Mike Reason has handled the business of Bournes of Rye for 40 years.

Bournes of Rye in East Sussex celebrated 40 years of business with Reason Global, at a private dinner hosted by Mike Reason, at a restaurant in the town. 

Mike Reason handled the Bournes business when he first entered the insurance industry and held on to it through numerous changes of broker.  Reason & Co., Mike’s own company, started trading in 1986 and the company has retained the business ever since.

Immediately before the dinner Mike Reason and Graham Puddephatt from Reason Global met the family at the Bournes office to present Roy and Eric Bourne with replica model trucks reminiscent of their earliest days in business.  The trucks were Corgi models hand crafted by Code 3 Models to show the livery of one of the early T. Bourne & Son vehicles.

“We wanted to do something special for Bournes,” said Mike. “Business relationships are very important, but even for us four decades is a long time.”

The dinner was held at Webbe's Fish Café in Rye.  The restaurant is owned by Paul and Rebecca Webbe and specialises in serving locally caught fish from the ports of Rye and Hastings.  The building itself was significant too.  The café occupies an old furniture depository that was previously run by Wright and Pankhurst, an old Rye removal firm that closed in the early 1960s, and a member of the then National Association of Furniture Warehousemen & Removers (NAFWR, which became BAR in January 1972).

“Mike has always provided us with an excellent service and a reasonable price,” said Eric. “He’s always been there to answer our questions and deal with the inevitable incidents that come along. It’s been brilliant.”

The new generation of Bournes (the fifth) also attended the dinner: Roy’s son, Tom, is the company’s facilities manager; and Eric’s sons Wesley and Leon are involved with sales and business development.  “We decided back in 2008 to take a positive attitude to succession planning,” explained Eric. “We have encouraged the boys by giving them part ownership in the business and specific areas of responsibility. The plan is for them to take full control in due course.”

For more information please visit www.reason-global.com.

Roy and Eric Bourne with their liveried model trucks