Hailsham couple celebrate a combined 116 years of service for family business
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Michael and Pam Parrish have worked a combined 116 years for Wightman & Parrish, based in Hailsham’s Station Road Industrial Estate. The couple celebrated at a dinner with friends and family in The Hardwick Suite at the International Lawn Tennis Centre in Eastbourne with special guest Sir John Timpson CBE.
Michael Parrish joined in 1960, taking over from his father, Eric Parrish, as the managing director (MD). Having previously done national service, Michael was also a Royal Naval reservist and magistrate alongside his role as MD, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander over his 30-year career. Michael was also lucky enough to meet Her Majesty Princess Elizabeth when she visited Lewes in 1951.
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Hide AdThe company grew rapidly and winning the tender for Sussex Police in 1968 was a huge turning point for the business – Wightman & Parrish have been supplying many local authorities with cleaning and hygiene products ever since.
Michael’s son Nicholas took over as MD in 2005 and Michael took on the role of chairman. Nicholas is the fourth generation of Parrish’s working at the company. The Parrish family have solely been running the company since the death of George Wightman in 1918.
Pam Parrish joined the business in 1964 and took on a variety of roles over the years. Pam supported both Michael and her wider colleagues throughout the years and together they ran the business.
Nicholas Parrish said: “It was great to get so many people to come together to celebrate the success of my parents. They have achieved so much over the past 60 years, and it was wonderful for them to receive the recognition they deserve. It was also great having Sir John Timpson join us for the celebration. My father has been a fan of his for many years, as he also runs a family business and started his employment around the same time as my father. John used to write a column in the Telegraph every week, and my dad would cut these out and send them to me, so it was a special moment for our family.”