Experience at the Sharp end has left us hungrier than ever
One Ayrshire office can lay claim to a more experienced line up than most.
For staff at the Sharp base in Ayr have racked up an incredible 242 years of service between them.
The highly respected team has seen many changes to its brand over the years.
But at its core has remained the spine of the side which boasts an unrivalled wealth of knowledge.
Over the years, the six colleagues in question have seen their company name change from Purdie and Kirkpatrick to EquipU, Eurocopy, IOT and then Sharp in 2011.
And they show no sign of letting up as the milestone 250 approaches.
Mags McQueen joined back in December 1973 as an administrator responsible for taking phone orders, ordering supplies and arranging deliveries.
She said: “Back then, the company dealt predominately in stationery.
“I’ve seen so many changes and of course we’re now a furniture business with a very small amount of stationery.
“But a lot of the clients have stayed the same – I have relationships with some customers lasting 30 years or more.”
Colleague Mags Anderson, a sales manager for the last 28 years, added: “Every day is different and every month it’s almost like you’re starting a new job, so it stays fresh.”
General Business Manager, John McCall, is another experienced hand and said: “When Equipu took over P& K I was the manager at KPMG in charge of carrying out the due diligence.
“I managed to get the company around £ 100k back in tax with £ 16k interest and they were so pleased they offered me the job of company secretary, and I later became finance director.
John has seen the company go through some tough times but today it is bringing in record profits, which he puts down to the excellent working relationships in the office.
“We all compliment each other in our skills,” he said. “We are like a family business and we look after each other. There’s no negativity.”
Charismatic salesman Robert Reilly combined his work with a top football career which included a spell in the dugout at Ayr United.
After starting out in a trainee sales position, he’s worked for the company for nearly 40 years; working out of Ayr, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dumfries.
“When I started, we sold a mixture of copiers and typewriters,” he said.
“Equipment and technology might have changed, but customers’ attitudes haven’t – they want to be treated as individuals and it’s just as much about the service we provide as the product itself.”
Completing the team is customer support engineer, Andy Begg, who joined as an apprentice 38 years ago and Jim Kelly, area service manager, who is now in an incredible 49th year with the company.