A DIRECTOR from Greenfield is celebrating after an impressive four decades of service with an Oldham-based business.
Jeff Hughes first started at Housing Units in 1983 after the current chairman Harry Fox spotted him working as a management graduate at a McDonald’s restaurant in Oldham.
He began working at the furnishings retailer’s original store in Hollinwood – which, at the time, sold everything from housewares and lighting to mirrors and home accessories. Back then, the company had three small stores and was still selling building and DIY products.
Jeff played a key role in the Hollinwood’s store move to the current site on Wickentree Lane in Failsworth in 1991 and, later that decade, was instrumental in the strategy to becoming a home furnishing destination.
In September 1999, he became a director of Housing Units at a time when the company’s turnover was £16 million – a significant rise from just £2.7 million when he first joined.
By the time the firm celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, it reached a record £36 million, with Jeff having helped the business embark on its biggest growth journey yet.
Jeff has worked his way up at Housing Units, from department manager to store manager, to buyer and now buying director.
He is only the fourth person to have reached the milestone in the company’s history.
“The last 40 years have been enjoyable and rewarding and it’s been an exciting time where I have many memories of amazing characters from our team and our suppliers,” Jeff said. “Every day brings a new challenge.”
Housing Units has also congratulated and thanked Jeff for his amazing 40 years of service.
Well that’s been an interesting and challenging career. Buyer has always been rightly regarded as one of the key roles in any retail operation, (the right goods at the right price, etc.) so I would infer that the overall success of Housing Units must owe much to his professional ability his experience and judgement.
Too many people think that that kind of success happens almost by magic or by sheer luck or don’t think about it at all; in fact nothing could be further from the truth.
That’s an impressive career by any criterion.