In memory of Trevor Lay
As he is laid to rest today, we remember the life of a beloved member of the Vispring family, our dear friend and colleague, Mr Trevor Lay. Trevor passed away on 27th April at the age of 81.
Trevor first joined Vispring as Sales Director in the late 1980s, becoming Managing Director in 1994 and set about transforming Vispring.
In 1995 Trevor led Vispring as the company took its first step into international markets by opening a hub in Belgium. The European success was followed by launches in both North America and then Asia. In 2000 Trevor fulfilled a personal dream of heading up the management buy-out of Vispring from its then owners and continued to drive the business forwards.
Jim Gerety, recent MD of Vispring, says:
Trevor was a hugely passionate and determined character and a great advocate for Vispring, which he transformed by introducing lean production techniques, reducing lead-times, rationalising the customer base and significantly upgrading the product offer. His vision of the “Vispring recipe” helped create the unique business that we all know now.
Between 2002 and 2004, Trevor had the honour of serving as President of the National Bed Federation, where he was a well known figure throughout the world of beds. Being a bed-man through and through, Trevor even met his beloved wife, Gill, whilst working in the industry.
In 2005 Trevor steered the transfer of ownership of Vispring to the Flex Bedding Group. At the same time, he stepped down as Managing Director. However, he stayed on as Chairman, supporting Flex CEO Rafael Gonzalez in the company’s continued success.
Rafael Gonzalez says: Trevor was a force of nature and a continual driving force in the development of the Vispring business over the years. We inherited his passion for the Vispring brand and took over the responsibility to bring it to the next stage based on his inalienable “Vispring recipe”. He was a great character to work with and we are very sad to hear of his passing.
Trevor remained on the Vispring board until 2016 and maintained his links with the company right up to the time of his death. Through his continued vision and leadership, Trevor helped Vispring grow into the successful luxury bed brand it is today. He will be sadly missed.
If you wish to honour Trevor, we kindly ask you to donate in his name to any of the following charities which were close to his heart:
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance
Pancreatic Cancer UK
The Brain Tumour Charity
Trevor first joined Vispring as Sales Director in the late 1980s, becoming Managing Director in 1994 and set about transforming Vispring.
In 1995 Trevor led Vispring as the company took its first step into international markets by opening a hub in Belgium. The European success was followed by launches in both North America and then Asia. In 2000 Trevor fulfilled a personal dream of heading up the management buy-out of Vispring from its then owners and continued to drive the business forwards.
Jim Gerety, recent MD of Vispring, says:
Trevor was a hugely passionate and determined character and a great advocate for Vispring, which he transformed by introducing lean production techniques, reducing lead-times, rationalising the customer base and significantly upgrading the product offer. His vision of the “Vispring recipe” helped create the unique business that we all know now.
Between 2002 and 2004, Trevor had the honour of serving as President of the National Bed Federation, where he was a well known figure throughout the world of beds. Being a bed-man through and through, Trevor even met his beloved wife, Gill, whilst working in the industry.
In 2005 Trevor steered the transfer of ownership of Vispring to the Flex Bedding Group. At the same time, he stepped down as Managing Director. However, he stayed on as Chairman, supporting Flex CEO Rafael Gonzalez in the company’s continued success.
Rafael Gonzalez says: Trevor was a force of nature and a continual driving force in the development of the Vispring business over the years. We inherited his passion for the Vispring brand and took over the responsibility to bring it to the next stage based on his inalienable “Vispring recipe”. He was a great character to work with and we are very sad to hear of his passing.
Trevor remained on the Vispring board until 2016 and maintained his links with the company right up to the time of his death. Through his continued vision and leadership, Trevor helped Vispring grow into the successful luxury bed brand it is today. He will be sadly missed.
If you wish to honour Trevor, we kindly ask you to donate in his name to any of the following charities which were close to his heart:
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance
Pancreatic Cancer UK
The Brain Tumour Charity