Sir Tom Farmer was the epitome of an entrepreneur – a shrewd business thinker and canny operator with a down to earth style whose infectious energy will live long in the memory of many people.
The founder of tyre and exhaust chain Kwik-Fit, who died on Friday aged 84, was a successful entrepreneur decades before entrepreneurial endeavours and drama went mass market through reality television programmes such as Dragons' Den and The Apprentice.
He built Kwik-Fit from a standing start in his home city of Edinburgh in 1971 into one of the best-known companies in Scotland, and indeed the UK, employing thousands of people. Kwik-Fit grew to become one of the biggest Scottish companies listed on the London stock market, on which it remained until 1999.
The entrepreneur was acutely aware of the importance of customer service and training staff in this as Kwik-Fit grew, given the high profile of the brand and the impact which any publicity around it could have on the business.
When it comes to the scale of the business built by Sir Tom, the fact that he sold it to Ford in 1999 for £1 billion speaks for itself. This was a very big story to cover at the time.
While he was not one of those who courted publicity, Sir Tom always seemed happy to make time for interviews over the years. He always provided fascinating insights, whether reflecting on trading as Kwik-Fit published results or addressing broader issues. He was about as far from a flashy entrepreneur as you could get, but he did speak up when he had something to say.
Sir Tom, who hailed from Leith, was for 25 years principal shareholder of football club Hibernian.
And of course he was willing to spend his time helping, mentoring, and giving advice to other entrepreneurs.
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Mike Welch, who founded and built tyre business Blackcircles, has been among the many people to pay tribute to Sir Tom.
The story told by Mr Welch sums up Sir Tom’s astuteness when it comes to people as well as his willingness to help others.
In a LinkedIn post, Mr Welch said: “I remember being at a tyre industry conference, shortly after I’d left Kwik-Fit and was in the very early days of building Blackcircles. I was sharing with him how tough it was to get started and that none of the suppliers in attendance would take a second look at an internet start-up like mine.
“Tom listened carefully, then leaned in and said, ‘watch this’. He pulled two chairs together in the middle of a packed bar, sat down across from me, and launched into what looked, very deliberately, like a serious strategic conversation. It was pure theatre, done with a wink. From the outside, it was a message that he was backing me, guiding me, maybe even investing, which he hadn’t, but that’s another story. By the end of the week, suppliers who wouldn’t return my calls were suddenly eager to talk. That moment changed everything. The rest, as they say, is history.”
It evoked memories when reading Mr Welch’s description of Sir Tom as “full of mischief and warmth”. This comment will resonate with many who had the opportunity to meet with and talk to Sir Tom over the decades.
Mr Welch said: “Sir Tom was more than a business icon - he was generous with his time, full of mischief and warmth, and deeply committed to helping others succeed. I owe a lot to his inspiration and mentorship. He believed in people, and in doing good by them, and he believed in me.”
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