A section of Redman’s new and larger warehouse at Harle Syke. A fork lift truck improves the productivity in handling goods, one of the problems for warehouse manager Mr. Michael Hunter, standing.
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Burnley’s Brian Redman is a world famous racing driver in an occupation where a shunt can mean a wrecked racing car, or worse. His younger brother, Mr. Chris Redman, is concerned with a different driving problem. That is keeping the firm’s fork lift truck on its carefully designed track in the new Harle Syke warehouse avoiding the many supporting pillars of the north lights roof, any deviation could result in the roof collapsing!
So stock lines are designed to ensure that never happens. That’s just one aspect of Mr. Chris Redman’s job as managing director of T. Redman and Co. Ltd., along with fellow directors, chartered accountant Mr. Peter Gunson, administrative director, Mr. Derek Walton, stores director, and Mr. Wally Redman, the younger son of one of the founders, who stepped down to deputy chairman for health reasons.
Heading a team of 150 staff in the new 12,000 sq. ft. warehouse, more efficient on one level than the former 4,500 sq. ft. two level warehouse, is a different scene for Mr. Chris Redman to that he faced on leaving Rossall School 19 years ago at the age of 16.

His father the late Mr. Tom Redman, who was a popular figure in various spheres of Burnley life, arranged for him to learn the business by starting at the bottom. That meant a counter job at Redmans’ Burnley St. Matthew's Street branch, two similar jobs at branches at Duke Bar and Yorkshire Street, then travelling daily to work as branch manager respectively at Great Harwood, Radcliffe and Leigh.

When his father died, Mr. Chris Redman joined the head office staff, became a director and took up the buying side of the business which is still one of his major preoccupations. He was appointed chairman and managing director last year, succeeding his uncle to whom as he says, "I am eternally grateful for all his advice and support since the premature death of my father in 1968."
Mr. Chris Redman has followed his father in sporting and social activities including the Calder Vale Club, Burnley Squash Club and Burnley Garrick Club and his wife, Mrs. Susan Redman is captain of Burnley Ladies' Squash Club.
But working hours include being responsible for all the buying and pricing of everything the company sells. That includes the sale each week of between five and six tons of bacon, approximately 100 pigs. Other specialities are Redmans' own mixes for pastry and dumplings and nut mixes of which some half million are sold a year in addition to the 20 tons of nuts sold during the last Christmas period.
Redmans boast a wider range of speciality food commodities than most competitors, especially supermarkets, and are confident that this is the right policy for the future. But to ensure they can maintain their town centre retail outlets and residential area shops, Redmans are currently embarking on a trial venture at the St. Matthew's Street Coal Clough shop by linking up with Spar. "We will then add the benefits of the experience and buying potential of this European wide group of wholesale organisations to give an even better service."
That is part of Redmans' contribution to countering international price increases. From his vantage point as a wholesale buyer, Mr. Redman notes that we are not now getting the same amount of price increases as we were a year ago. But there is still no sign that prices will fall below those of last year. Yet strangely enough in areas like North East Lancashire where shoulder cuts of bacon were once popular because they were cheaper, they now sell at 66p a lb., housewives are continuing to buy middle cut bacon although the average price is around 95p a lb.
Redmans are still bringing home the best bacon and about 2,000 other food products to their chain of shops and are soundly based to continue that service.