Paul Stephenson took part in a significant celebration, involving the whole company, marking his 30 years working for Naim Audio.
Naim Audio, the UK’s leading hi-fi specialist design and manufacturing company, has just closed its financial year with a record turnover and growth of around fifteen percent. This contrasts to thirty years ago when Paul joined as the company’s only sales person with the brief to increase turnover from £250,000.
As turnover increased Paul was promoted to Sales Manager, then Sales Director. Paul had a very strong bond with Julian Vereker, Naim’s charismatic, but sometimes difficult, founder and was chosen by Julian to take over as Naim’s Managing Director when Julian stepped down due to ill health.
In the ten years of Paul’s lead, the company has changed immensely whilst still keeping to its original ethos: making the replay of music in the home a life enhancing experience. “It’s about designing and manufacturing hi-fi products that communicate the soul of music, not just the notes,” confirms Paul. “We now have the manufacturing tools and know-how which have enabled us to make world class hi-fi in thousands of units not tens but still maintaining the hand built premium quality.”
“However, unsurprisingly nothing has replaced the human interaction, the ability to hear is still the strongest R&D tool we have.”