Dave Hanlon Dave Hanlon was a clothing businessman and a customer of Underworld . Difficult , gruff and rude , his first business with the firm didn ' t go well when Peter Barlow was late , meeting Tina McIntyre and trying to get her not to leave Weatherfield for a new life in London . Carla Barlow rang Peter and asked where he was and he span a lie that he was stuck in traffic and Hanlon had cancelled - even though he was sat in front of her at the time . Peter was surprised , to say the least , to see the man sat in the factory office when he finally turned up . Carla saved the deal and Peter managed to convince her that he had gone to an impromptu AA meeting when the desire for a drink started to overwhelm him . Hanlon was back a few months later and insisted that he and Peter went for a drink in the Rovers to conclude business . Peter was reluctant as Tina was serving behind the bar and Hanlon was in no better a mood , upset that " the organ grinder " - Carla - wasn ' t with them and sarcastically commenting that he ought to be grateful that this time Peter had turned up for his appointment . He went over the contract that was offered to him with great exactitude , managing to delay matters in order to blag more free pints off Peter . In June 2014 he returned looking at more of the firm ' s lines , shortly after the murder of Tina McIntyre . Peter and Carla and spilt and the lady herself had been hauled in by the police that morning for questioning over the death . Michelle Connor , Rob Donovan and all the staff pulled together to put on a good show in her absence , claiming that she had a dental appointment and all seemed to go well , Hanlon even going so far as to sympathise with her marriage split as he had been through the same situation himself . Carla was kept waiting in the Weatherfield Police Station past the point where she lost control and she returned to the factory in a foul mood , insulting Hanlon and throwing his sympathy back in his face so much that he instantly cancelled the order he had just signed . Diplomatic relations between the two were restored by the following April when Hanlon met Carla in Nick ' s Bistro to discuss another deal . This time he was rude with Nick Tilsley , finding fault with him almost as soon as he entered the bistro , complaining the food was too cold and then too hot . During the meal , Sally Webster interrupted them , trying to push her way in as Carla ' s " PA " and even suggesting that he discuss a window - cleaning contract with her partner Tim Metcalfe . Carla lost her rag with Hanlon when he demanded a discount from Nick , telling him to stick his deal " somewhere painful " . He was amused , describing her as a " feisty little thing " and agreed to the deal with , liking her no - nonsense approach . In the August he was back to consider a new deal with Underworld . At that time , Carla was in the process of selling the factory and one of the potential buyers was trainee manager Alya Nazir , using money borrowed from her grandparents . She also offered to meet Hanlon herself to show that she was capable of being in charge . They met in the bistro where Hanlon was his usual charming self , objecting to being a guinea pig but admitted that he was flattered when Alya forthrightly said that if she could do a deal with him , she could do it with anyone . He warmed to the girl , telling her not to keep looking across the bar where Carla was keeping a wary watch on them but to look him in the eye . After going carefully over the contract , Dave imperiously summoned Carla and told her that Alya was a good worker , albeit a bit nervy , and signed on the dotted line . List of appearances . 2014 2015