Pictured above: Colin Day
An employee at Triplar, the Northampton-based retail display,
shop fitting and commercial interiors specialist, has chalked up 25
years of continuous service for the company.
Factory manager Colin Day, 42, from Northampton, joined Triplar
in July 1985 as an apprentice bench joiner and has seen the
business's headcount more than treble as its operations have
expanded into Europe and beyond.
After qualifying as a bench joiner he went on to undertake a
wood machinist qualification, before taking the role of Factory
manager in 2000. He now oversees a team of six in the factory and
four on site, and the production of furniture and other items for a
client list that includes, Nike, Dr Martens, Nokia, Levi Strauss,
Blacks and Lush.
Colin said: "When I first started at Triplar I was one of six
people who worked during the week to produce furniture items for
shops and bars. We would work all week to produce the items and
then fit them during the weekend or in the following week.
"The team subsequently increased in size and split to create a
dedicated shopfitting team that would work on site. I chose to stay
in the factory and completed my wood machinist qualification."
Colin's knowledge of the factory and its processes meant he was
the natural stand-in for the previous factory manager. And when he
retired Colin was the obvious choice to take over the role.
He added: "People are often astonished when I tell them I have
worked here for 25 years, but I've never thought of leaving.
Triplar has always been a family-run business with a warm and
welcoming atmosphere.
"Part of my job now involves nurturing the company's new
apprentices, a role that I thoroughly enjoy. The business has
changed considerably over the past two decades, but our commitment
to finding and training apprentices and producing consistently high
quality furniture and fittings remains the same."
Triplar, based on the Bridle Close Industrial Estate in
Wellingborough, has enjoyed a tremendous year of growth, with five
new appointments in the past six-months and national recognition
for one of the company's projects in the Retail Week Interiors
Awards 2010.
Triplar director Tim Rodwell said: "We are very fortunate to
have such a well-run and highly-skilled factory facility in the UK.
Clients are often impressed by our ability to produce high-quality
prototypes and tackle bespoke joinery projects.
"Much of the credit for the excellent results our team produces
must go to Colin. He instils the highest standards in his team, and
is experienced enough to tackle any project with confidence."