At the age of 25, Barry had a serious girlfriend, a secure job with a large company and a new friend called Tony Russell and life was very rosy indeed. However, something was missing. Life held no real challenge. So Barry and Tony formed a new company to undertake all forms of engineering design and drawing.
In the middle of the swinging sixties, an immaculately dressed individual sporting a long cigarette holder walked into the company office in Norwich and asked for some plans of mushroom growing machinery to be drawn. Barry decided immediately that this was a set-up and that one of his friends was having a little joke at his expense. After much laughter it eventually dawned on them that their visitor was serious. It was a genuine Mr. John Hopper, then of Shepherds Grove Mushrooms who, assisted by Mr. John Rodwell, had the then largest tray mushroom farm in the UK . On a visit to that farm, both Barry and Tony were amazed to see the line of mushroom growing buildings stretching right to the horizon.
The Company's first mushroom conference was in Buxton in 1969. A PR company had been hired to prepare a trade stand and during discussions, it was agreed that as the Company's machinery was designed to master trays, the Company should be called Traymaster Limited.
Operating at first from the original Norwich offices, they began preparing machinery drawings for John and Donald Bradfield and decided to join them on their premises in Catfield. This gave them the space to manufacture the machinery they designed and also provided practical experience of a mushroom farm.
Eventually, Traymaster's expansion necessitated the purchase of land adjacent to the farm, a site where Traymaster remain today.
By this time, the “serious girlfriend” was now Barry's wife, Gloria and the mushroom industry had became a way of life for them both. They have visited practically every country where mushrooms are produced, attending exhibitions, conferences and seminars.
Tony Russell today remains a great friend to Barry but is no longer involved with the Company.
Aside from Robert, Barry and Gloria also have a daughter, Sarah who has two sons – both of which are thoroughly spoilt by their doting grandparents.
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Barry & Robert pictured at the 2007 North American Mushroom Conference in San Diego. |