Laura Hardiman’s role at Orwell Motorcycles gives her an overview of the business… and not just because she can look down on everyone in the showroom from her office.
Despite being tucked away in the office much of the time, she is well known to customers and an important member of this family business.
Her father, Ray, founded Orwell Motorcycles, she’s also current director and co-owner Rob Walters’ niece and her partner is Dave Forster, our parts, clothing and accessories manager.
Her wide-ranging role includes doing the ordering and sales administration, while organising the wages makes her particularly popular with colleagues!
She’s always worked in the automotive trade. She joined us in 2005 from John Grose, where she looked after new car sales administration. This makes her one of the longest-serving members of our team.
No wonder Laura feels very much at home at Orwell Motorcycles.
“I like the atmosphere and camaraderie and the customers are really nice,” she said, adding that she manages to get on the shop floor on Saturdays and catch up with customers, many of whom have become good friends.
With a father in the motorcycle trade, Laura has grown up with bikes. Despite riding off-road bikes as a youngster she doesn’t have a motorcycle licence and limits her road-riding to being a pillion passenger.
She recalls that, as a child, she used to take her crash helmet, sit on a bench near home to meet her father coming back from work and hitch a ride on the back of his bike.
“I grew up with bikes so I’m used to seeing engine parts on the kitchen table and the garage full of friends pulling bikes apart,” said Laura.
And she also has an unofficial, but very important, job.
“I also make sure the men in the team are organised and remind them about things they might otherwise forget.”
No wonder they look up to Laura!
