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Mar 2023

Last Updated: 27/03/2023

Business

Business Breakfast: Harrogate Specsavers director retires after 30 years

by Calvin Robinson

| 28 Mar, 2023

Robert May (centre left) who is retiring after 30 years.

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate opticians director is set to retire after 30 years in business.

Robert May, director of Harrogate Specsavers, has overseen the growth of the opticians on Beulah Street from three test rooms and six staff to 11 testing rooms and a team of 50 people.

Mr May will leave the store to optometrist directors Fraz Khan and Caroline Sullivan, as well as Andrew Bryer, retail director.

On his retirement, Mr May said:

“I often say to people, in what other job do you get the opportunity to make a difference to someone’s life every 20 minutes?

“There’s so much more to it than just getting customers new glasses. I’ve experienced the industry progress from pen and paper to full retinal photos and OCT scans, the level of holistic eye healthcare we can provide is really exciting.”

Mr Khan added:

“Robert has been a pleasure to work with over the last two years and he will be dearly missed by staff and customers alike.

“He’s gone above and beyond during his 30 years as an optometrist director and we hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement.”

New legal director at Harrogate law firm

Raworths Solicitors in Harrogate has appointed a new legal director.

Heather Roberts has been hired to the company’s growing commercial property team.

Ms Roberts joins the firm with 20 years of experience of acting for investors, developers, landlords, tenants and banks.

She said:

“I have been aware of Raworths’ reputation as a legal firm which builds lasting relationships with its clients, and at the heart of that is the unique way the team can draw upon the skills and expertise of their colleagues across disciplines.

“This approach really appeals to me, and I’m excited to add to the incredible pool of talent here to help grow the commercial property business.

“The firm proactively supports and nurtures the ongoing development of its team at all levels, and I also hope to play a key role in cultivating the skills of our expanding team going forwards.”

Matthew Hill, head of commercial client services at Raworths, said:

“We welcome Heather, whose specialist commercial property expertise will be a huge asset to our growing team which has benefitted from a raft of new client wins over the past few months.

“There are major opportunities for us to grow our business in this sector, driven by a stronger than anticipated market post-pandemic and growth more broadly across the region where the demand for space continues to surge.

“Heather’s appointment is part of a strategic recruitment drive for our commercial team as we look to grow our client portfolio across the region and nationwide.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate Specsavers director retires after 30 years

New legal director at Harrogate law firm

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