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National Family Business Day 2018

Happy National Family Business Day!

Members of the Plumb family can be found throughout the company. We thought this was a great way to check in and find out more about their day-to-day roles.

Geoff - Chairman

Geoff Plumb has been a key part of Plumbs since it first began. From accompanying his parents to the market stall at 11 years old, to helping cut the fabric for scatter cushions – he was there at the very early stages. His decision to run a mail order advert in 1968 changed the course of the business forever, as orders poured through the letterbox.

This bold move is indicative of Geoff’s instincts as a businessman – always encouraging growth and development in the company. Supported by his wife, Ann Plumb, and their ever growing family, he has guided the company through the last 60 years and been a great friend, mentor, and inspiration to many.

Now acting as chairman, Geoff is still actively involved in the company.

 

Sarah – Managing Director

Sarah

Sarah started at Plumbs when she was just 18, and has spent time in many departments throughout the company, before settling in Sales & Marketing. Having seen her father, Geoff, lead the company for many years, Sarah became Managing Director in 2009. Now working alongside her husband, Rob – our Production Director – they (somehow) manage to balance their work schedules with a busy home life.

Sarah’s favourite thing about working in a family business is seeing the next generation beginning to get involved, and witnessing the fresh ideas that they bring to the company.

 

Jane - Accounts

Jane

Jane started at Plumbs 33 years ago, and like her sister, Sarah, spent 12 months working her way around the company. This would include cutting, sewing, customer services and the call centre. Today, she can be found in our Accounts department, and often lends a helping hand to others.

Jane has always loved the community feel of working in a family business, noting how anyone can go to see the Managing Director and feel they have been heard. This caring community and her pride in the brand are definitely her favourite things about Plumbs.

 

Laura – Merchandise

Laura

Laura started working in the factory shop at Plumbs, before moving into a more office based role. After a brief stint as one of our wonderful consultants, Laura began working in Merchandise, helping to select the most beautiful fabrics for our range.

Being part of a family business is something really special to Laura. Plumbs has been part of her life since her earliest memories, when she would help out her mum and dad. Though the company may go through highs and lows over the years, working with family means everyone keeps a desire to succeed and a loyalty to the brand’s heritage.

 

Emma – Exhibitions & Showroom

Emma

Some of you might recognise Emma from visiting our stand at exhibitions like the Ideal Home Show. Emma has helped out at Plumbs for many years, from working in the call centre as a teenager to now running our exhibitions and showroom.

When asked what she enjoys about working in a family business, Emma commented on her pride in the heritage of the brand and the passion this gives her in her day-to-day work.

 

Tom – Quality

Tom

Tom started working at Plumbs when he was 18, and was one of our first reupholstery apprentices. Now fully qualified, Tom has worked his way to becoming Quality Manager, checking all furniture matches our high standards before it departs our factory.

Tom describes working in a family business as an interesting experience, as it comes with positives and negatives. The topic of work often appears at family parties and over the weekend, but that’s just part of the pride and passion the family all share. He believes this enthusiasm is passed on to the wider community at Plumbs, extending the term family to mean much more. Everyone at Plumbs pulls together, through the good and bad – just like a family should.

 

Rachel - Marketing

Rach

Rachel has worked in a lot of roles here at Plumbs! Like her sister, Emma, she started in the call centre and gave a helping hand in the summer holidays. She has since been involved in our marketing campaigns, and is responsible for organising all our great offers.

Rachel take great pride in Plumbs being one of over 4 million family firms in the UK, as these companies help to support the economy and local communities.

 

Sam - Swatching

Sam

Sam may only be 25, but has been helping a hand at Plumbs for over 10 years! From his summer holidays at school, to now taking on a full time role, Sam’s been in a lot of departments. From Swatching, to Despatch, and Direct Mail, he’s certainly a well-known face around the factory.

Family business has been a huge part of Sam’s life. Not only as something he’s proud of, but as a source of inspiration too! When he’s not at Plumbs, he’s working on his own newly emerging business, The Cut House – though cutting vinyl is slightly different to fabric!

 

Sophie - Marketing

Sophie

I'm Sophie! I've worked at Plumbs on and off since I was 18, spending my university summer holidays in the Marketing department. Now I've graduated, I've returned to help produce content for our social media channels. I really hope you've enjoyed this blog, and learning a little more about Plumbs as a company today. The heritage of the brand is a reason I'm so excited to work on our social content, as I think the story to be told is really interesting - I hope you agree!

 

To find out more about the family, head to our previous blog - Plumbs: a family business

We'll also be celebrating National Family Business Day all day on our Facebook  and Twitter  too.

Sophie Page
Sophie Page

Sophie is a great granddaughter of the founders of the business - so fabrics and furniture are almost part of her DNA! Her interests include home interiors and upcycling, and her favourite show to watch after work is The Repair Shop. Some of the topics she covers on the Plumbs blog include sofa reupholstery and furniture protection.

UK-wide service
UK-wide service
Family business
Family business
Made-to-measure
Made-to-measure
Free in-home consultation
Free in-home consultation
Over 800 fabrics
Over 800 fabrics
Quality guarantee
Quality guarantee

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