Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
On Monday, February 25, Paul Persey, the co-founder of PenCarrie, sadly passed away at the age of 71 after a three-year fight with cancer.
Paul was an integral part of the promotional garment industry, not just in the UK, but across Europe for almost 30 years.
Paul’s interest and passion for the industry began when he started his career as a trainee with major retail store C&A, who were, at that time, a major presence in many town centres throughout the UK. With a foundation of knowledge from The London School of Economics, Paul worked there for a few years, picking up a wealth of knowledge on the retail industry.
Taking this experience, along with his entrepreneurial flair and passion for garments, Paul went on to establish several of his own retail premises selling garments with wife Caroline.
After moving to Devon with his family, Paul moved from retail to manufacture. He went on to establish his own manufacturing facilities in both Devon and Cornwall, specialising in babywear, polo shirts, rugby shirts and sweats.
Even back then Paul’s family were interested in his business, with his daughters often spending time at the manufacturing plants with their dad, generally picking up industry knowledge from a very early age.
It was the direct link with the Russell Corporation, manufacturing the 539M polo, that led to the opportunity to distribute the Russell range of products. So, in 1991, in some rented premises in Exeter, Paul, his sister-in-law Penny and Caroline (hence the company name), all ably supported by his sister Sue, seized the opportunity to establish PenCarrie as a garment distributor and the family business was born.
Paul’s family legacy is continued with his wife Caroline, three daughters, Nicci, Sarah and Clare, who remain directors and shareholders of PenCarrie.
The team from PenCarrie pay tribute to this industry pioneer and inspirational leader in the April issue of Printwear & Promotion.
If you would like to leave a tribute to Paul, or send a message to his family, please email tributes@pencarrie.com
