Obituary: Simple philosophy of Barnitts chairman

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 02:23 AM PDT

Obituary: Simple philosophy of Barnitts chairman Ian Thompson

9:10am Tuesday 15th March 2011

IAN THOMPSON, who was being remembered today at a funeral service in York Minster, was more than just a businessman.

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who, during his decades in charge of the family business, turned Barnitts into one of York's most instantly-recognisable and best-loved stores.

He did it by sticking to a simple philosophy: treating his staff well, treating his customers well, and making sure that when people came into his shop, they could find what they were looking for. One of his favourite customer sayings was: "If you can't get it at Barnitts, you cannot get it anywhere else."

The family business he ran for so long always felt like a traditional, old-fashioned hardware store, if bigger than most. That appearance was hard-won. Speaking on Barnitts' 100th anniversary in 1998, Mr Thompson said: "Far from being a quaint store stuck in the past, we attend as many exhibitions as possible in order to buy the most up-to-date items. That way we can negotiate a better deal on price which we can pass on."

Mr Thompson, who died unexpectedly while on holiday with his wife, Maureen, in Majorca at the age of 70, was the son of Ernest Thompson and his wife Peggy.

He was born in Leeds on June 21, 1940. The family moved to York when he was aged two, and he went to school in Tang Hall, and continued on to St John's School.

As a child, he always wanted to ride the Barnitts delivery bike with the basket on the front, so it came as little surprise when, at 15, he left school to work at the family firm.

Barnitts had been established as a "general and furnishing ironmonger" in 1898, by the company's founder, George Barnitt. It was taken over by Mr Thompson's uncle, Charles Edwin Thompson, in 1913, and has remained in the family's hands ever since.

After five years working for the family business, Mr Thompson was sent, at the age of 20, to do work experience in Durham with Archibolds, another large ironmongers. There, he made a lifelong friend in Ian McIntyre, the son of Gordon McIntyre, the managing director.

He returned to Barnitts in 1962, the year that his father Ernest died, and became engaged to Maureen.

The couple married two years later, and had three children: Jane, born in 1966; Paul, born in 1969; and Sally, born in 1970.

When his uncle Charles Edwin passed away, Mr Thompson became, at 27, the firm's managing director. He had a vision of modernising the business, and set about expanding the Colliergate store: first into part of the former Bleasedales, then into the old Army drill hall, and most recently into 23 Colliergate.

His philosophy of always looking after staff and customers resulted in Barnitts becoming one of the best-loved shops in York – and in the store winning several awards, including The Press's Shop Of The Year in 2009. With typical modesty, Mr Thompson said the award was "all down to the staff".

A keen sports fan, Mr Thompson was a member of the Pike Hills golf club and of the York Motoring Club. He was also a member of the British Hardware Association and past president of the York and District Ironmongers' Association.

He supported many local charities, and was outspoken on community issues, putting his name in 2000 to an open letter opposing the Coppergate II proposals.

In recent years, he began to step back from the family business, allowing his children Paul and Sally to take over, and frequently holidayed in Majorca, which he loved, with his wife and family.

Paying tribute following the news of his death, Adam Sinclair, chairman of the York Business Forum, said Mr Thompson was a "lovely and humble man", who gave his heart and soul to his family and his business.

"He built one of the most exciting independent hardware businesses in Europe and everybody in York respected and admired him," he said.

Mr Thompson leaves his wife, Maureen, his children, and nine grandchildren.

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Philosophy

Tuesday, March 15, 2011