Born london, october 12, 1929.
Died London, june 2, 2008, aged 78.
Footwear industrialist Monty Sumray, who rose from East End shoemaker’s runner to Britain’s number two footwear manufacturer, raised huge sums for Israel.
He started in the trades division of the JPA (which became the JIA and now UJIA), chairing the shoe and leather trade committee in the 1950s.
In 1974, in the emergency following the Yom Kippur War, he chaired all 25 committees of the trades division. In characteristic mode he produced a manual of goals and methods.
He led missions to Israel and, from the mid-1960s, tried help the country by importing its footwear. But he was dismayed by the state of the industry and workers’ attitudes.
Tiny family workshops could not adapt to large-scale production, while kibbutz factories had a “take it or leave it” mentality. Customer service or satisfaction was unknown. Undeterred, he visited plants to encourage efficiency, energy and planning.
In 1978, when the JIA launched its Project Renewal to concentrate on Ashkelon’s development, he became chairman of the leadership, development and recruitment committee.
A believer in regular changes of top honorary posts, he moved to the Anglo-Israel Chamber of Commerce as chairman in 1979. A year later, the
30-year-old organisation became the British-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
Following Israel’s 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, he hoped to see trade double. But he was frustrated by the Arab boycott, which continued for 15 years.
He pressed continually for British government and business to stand up to the boycott which, he said, hurt British exporters. But he also urged Israeli business to conform to British mores.
His four-year term saw the chamber’s membership rise to nearly 1,000 and four regional branches set up. He took British businessmen to Israel and encouraged Israeli foods, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.
He took a leading role in the 1981 relaunch of Israel Bonds, selling direct to the public. He saw this as the third leg of support for Israel: aid through JIA, trade through B-ICC and lending through bonds.
When he stepped down to become vice-president in 1983, he took up the reins of his own business, which he admitted had been “treading water” during his communal activity.
His £19 million purchase of Lotus Shoes in 1986 made his Footwear Industry Investments second only to Clark’s — which he tried but failed to buy. He formed FII from a business purchase in 1961. It went public in 1972.
From the start FII supplied shoes to Marks & Spencer. The company was credited with keeping the British industry afloat in the face of recession, raw-material price rises and aggressive imports. It even exported to Italy.
An energetic individualist, Monty Sumray invested in new technology and cultivated his workforce. President of the British Footwear Manufacturers’ Association in 1976-77 and a long-standing member of national industry bodies, he was scathing about the “hunting and sporting” grandchildren of the founders of British shoe companies, who let their businesses run down. He was appointed CBE in 1989.
East End-born, one of six children, he left school at 16 and worked as a runner for Dubarry, shoemaker to the stars and royalty. Within two years he was a director.
In the Second World War he served in Burma as a captain in the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He returned to find his old firm taken over and, with his share from the sale, started up on his own in several small businesses until forming FII. Fighting Mosley’s post-war fascist rallies and learning about the Holocaust made him an ardent supporter of a Jewish state.
He severed his four decade-long ties with the JIA in 1987, after a row over the management of JIA-funded BIPAC, the Israel lobbying group. But he continued supporting Israel, while giving more attention to home charities.
He funded a new unit in the Jewish Welfare Board (now Jewish Care) home in Hendon in 1988. He retired as chairman of FII in 1985 and was appointed CBE in 1989.
He is survived by his wife, Catherine (Kitty) nee Beber; daughter, Gay; son, Richard; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.