Farewell and a Big Thank You to Harry

Elta has extended the best wishes of all of its employees to Harry Hammond following his retirement from the company after more than 30 years service.

Harry joined Elta in February of 1978, working for Ray Ball, the founder and Chairman of Elta, initially in the Sales Department in Peartree Lane, Dudley. With the formation of Elta’s Technical Services Department, Harry made the move across in 1989, working to provide technical support on the company’s ever expanding product range.

After a 12 year spell in Technical Sales, Harry was appointed as a Project Engineer, returning to the Dudley office to renew his association with Ray and also now David Ball.

February 2005 saw Harry move to part-time, still in his capacity as a Project Engineer, a position he held when he relocated, along with the rest of the Dudley office team, to the Pensnett Trading Estate in Kingswinford. Harry worked on the CAD system, looking at new and existing products, until his retirement in 2010.

He now spends more time with his wife Joyce and is enjoying the extra time he has to spend walking in places such as Kinver Edge and pottering in his garden. As Harry says, he does still miss the workplace and “…the great bunch of people that he worked with.” His children and grandchildren also keep him busy, helping to decorate his daughter’s house being one of his latest missions.

David Ball commented ” “Harry is a tough act to follow ” He has been a terrific servant to our family, a model employee for more than 30 years, and his knowledge, experience and advice, has touched and influenced so many of us past and present.

People like Harry Hammond don’t grow on trees, they’re irreplaceable, so if the next generation can make even half the contribution Harry has made to this company, then we are blessed for much further success, and whenever we need his advice or support, we will always ask for it.

Harry will be always remembered and never forgotten, because his values and experience are part of the fabric of what makes this company what it is.”

The Elta Group is a £85 million family of businesses with operations in six countries on four continents which, together with a network of international distributors, provides quality fans and related air movement equipment to customers worldwide.