working in the whole product lifecycle a fantastic place to be. Here at Cottam my role as Head of Product and Ecommerce allows me to fulfil this passion with all manor of ‘brushy’ products! Outside of products & ecommerce you will find me on the riverbank, by the lake or next to the sea perusing my angling ‘career’! 😊 Safe to say my role at Cottam puts food on the table for my young family & dogs.

I’m Eddie, and I am the Process Engineer at Cottam. I’ve worked for Cottam Brush for over 40 years, so I’ve spent my career in brush making. I help customers with their custom brush enquiries and orders, as well as working in the warehouse making brushes. I enjoy the creative process of seeing a brush come together – using my skills on products that will be used across a range of industries. 

My name is Rachael and I am the Sales and Marketing Assistant at Cottam. I process our catalogue sales orders, help customers with any enquiries, and support the marketing team with social media and emails.

My name is Chelsie and I am the Marketing Manager here at Cottam. I was employed in October 2022 to review existing marketing activities and create a strategy to help support the businesses growth plans, and quickly came to realise, there really is a brush for everything. I graduated from Northumbrian University in 2014 with a Business with Marketing degree and after a year travelling in Australia, stepped into the world of marketing. I currently work part-time for Cottam and spend the other half of my week working playing with all things pretty for Cottam’s sister business Sarah Vuong Bridal Jewellery.

Hi, I am Ada Lin, the Sourcing Manager of Cottam ‘s China operations. I have been working for Cottam since 2012. My main responsibilities are sourcing the best suppliers in China to make our products and manage that ongoing relationship. I follow up on orders we have placed and visit our suppliers, performing inspections, as well as organising shipping to the UK. In my spare time I enjoy cycling, travelling and reading books.

My name is Nancy Li and I am the General Manager of Cottam’s China operations. I have worked for Cottam for nearly 10 years and my responsibility is overseeing our China branch, maintaining good relationships with our Chinese supplier base and making sure that our products are delivered to the UK on time and in good quality. I am proud to be part of the Cottam team and enjoy my work. In my spare time, I like travelling, reading books, listening to music and spending time with my family.