The end of an era! Pat Kiely's Retirement.

Described by many as a force of nature, while many others might use slightly different descriptions, Pat has finally decided to put down the cooked chicken legs wrapped in tinfoil and hang up his driving gloves, which he never wore!

As ever, it’ll never be quite that simple, because we feel certain that Jenny’s patience will be tested from time to time and FORT will have a few holiday staffing gaps, so be prepared for a few cameo appearances!

Having left school Pat set off into Navy life and as much as he might choose to play it all down, he clearly was someone to watch, as he served on the Royal Yacht, Britannia and then onto nuclear submarines – you don’t get those postings unless you’re very, very capable.

Returning to Marlborough Pat then gradually migrated towards his own business; whether that was because nobody would employ him is debatable or because of his incredible energy and self-motivation. Either way, the result was Marlborough Building Supplies, MBS, which started out at very modest premises on London Road.

It’s probably fair to say that Customers usually cleaned their boots and vans after leaving; it was a great place to go for almost anything and worked through sheer determination to provide fantastic customer service. The added bonus of a large dose of verbal abuse was well received by most of the clientele and MBS thrived, moving to new, specific premises at the Business Park.

Matt had joined the business and helped to see it through this transitional stage and beyond, before it was sold in late 2016.

FORT was Matt’s new baby and the Membury site started as a larger version of the old yard – a derelict set of buildings. Pat was at the forefront of the rapid refurbishment that was completed in just 7 months, before opening in January 2020.

Of course Pat’s energy wasn’t going to be wasted and he set forth, with gusto, to help the infant business get off the ground. Despite Covid and many other headwinds, that same Customer service influence spread, as Pat lead from the front on deliveries. It was a regular sight to see a white truck with wheels still rolling, come to a halt as Pat got out, shouting at the staff to get the next load on.

So, here we are, in 2023. Quite rightly Jenny has finally made it clear to Pat that there are other parts of life than seeing him trundle off in the white VW van, full of interesting stuff that has accumulated over far too many years. They want the chance to step back and enjoy themselves.

We want to wish Pat and Jenny every happiness as retirement finally takes on its true meaning. We also want to thank Pat and thereby Jenny for her patience and tolerance. Quite simply FORT would not be where it is without that immense effort and support.

From all your colleagues at FORT, good luck and happy retirement!