Congratulations to our very special Gary Jarram who is celebrating 20 years’ service with Purdy. In an era when job hopping happens a lot – in fact, just one third of the adult population have had a single employer for more than 10 years – milestone moments like this with Gary rightly stand out.
To put the timeline into context, when Gary joined us in 2004, Tony Blair was PM, Eminem and Britney were topping the charts, The Wire was enjoying huge success and Facebook (originally called TheFacebook) was launched by Mark Zuckerberg!
We spoke to Gary about his career which has seen him progress to his current role as Contracts Manager. “My first involvement with Purdy was doing work experience there when I was 15. Realising that University wasn’t for me because I wanted a hands-on solid skill for life, I joined Purdy as an Apprentice Electrician, alongside my brother who was a gas engineer there. Once I’d qualified as an electrician, I was on the tools for around 9 years. Meeting people, making a difference and doing a quality job – I loved it, and even had the privilege of working under the supervision of our now MD John Lord!
“Purdy recognises the value of people who’ve built up skills on the tools and are committed to keeping these skilled people like me in the business, and a promotion to Electrical Supervisor followed which I did for the next six years. The promotion did involve a change in mindset for me, and it took me a while to adapt to being in an office, responsible for the wellbeing of teams of engineers, booking and arranging jobs, ensuring H & S was correct, and helping and mentoring people. And then, with incredible support from the business and ‘thought training’ in my own head, five years ago I was offered a promotion to Contracts Manager. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and have never looked back. Now I’m responsible for contract delivery to Enfield Council, Estuary Housing and Eastlight Community Homes. Considering my beginning as an apprentice two decades ago, I’m also really proud to work closely with three apprentices and one improver in my team.
“Purdy, and in association Kinovo Group are great employers and it’s an exciting time to be here, especially with our move into more renewable and decarbonisation solutions. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last two decades, and I’m excited to see what the next twenty hold!”
John Lord, Managing Director of Purdy comments: “Congratulations to Gary who of course I remember working on the tools with 20 years ago! Gary’s flexibility, willingness to mentor others and his ability to build collaborative teams – as well as his extensive knowledge and experience gained on the tools – have shone through. Gary is not only testament to his own personal development, but also to the opportunities for development and advancement offered by Purdy for the right people.”
