Ludlow firm is bucking the trend

8:50am Friday 14th November 2008

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AT a time when independent shops seem to be going under on an almost daily basis, one Ludlow business is bucking the trend.

David Benson, owner of Bensons of Ludlow, has taken on a new member of staff – his daughter.

Amy Fulford, 34, recently left a lucrative marketing job to move back to her home town and the shop she worked in as a teen.

“It’s really good to be back in Ludlow,” said the former Tenbury High School pupil.

“I don’t see the move as a negative. There are things I can bring in from my old job, and I’ve also started a jewellery design course at Hereford College of Arts.”

Amy, the mother of two young girls, left the Derby-based firm EDS after eight years in the role. The firm carried out IT duties for Rolls-Royce, with Amy working in marketing and communications.

“I loved the job but the corporate side was hard work and got a little bit tiring,” she said.

“I was expecting my second child and it made me question whether I still wanted to keep working long hours and commuting from Nottingham where we lived.”

Amy said she had talked of the possibility of joining up with her dad at the Buttercross shop for “the past few years”.

“Dad’s a really good boss. I’ve settled in fine and we’ve been really busy recently. This is a well-established business and it will be interesting to see how it goes in the next few years.”

The move seems to suit both parties, and Mr Benson is hopeful he can leave the business in capable hands when he decides to retire.

“We work well together, and I’m hopeful she will eventually take over the reins. I’m sure she’ll do a good job,” she said.

The new employee is not the only reason Bensons may be considered to be unique.

The tiny shop still produces jewellery on site, mainly thanks to Trudi Makins, who has been with the business many years.

“A lot of staff have stayed with us for a long time and I think continuity is important to the business,” said Mr Benson.

“With the workshop and retail side, we have two sides to the business and we have a wide price range,” he said.

Mr Benson estimates that 30% of the shop’s stock is produced on the premises and says the national picture is bright with independent jewellers still outnumbering multiple jewellery firms.

“We have many customers that come from outside Shropshire, such as Hereford, Kidderminster and mid-Wales, and while they are here they will spend time looking around Ludlow, which can only be good for the town,” he said.