Senior Sales Manager is to retire

Focus SB Senior Sales Manager for London and the South of England, Barry Partridge has announced his plans to retire at the end of May, during his fortieth year working for the company.

Barry, an established, well-liked and familiar face in the electrical accessories industry will be sorely missed by colleagues and customers alike. He says: “In my fortieth year of service my body is telling me ‘it’s enough already'! Undoubtedly, I will miss all the friendships that I have formed with work colleagues and customers. I’ve met some great characters along the way and will retain many friendships. I always say if you’re pleased to see customers, they’re pleased to see you! I will on occasion miss driving the scenic route home on summer evenings when the day is done, admiring the beautiful countryside. I'm hoping for a long and healthy retirement spending quality time with my family and hopefully hitting the occasional golf shot in a straight line! Reflecting on those 40 years, I'm pleased to say it's been a blast. For my swan song, I’m planning to take the Brighton Zip challenge and fly 300m across Brighton beach - listen out for my ‘wheeeeeee!’ on around 29th or 30th of May!”

Roger Kemp, Commercial Manager (formerly Focus SB’s Chairman, who originally employed Barry in 1981) says: “Barry is very much a people person with a memory that enables him to recall those he met and build a rapport. That ability is so important for a sales person. He is a long serving, enthusiastic employee who is doing the job he loved (most of the time). A passionate supporter of Focus who was never shy of picking us up if he felt that our service levels fell short of customers’ expectations. We wish him well in his retirement.”

Gary Stevens, our Managing Director comments: “Although I have only had the pleasure of working with Barry for a relatively short time, I have to say that having been in this industry for over 40 years myself, there are certain characters I have worked with, or come into contact with that stand out and Barry is certainly one of them! His passion and enthusiasm is infectious and he will be leaving a huge hole at Focus SB and in the industry, he will be missed by all. We wish him luck and a long and healthy retirement and he is welcome back to visit any time as an integral part of the Focus SB history and family.”