By Ian Reynolds-Young
One of the reasons the vending industry is such a joy to work in is the sheer diversity of the people you come across. Let’s face it: rare is the child who lays awake at night dreaming of a career in vending. As a rule we sort-of ‘fall into it’- from all kinds of unlikely places… Mike Hadfield of Automatic Retailing is a case in point.
So, before I tell you the answer, here’s the question: what did Mike do before he was in vending sales?
I’ll wait five minutes before I write the next bit, to give you time to think about it…
He hung up his egg-head and changed direction.
Time’s up: he’s a qualified bacteriologist / bio chemist. No, I’m not pulling your leg. His early jobs were with the likes of pharmaceutical giant Fisons and dairy firm Unigate. He was your ‘boffin-in-the-white-coat-with-the-microscope’ from central casting back then, and it’s only when he realised many years ago that, career wise at least, he was going nowhere fast, that he hung up his egg-head and changed direction.
The only way into management open to him at the time involved switching to sales and that’s how, almost by accident, Mike found his true niche. During the next four or five years he honed his skills and when the opportunity cropped-up to start his own business, he felt he was ready for it. His companies, Coffee Care and later Consulate, lasted for 24 years.
He was about to sell the business when war broke out and put the kybosh on everything. Just before Saddam’s tanks rolled into Kuwait, Mike had negotiated a deal to sell the business to Chequer Foods; but that company was owned by Autobar which, in turn, was owned by an investment group based in – you guessed it – Kuwait.
Oops.
Another deal was eventually done. It wasn’t long before Mike found himself with too much time on his hands and he went looking for a job. He approached Chequer and got lucky: their National Accounts Manager had just left the company so Mike was invited for an interview.
And that, dear reader, was when he met John Crichton for the first time…
He got more than the job; he got a wife as well.
He got more than the job; he got a wife as well. You see, at Chequer there was a tele-sales person to back-up every two sales representatives. Providing the support (and, more often than not, covering) for Messrs’ Crichton and Hadfield was a lady named Kerrie. These days, she’s equally well-known as Mrs. Hadfield.
…
At 67, Mike, at last, is contemplating retirement. He begins our chat by looking back at his ‘eight or nine’ years at ARN.
‘I’ve done pretty much the same job throughout my time at Automatic Retailing, looking after foodservice customers and vending customers’, he said. ‘Automatic Retailing like to keep it simple for the consumer, we don’t like to complicate it, everybody just gets on with it and does what needs to be done.’
‘Automatic Retailing: the best company I’ve ever worked for, by a mile.’
‘Automatic Retailing is the best company I’ve ever worked for, by a mile,’ Mike said. ‘I’ve had a brilliant time here; they’re great people to work for. The only boss I’ve ever known that’s even better than them was me, when I had my own company!
‘When Kitwave bought Automatic Retailing it certainly became a biggish concern but we couldn’t have asked for better, there aren’t reams of management, so as far as the staff are concerned, it still feels very much like a family business.
‘The most important thing is being successful and at Automatic Retailing we’ve been very successful’ Mike said. ‘If that wasn’t the case, the atmosphere at work would be different, the atmosphere just wouldn’t be right.’
…
Sadly, we have to report that the future looks absolutely dreadful for Mr. & Mrs. Hadfield. The unfortunate couple has just been forced, at the point of a fountain pen, to sign a permanent rental agreement on a bijou apartment located in an exclusive enclave of northern Greece. Entirely contrary to their lifelong expectations, they’ve had to resign themselves to a life of purgatory, spent flitting between ‘here’, ‘there’ and indeed ‘everywhere’ on, as it were, the will of the wind. Like butterflies.
Like butterflies with a boat. Yep: if negotiations can be concluded, Mike and Kerrie will be obliged to add ‘island hopping’ to the heap of misfortune upon which they are about to be flung. So, spare them a thought, poor buggers.
After a lifetime of work, Mike, it’s such a shame that it’s finally come to this. Try to make the most of it, mate. And think on: you’ll be missed.
And Finally, A Personal Word From John Crichton
I’ve been asked to write a few words about me auld pal Mike Hadfield on the occasion of him finally calling it a day, so here goes…
When I first met him, he was presenting at our sales meeting, very well turned out, very well spoken…He didn’t have a clue, but he managed to get by.
‘Prat’, I thought.
I can remember when I changed my mind about him in a sudden flash of clarity and understanding
I can remember when I changed my mind about him in a sudden flash of clarity and understanding; although it wasn’t on the road to Damascus – it was at Birch Services on the M62. We’d arranged to meet up there and, very unusually, I was a minute or two late so Mike was waiting for me and there he was, sitting in his car, reading the Viz.
‘You’ll do for me’, I thought.
Larking about aside and however much I make light of it, in all seriousness, Mike is going to be a huge miss for me and for our company. He’s the calming influence on our team and everybody tends to listen to him. We might take the mickey out of him massively, but he’s a clever man.
Not that he’s got any common sense, but there you go.
So, all that remains is to say that personally, Mike, I’m glad you’re leaving before you lose your marbles on us. As it is, you’re the youngest 67 year old I’ve ever met, and you’re completely crackers. So that’s good. Enjoy your retirement man, stay in touch and gan canny. And yes, we’ll all miss you, but think on – there’ll be no bugger bubbling over it in the office.
And now, back to work.
JC.
