On 30 June we said a very fond farewell to our retiring Business Director and company founder, Alan Shaw.
Alan was a key member of the team that launched Natgraph 42 years ago and then shaped it into the operation it is today with over 14,000 items of equipment manufactured and exported to more than 100 countries around the world.
Reflecting on his time at Natgraph, Alan said: “Aside from all the success, there have been some challenging times of course, but with a great team of loyal, hardworking employees we created the amazing brand that is Natgraph, all done without a penny from any bank.
“We worked so hard in those early years, re-investing everything in state-of-the-art machinery to design and build a world class range of equipment, entirely in-house. It’s a testament to the spirit of Natgraph that we still have our very first employee – Mark Bowler, who I interviewed as an 18-year-old. He’s a grandfather now, which I am as well.
“Our success came from a blind enthusiasm to manufacture the best possible technical solutions to any challenge. We concentrated more on making the equipment work well, rather than seizing the opportunity to scale up and mass produce. Our evolution also depended upon our strategic partners and the amazing global network of distributors. Working together made us all successful.”
“The World Pandemic has robbed me of the opportunity to say farewell in person to partners, distributors and customers, with the cancellation of DRUPA and FESPA, so unfortunately it’s just an electronic sign-off from me after all these years.
“Now it is time to put my family first and enjoy retirement.”
