Product & Customer Service Manager Keith Bradford celebrates 35 years’ service

15/09/2020

WesCom Product and Customer Service Manager Keith Bradford is celebrating 35 years’ service in a role he greatly enjoys.

Keith joined Pains Wessex in August 1985, when the brand was based at High Post, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, having previously worked as a Ships Agent for a Polish Shipping Line in London. He joined as Marine Product Manager, which is still part of his job now, so things have come full circle.

He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. “I have always worked in Sales and Marketing with a focus on Product and Distribution Management, plus Logistics and Customer Service. The aim is understanding and satisfying our customers’ needs. Ensuring we have great, approved products available in the right place at the right time.”

One unforgettable challenge came as soon as Keith started work. “The first task I worked on was the requirement to get our SOLAS range upgraded to new IMO specifications. I was thrown in at the deep end working with research and development and production to get everything up and running and fortunately, Pains Wessex obtained the approvals before our rivals and the deadline in April 1986.”

Shortly after he joined, Chemring bought Pains Wessex. The defence services company based nearby in Portsmouth, had money to invest from the Falklands conflict manufactured decoy chaff and Pains Wessex made decoy flares, so it made sense to bring the two together, Keith explains.

Significant changes had occurred over the period, including working at five different locations for several owners. Particular highlights of Keith’s 35 years have been the joining forces with Comet and Drew Marine’s purchase of the company from Chemring Group, plus the current exciting times, developing the business with a new management team under owners, Sun Capital.

Among the most rewarding parts of the job is working closely with the global distributor network, who are so vital to our success.

“I have always had input into legislative/compliance problems and Type Approvals, and have been closely involved with the worldwide distributor network and have got to know them very well through the years. We have worked with many of these companies for well over 50 years, which is rare in modern business.”

Keith enjoys his interesting and varied role so much that he has no plans to retire yet. “I still have over a year until I qualify for my government pension, but now you don’t have to retire at that age and I am keen to carry on all the time I am contributing, enjoying the job and my health permits.

“Regularly, new challenges are thrown up, either product-related, from the global network, or from our end–users on ships, all of which keeps things interesting. I enjoy that part of the job and you pick up a great deal of knowledge and experience over the years.”

Recently, COVID-19 has caused challenges, but we have risen to them and our factory has kept working, so our business has been less adversely affected than most. UK staff working from home has worked out better and more successfully than expected. Who knows what the eventual new ‘normal’ will be?

Even though Keith has completed 35 years, there are some other WesCom staff who have even longer service records. “There are a few people in the company who have longer service records than me – colleague Regina Diekert, for instance, who has been with the company a year longer, and Anne Read in accounts – three years’ longer and Michael Merritt at Powerhaul has been packing our flares for almost 50 years!

“The fact that people often stay here for a long time is a sign that WesCom is a good company to work for.

“My attitude is, how many opportunities do you get to work with great colleagues for a true world leader in what you do, which is what we are? We have an excellent product range which helps to save lives at sea and our company has built a strong reputation with loyal distributors. I’m pleased to have contributed in a small way to our significant growth and success over the years – and long may it continue, as we obviously have ‘’a flare for the job!’’