Malcolm hanson, co-founder of saks, passes away

Malcolm Hanson, one of the co-founders of Saks, has passed away in South Africa. Along with founding partner, Dennis Cheesebrough, Malcolm opened the first Saks salon in 1974 in Darlington, County Durham. More salons followed, with Saks franchising launching in 1991. The group now has salons in cities across the UK and recently expanded into India, Dubai and Kuwait. Known by his friends as a larger than life character with a passion for hairdressing, Malcom contributed greatly to British hairdressing throughout the 70s and 80s before retiring in 2008 to spend more time with his family in South Africa and Florida. Stephen Kee, Managing Director of Saks, says: "Malcolm was highly regarded by everyone at Saks and he will be greatly missed by us all. Everyone always enjoyed his company. This news is particularly sad and poignant as we’re set to celebrate 40 great years of Saks in 2014. We send our deepest condolences to Malcolm’s family and friends."