Ian Dennison, ProQuip Golf’s longest-serving sales representative, has announced his retirement after serving the company and its customers in the south east of England for more than 28 years.
‘Denny’ joined ProQuip in 1997, when Caledonian Golf Group owned and managed the brand. He was hired to grow green grass retail accounts in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Jersey, Guernsey and the M25 corridor south and west of London.
“Doug McLelland of Silvermere Golf recommended me for the job. I took a train to Darlington to meet Ken Saint, then sales manager for Ben Sayers and ProQuip, in a hotel near the station. The meeting lasted 10 minutes, he offered me the job, and I’ve been on the road ever since,” said Dennison.
His career started in 1975 working in the pro shop at Sittingbourne Golf Club in Kent, before moving into field sales selling Extra Strong Mints and confectionery for family-run business Trebor.
After almost three decades building relationships in golf retail, Dennison says he’s ready for retirement.
“I don’t want to get up at 5am anymore, to be in the car by six. I’m going to enjoy getting up at 8 o’clock, relaxing in the garden, going to Millwall games, fishing and trying my hand at lawn bowls.”
Russell Brooks, general manager of ProQuip Golf, said: “Ian has developed a first-class network of customers and consistently exceeded all expectations, both in terms of sales performance and how he represented and championed ProQuip and its partner brands.
“Ian was brilliant to work alongside, fiercely dedicated, with a herculean work ethic. He was an old school salesman, believed passionately in meeting customers face-to-face; and took the time to listen, learn and understand their businesses and buying needs,” added Brooks.
Dennison also carried products for Californian apparel brand Ashworth Golf and Zerofit Sports, manufacturers of the Heatrub Ultimate base layer, under ProQuip distribution agreements for the UK and Ireland markets.
Paul Gerrard, national sales manager for ProQuip, said: “Ian will be hugely missed by everyone at ProQuip. He built the southeast into the brand’s highest-performing sales territory and maintained it year after year. We wish him a well-deserved retirement, hopefully with more time spent on the fairways than in the pro shop.”