Week at the top
Andrew Pindar is Chairman of Pindar, a fourth generation family business based in Scarborough, and has evolved his company from a conventional printing company into a cross media organisation with multi-national links. He is also a board member of AlphaGraphics Inc, a 290-store franchise chain operating in 17 countries, and a subsidiary of Pindar. Andrew is married to Caroline and has two children, Zoe and George, aged seven and five
Thursday
A strange day to start my week but then again my pattern of life and work don't particularly conform to the norm. I finish packing my bags for my business trip to New Zealand and Australia then head out to the office. I jump into my car and listen to voice mails and send half a dozen text messages. I didn't mention to Trish my PA that I was going to be late in, so I better hurry in after returning a couple of urgent calls.
Before I know it I need to catch the train and I still haven't caught up with Peter. Brainwave, get Peter to run me to the station. On the way, he tells me he's holding back on recruitment in his US sales team. My view is that it's a small cost and risk and he should get on and do it. I think I persuade him by the time the train pulls out.
At Heathrow I check on the flight status and bump into Nick Linney, the head of the eponymous family printing company based in Mansfield. He's off to Australia on the same flight – small world.
Friday/Saturday
Twelve hours later we land in Singapore. On the flight I get chatting to Dan Cosgrove, a real Kiwi character from Timaru on the south island. Great to meet him, as he's a leading distributor of farm machinery in New Zealand and genuinely offers to help me in my endeavours to get a business started down there.
Another nine hours and I land in Auckland. Walking out of the airport someone calls my name. It's David Ellis, a kiwi friend of a friend from home who lives here now. David's just landed in from Tokyo – once again, small world.
Sunday
I catch a flight down to Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. Tauranga was the host town for the New Zealand stopover of the 'Around Alone' single-handed yacht race, which made its mark upon this wonderful seaside town in February this year. I had the privilege then of visiting Tauranga to see our sponsored ocean racing sailor, Emma Richards, set off into the southern ocean as she sailed her way into the record books as the youngest competitor to ever complete this mammoth 29,000 mile race.
On this trip, I packed in two dinners, a breakfast and a lunch with contacts, including Greg Prescott of Southern Ocean Ravine who built the new boat we have just acquired for Emma's next races.
Monday
Back to Auckland this morning to rendezvous with my Australian-based colleague, Jeremy Emms. Next, on to Palmerston North where we grab an hour of catch up prior to our meeting. Meeting goes well and a promise of an order for consulting is made.
Great lunch in their canteen with the company's founders and their next generation managers. Good to see the blend of original entrepreneurship and more structured 'professional' styles working together.
Tuesday
Off to the airport for the 25 minute flight up to Hamilton. I'm picked up by a former colleague who is now working for a company there. Interesting dinner with his boss and another couple of colleagues. The discussions go down a blind alley but the following morning we have good discussions about market opportunities and possible collaboration. We drive up to Auckland to meet David Ellis, Richard Thorpe and Thorpe's wife 'Ma' for dinner. No business to be discussed and someone else buying dinner – a very nice evening in a very special city.
Wednesday/Thursday
Up early this morning. We have two appointments before an afternoon flight to Sydney. Land in Sydney, check into the hotel and head out for a business dinner.
Thursday has us attending three more meetings then a couple of hours off. I have a massage and go for a run.
An evening meeting is booked in Manly, a short ferry ride away. After the meeting I head back to the hotel. My phone rings: my PA needs me to receive a fax, read and sign it and send it back. I read it, check the wording with my lawyer and sign it. Finally, bed.
Friday/Saturday
I'm awake at 5:30am. It's a beautiful morning so I head off to the Botanic Gardens for a run. I bump into Jeremy who has insomnia, too. What a beautiful place – you can tell it was discovered by a Yorkshireman!
Back from the run, I shower, eat, check emails and attend two more good meetings. Extend the already extended check out, change and go to the airport.
I'm finally back home. The kids want a bacon sandwich on the seafront. I want a shower! The seafront wins. A proper cup of tea washes down the tastiest food I've had in days. The sun beams down on the boats in the harbour and over the ancient castle on the Scarborough headland, much the way it's done year in year out since the company was founded here 167 years ago.
I've travelled a long way in just over a week but the company has travelled even further from its beginnings...
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