The story begins…
There was never a plan, as such. But even if there had been, the life I’ve lived for the last
thirty-something years wouldn’t have been what I had in mind when I left school back in
1990.
I would say I ‘fell into’ high purity manufacturing, but, let’s be honest, very few kids leave
school with this sector in their sights. The type of manufacturing I have devoted my life
to doesn’t really sit along becoming a footballer or a police officer in the consciousness
of a sixteen-year-old. So, more than anything, I consider myself lucky, very lucky, to have
found a specialism in an area that I find both challenging and satisfying every single day.
There’s a directness, an honesty, in what we do at Pure Transfer that I think comes as a
result of the path I’ve followed. It’s only now, as I look back at my own life, that I can see
the passion, attention to detail and integrity that lie at the heart of Pure Transfer, are
clearly the result of the (not particularly glamorous) road I’ve taken to get here.
School’s out.
I was sixteen, back in 1990, when I left school and started my apprenticeship as a pipefitter
/ welder. I now realise that I had to grow up very quickly in that environment. There
was no room for messing around. I went from kicking a ball around a school yard, to an
adult work environment where things needed to be done and done properly. Not only
that, people didn’t beat around the bush, interactions were direct. You were never left in
any doubt about whether you had done well, or not, because you’d be told and punches
would not be pulled. I compare my experience to sixteen and seventeen-year-olds I know
going through higher education today and can’t help but see the difference. The reality of
being a grown up, in an adult world, is going to hit you at some point. But I wonder if that
realisation hits you much later, in your mid twenties, after many degrees, does it make
you a different person to someone, like me, who, at twenty five, had been living in the real
world, with all its pressures, for almost a decade?
An education.
As a pipefitter and TIG welder my story continued. I would travel around the country
installing a selection of very shiny pipes (not a technical term) in pharmaceutical
facilities. For me, this period was more life changing than any university degree could be.
It was my true education. So, what did this decade or so teach me? Two things spring to
mind:
• The importance of doing a job well.
• The importance of clear communication.
Both of these lessons would guide what happened when I set up Pure Transfer in 2001.
Keep it simple.
People know that I’m someone with an overwhelming desire to avoid unnecessary
complications. The K.I.S.S. motto (Keep It Simple Stupid) runs through Pure Transfer like
Blackpool through a stick of rock.
Why?
At Pure Transfer, we’re all about providing our customers with solutions to their problems,
the best components and excellent customer service. Frankly, I don’t see any place for
unnecessary complications within that relationship. We’re undoubtedly experts in our field,
but that expertise is worn lightly. We’re not going to dazzle our customers with offputting
jargon, what we do is communicate solutions in a way everyone can understand and
keep the needs of our, often quite stressed, customers as our foremost concern. What we
do isn’t simple, far from it, but the way we interact with those who need our help is. That’s
important.
A plot twist.
It may surprise you to hear that I sold Pure Transfer back in 2009. Looking back, it still
surprises me. A series of events came together meaning that our customers would still be
well served and I would be able to focus on new horizons. The thing is, sometimes it takes
losing something to give you a real sense of its importance. The passion for the industry
that had grown within me over almost twenty years didn’t subside. If anything, it grew.
The sequel.
Nobody who knows me well would have been surprised when I restarted Pure Transfer in 2015.
It was an amazing feeling to get the band back together again. I was ecstatic to get
behind the wheel of the company I loved, although it was daunting as all I had was the
company name and logo.
Since I’ve got ‘back in the game’, the business has gone from strength to strength.
Everything we do is rooted in my years of experience in the pharma and biotech world.
I understand the great privilege of working in this dynamic, constantly evolving area
and, as a result, Pure Transfer steps up to every challenge that comes our way. We don’t
understand the word ‘No’. We find solutions to problems not excuses. Our customers’
issues become our issues until we solve them. That’s just the way we do things here.
I’m proud to be an ASME BPE committee member and I’m thrilled to work alongside great
companies in our sector. The boy who left school without a plan has somehow ended up
where he wanted to be, even though he didn’t know his ideal destination when he started
out.
New stories begin…
Today, one of the great privileges in my life is having the ability to help give direction
to others as they start their own stories. I try to instil in them the value of the pursuit of
excellence. Doing your best will always mean that, no matter what happens, you can look
back without regrets.
Personally, I’m excited to see what the next chapter in the story of my life brings.
Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t be boring.
Paul Murphy
