Above: Tom Davis at the official opening of his new factory in March this year, with his MD, Sebastian Smith (centre), and the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales.
Tom Davis, founder and chairman of Stagecraft Display Ltd, has died aged 66.
He suffered a fatal heart attack last Saturday while clay pigeon shooting.
He leaves a widow, two sons and three daughters.
Yorkshire-born Tom started Stagecraft 30 years ago as a diversification project at his farm in Mid Wales and built it up to become the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of bespoke display tables and fixtures to the garden retail market. With a workforce of around 35, Stagecraft is a significant local employer.
The company’s success in the garden centre market recently attracted the attention of high street retailers like Waitrose, whose successful new gardening pods were supplied by Stagecraft.
Following a disastrous fire at the original premises in March last year, Tom re-located the operation to a much larger, modern manufacturing unit at Newtown last autumn. At the same time, he appointed Sebastian Smith to succeed him as managing director, and took the role of chairman, partly so that he could spend more time with his wife, Claire, and family.
Seb Smith told GTN Xtra: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers and suppliers for their past support and assure them of our commitment to continue driving Stagecraft forward. I am sure readers will join with me in offering our sincere condolences to the family at this most difficult time.”
A funeral service will be held next Tuesday, 7 October (2pm) at St Aelhairn’s Church, Ardleen Road, Guilsfield, to which all are invited.
GTN Associate Editor Mike Wyatt writes: I have known Tom Davis for many years and will sorely miss his genial, unassuming company. Tom was ambitious for Stagecraft and took great pride in designing and producing original garden centre displays that were a match for any in the world. He earned a reputation in the market for reliable delivery and effiicient service. I’ve lost count of the number of garden centres who have populated their planterias with Stagecraft benches. Tom was devastated when fire gutted his manufacturing facility last year but had had the foresight to back-up designs, archives and customer orders off-site, so disruption was kept to a minimum. The Waitrose order mentioned above was awaiting delivery when the fire struck. So strong was Tom’s relationship with his customer that the total order was re-made, delivery re-scheduled and the contract honoured. On a number of occasions, Tom told me how much he relied on his loyal, motivated workforce and supplier base (he used mainly local timber). They will all miss him deeply.
