Caple has announced the sad passing of its Founder, Maurice Lay; he passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88, surrounded by his family.
Mr Lay was without a doubt a giant in the appliance industry, leaving school at 14 and working his way to senior roles in the Dutch appliance company, Philips.
He left that role to start his own company, which bore his name alongside his wife Jean. The company was formed initially to distribute Zanussi, which was an unknown entity in 1977. With his good friend George Dorman, Zanussi’s Managing Director, he was hugely influential in growing the Italian brand in the UK and became their largest customer.
After the acquisition of Zanussi by Electrolux, Mr Lay decided, with his family, to lead the company along a different path, and together they created the Caple brand which gave him the satisfaction of an independent range of kitchen products without the heavy hand of a large corporation.
Mr Lay refused offers of roles in the City of London and with international brands. He didn’t want to spend his time jetting across continents, preferring instead to work at the coalface – the thrill of the sale was always his greatest motivation.
His family said he was active and worked until the age of 85 and his opinion was always respected by the Directors of his company. His company and his proudest achievement remain in the safe hands of future generations of his family.
He will be missed greatly by his family, his greater family in his company and friends and colleagues throughout the industry.
