The Wessex Group held a magnificent gala celebration to mark the company’s 50th anniversary in style.
Hundreds of staff, former employees and their partners attended the dinner at the Bournemouth International Centre.
Retired founder Tony Morgan, who set up Wessex Electricals in 1963, was there with his two sons Simon and Alistair, who are now the group’s joint managing directors.
The group is still based in Shaftesbury in North Dorset, but now employs over 400 people and reaches across the country.
It was decided to mark the half century in a number of ways through the year, and throwing a party was for the group to say thank you to the staff.
Before the dinner Simon Morgan welcomed the staff and their guests and invited his father to say a few words.
Tony thanked them for their loyalty and hard work and said he hoped the group would be there in another 50 years.
Gordon Green, who was one of Tony’s first employees as an apprentice electrician, and is now MD of Wessex Electricals, also spoke.
He said: “Tony’s loyalty to the staff he has employed has been exceptional, with so many of us staying for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years.
“Tony has been like a father figure to many of us and has supported us at work and in our private lives, which has been appreciated by us all.
“The group is now headed by his sons Ali and Simon and they have the skills and loyalty that they’ve inherited from their father.
“The Wessex Group is a multi-company, multi-discipline group that continues to grow, and we have another batch of apprentices starting soon.”
The managing directors of all six companies in the group were present, as were representatives of electrical contractors Wiltshire and Willey, who were celebrating their 30th anniversary and are also members of the Wessex Group.
Simon Morgan said: “It is a real achievement to have been around for 50 years and to have grown so much since 1963.
“We are lucky to have great staff across the group and the future certainly looks bright.”
As well as throwing a big party, Wessex Group is also giving away “50 somethings” to a charity or good cause each month during 2013.
So far this year the group has provided 50 sensory toys for a charity that looks after children with severe learning difficulties, planted 50 yards of snowdrops in Shaftesbury, supported
50 animals at a rescue centre, donated 50 vintage books to Thomas Hardy’s home Max Gate, funded 50 promotional packs for a dyslexia support group and donated 50 high quality, high-powered, energy efficient LED retrofit lamps.
Wessex Group is a hardy collection of companies that installs and/or maintains electrics, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, renewable energy, commercial catering equipment and fire and security systems.
