Thomas Martin Saveker, Derek's son, joined the company full time in 1981 following his university studies having
gained a degree in production engineering. Martin, today's company chairman had been a regular visitor to the
factory since his early childhood. He came into the office on most Saturdays with his father, sometimes going to
the packing department and getting the staff there to setup timber runs on which to race his model cars. When he
was a little older some of the men would tell him about years gone by: his favourite was Bill Hobbs in the brass
shop. Bill used to tell Martin about the arguments between his farther and Martin's grandfather: old Mr Hobbs
either resigned or was fired most Friday afternoons but always reappeared for work on Monday - man management
was rather different in those days.
Catherine Owen, today's production Administrator joined the company from school in 1983 as a progress chaser on
£30 a week on a three month trial. The trial has lasted more than two decades! During the 1980s she would
witness the company's design function to become ever more responsive to customers' demand for bespoke products.
By the 1990s the company was striving to further develop its unique bespoke service by enhancing and improving
its designs and product facilities through the use of new technology.
When Derek Saveker retired his son Martin took over as Chairman. Martin's cousin Dani Saveker started work for the company in 1995 after obtaining a degree in Design & Marketing. Dani's earliest memories of the company at
the Phillips Street site also went back to her childhood.
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She would be brought to the factory by her mother and
often pop in to visit her grandfather and Uncle Mike. At that time she was around five years old and would enter
the building through its large green doors and walk up its big stone staircase. Dani was in awe of the building,
yet the distinctive smell was always friendly and familiar. Derek Saveker would make the most amazing paper
aeroplanes for his second co cousin and throw them across the office; he also taught her that most important of
executive skills - how to flick rubber bands across a room and into a waste paper bin! If Dani was really lucky
however, she got to spend half an hour or so in the packaging area, counting screws and putting them into bags
once a box had been found for her to stand on. The first proper work Dani undertook for the company was when
her cousin, Tony Saveker, was taken ill with pneumonia and she covered for him in the purchasing department.
After joining the firm full time she worked on product development before subsequently working in every
department.
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