This was my first civic engagement with a local business and it was a pleasure to meet many generations of the Lowe family and to hear about how Lowe and Oliver, a large Oxford electrical contractor, has grown and flourished since its founding in 1923.  The party took place at the Ashmolean and there were many guests both from the company and from many years of clients.  I had a really long conversation with Patrick Lowe, the current company chairman.  He is an amazing man, in his 80s and only the second chairman the company has ever had, with his father being the first!

Lowe and Oliver really is a family company in all senses of the word.  I was impressed not only the generations of Lowes present but the by real sense of investment that the company makes in its staff, right from apprenticeship through to retirement.  There are a huge number of staff that have served 40+ years in the company and it’s true even today that most apprentices stay with the company once they are trained.  Oxford has myriad listed buildings and many with complex requirements so the company really had bred a huge cohort of incredibly talented craftsmen and they are a real credit to the company and a huge asset to Oxford both in terms of employment and skilled work.  Here’s to many more years of success!