We have just bid John Burcombe, a long-serving and very loyal member of the Smith & Ouzman production team a happy retirement after 47 years' employment.

John joined us in 1960 as a machine apprentice, following in the footsteps of his father, who worked for the company as Works Manager at that time and went on to provide 50 years' service.

According to Phil Ouzman, Production Director, "The Burcombe name is really as much a part of the company's history as the two family names our company bears, with their involvement spanning nearly 100 years.

"John’s father, Harry Burcombe, was originally employed by WR Ouzman & Company in London, which joined forces with the Smith family in 1946 before moving to Eastbourne. Mr Burcombe took the step of relocating his family from London to remain with the company just several years before John then joined us aged 16.

"During John's career with Smith & Ouzman, there has been considerable change within the print industry with fast-paced technological developments and our own expansion, of course. John has been an asset within the production team, holding a variety of roles throughout his career with us, including some 38 years on nights and the responsibility of night-shift foreman, and we wish him a happy retirement here in Eastbourne with his family."

This month also sees the retirement of Iris Turner, another of our long-standing staff members. Iris joined Smith & Ouzman in 1958 and has worked within the Print Finishing Department.

Two retirements withstanding, Smith & Ouzman's '25-Year Club' still boasts over 40 members, a high proportion of our workforce. Our ever-growing team of 102 is predominantly local and we attribute much of our ongoing success to a keen focus on staff development, with initiatives such as an in-house training programme.