Meirion Rowlands, 68, of Carno, died at his home in the village on Monday, September 29.

Well known in the area, Mr Rowlands will perhaps be best remembered for his work in helping Laura Ashley become a global brand in the 1970s and 80s.

Meirion worked at Laura Ashley's Carno site as a managing director of its manufacturing division after originally being employed by Sir Bernard Ashley as a pattern cutter.

Jane Ashley, daughter of Laura and Bernard Ashley, said his hard work had helped the company to become what it was, something which was always appreciated by her parents.

She said: "For a good few years we had it all humming and that was in no small part thanks to Meirion. My mother regarded him with great respect and fondness. They worked very well together as a team. He always got on very well with my father as well.

"He met him on street corner and with his entrepreneurial vision he could tell that because he was a champion sheep shearer he would make a great pattern cutter.

"There was a type of mutual respect and love between them and certainly my parents held him in the highest regard.

"I cannot think that he ever put a foot wrong. If he had a fault it was that he would never take a day off let alone a holiday. He would say 'why leave Carno, it's the most beautiful place'."

She added: "He was passionate that the company provided jobs for local people and kept the community intact.

Derrick Pugh, who worked with Meirion at Laura Ashley for 14 years said: "He was always very productive, because really in his day no one could touch him. He had amazing management skills and an amazing way of communicating with people.

"I know Laura Ashley herself thought the world of him. He was, in my view, one of the major factors in the success of Laura Ashley's manufacturing business.

"I have to admit, I have never met anyone with as much charisma and driving force as he had, he was an absolutely amazing figurehead."

Howard Robert-Jones, who also worked with Meirion at Laura Ashley said: "Without Meirion in the early days Laura Ashley would not have been the firm it was. I have never worked for anyone I have felt had such a strong personality or good man management skills."