Chris Berry, the deputy CEO of Flexiteek International is to retire after more than four decades working in the marine industry.
The announcement comes five years after Flexiteek acquired Wilks (Rubber Plastics) MFGS Co. Ltd based in Tollesbury, where Chris had been joint MD with his brother Scott Berry.
His parents Ron and Marie Berry founded Wilks in 1973 from their garden shed and grew the business to be a worldwide marine fendering business.
As part of the Flexiteek Group, the Tollesbury production facility manufactures both Flexiteek and Wilks products.
“Chris has made a significant contribution to the business, bringing his extensive experience to Flexiteek, and has been respected and well-liked by everyone. He will be missed by the team,” said Tomas Gustafsson, CEO of Flexiteek International.
Chris joined the team full-time at Wilks in January 1980 and exhibited at The London Boat Show at Earls Court for the company, a show he had been attending with his dad, Ron Berry, since the age of 13 when Wilks first exhibited at the show.
Boat shows
Since then, Chris has been a regular attendee at different boat shows around the world, from Dubai, Shanghai, and Singapore to Metstrade and IBEX.
“I have been lucky enough to meet some incredible people during my time at Wilks and latterly Flexiteek International,” said Chris. “It has been a privilege to work alongside an amazing group of people, particularly my brother Scott, in his role as joint MD at Wilks and CFO at Flexiteek.”
He added: “I remember my casual meeting with Tomas Gustafsson at IBEX seven years ago, which led to Wilks joining the Flexiteek Group. Tomas has been an incredible colleague and friend. And I will miss the team greatly.”
In 2023, Chris received the British Marine David Coleman Excellence in Exporting Award, recognising his hard work in the marine sector.
“Working with Chris has been an honour and the award he picked up underlines the significant impact he has had both on our business and the wider marine sector,” said Scott Berry, chief financial officer of Flexiteek International.
Chris will officially retire on 20 June 2024 but will join the Flexiteek team at Metstrade in November and will continue to be on the board of Flexiteek Group.
