John Towers (businessman) John Towers (businessman) John Towers CBE (born 30 March 1948) is an English businessman, who was the owner and managing director of MG Rover Group from 2000 until the company entered administration in 2005. This followed a succession of senior appointments within Rover, which he had joined from Massey Ferguson in 1988. Towers started his career in 1966 as a student apprentice with Perkins Engines of Peterborough, which by that time had become a subsidiary of Massey Ferguson. He rose within Perkins to become Director of Engineering before leaving in 1988 to join the Rover Group. Together with Peter Beale,
John Elmes Beale John Elmes Beale John Elmes Beale (December 6, 1847 – July 1, 1928) was an English politician and merchant. He was Mayor of Bournemouth in 1902, 1903 and 1904. He founded Beales, Bournemouth's largest department store. Born in Hartford Terrace, Melcombe Regis, Dorset, England, Beale was also a stalwart of the Richmond Hill Congregational Church to which his great friend, Mr. Okey, introduced him. Beale was largely responsible for securing the services of the Rev. J. D. Jones for the church, after a previous preacher left. He also took over Mr. Okey's draper's store in Commercial Road and turned it