A manager has become a tourist attraction’s longest serving employee after clocking up 30 years’ service.
Group operations manager Garry Ford has been described as a key part of Waterworld Leisure Resort’s business and joined the waterpark just four years after it opened.
Over the years he has worked there, the Stoke-on-Trent complex has grown to include an adventure mini golf, M Club spa and fitness and Nurture childcare with a new attraction on the way.
Garry said: “Waterworld is a huge part of my life and I’ve loved being part of a success story in Stoke which spans decades.
“I’ve seen a number of changes over the years and the recent upgrades and investment mean we’ll continue to be one of the top family attractions in the Midlands for decades to come.”
Garry started at Waterworld Aqua Park in 1993 when he was approached by then-owners Rank Leisure Group after he was spotted in his scuba diving suit fixing the floor of the pool whilst working as a sub-contractor. He is now responsible for operations at the Waterworld Leisure Resort.
It is estimated that 12 million people have enjoyed the park since Garry started work there.
Owner Mo Chaudry said: “Garry is one of Waterworld’s most integral people and is the beating heart and backbone of the company. We would be lost without him, professionally and personally.
“We owe a lot to Garry and we would like to thank him from the bottom of our hearts for the loyalty, service and love he has shown to the rest of the Waterworld family over those 30 years of service.
“Waterworld really is a family affair – and, in this case, that means Garry’s family! It’s a running joke here that he has worked with most of his own family during his time at Waterworld.
“He still works with his brother-in-law, son-in-law and children here – the park must be in the Ford blood, because one of Garry’s daughters worked in our management team for 23 years.
“Thirty years is an outstanding achievement and it’s a career story you don’t come across every day.”
Waterworld, which has undergone a £12 million investment in recent years, employs more than 200 people and attracts about 400,000 visitors a year.
