Gerry Osborne, the founder and chairman of shower enclosure manufacturer Roman, has sadly passed away aged 84.
Gerry Osborne (pictured centre) established the Newton Aycliffe-based business in 1985, with “a vision of becoming the UK’s leading shower manufacturer”.
Nearly 40 years later, Roman has grown into one of the UK’s largest shower manufacturing brands, with a presence in 72 international markets.
As well as building a successful manufacturing business, Gerry was also heavily involved in helping to develop the wider bathroom industry. In 2001 he became the very first president of the Bathroom Manufacturer’s Association (BMA) in its current form.
He also played a significant role in the local community, becoming the 290th High Sheriff of County Durham in 2014.
In a statement announcing his death, the company said: “Gerry’s passing is a significant loss, particularly for his son, David Osborne, our current CEO. Gerry will also be greatly missed as a father, grandad, friend and mentor.
“We take some comfort in knowing that Gerry was extremely proud to see his grandson, Matthew, begin his journey with Roman, marking the beginning of a third generation in the bathroom industry. Gerry Osborne will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”
Paying tribute to Gerry, Tom Reynolds, BMA CEO said: “Gerry was a genuine bathroom industry visionary. Roman pioneered walk in showering when three piece sanitaryware sets were still the norm. He also established a significant manufacturing facility here in the UK when the conventional wisdom was to offshore, but it worked.
“Gerry was also one of the founding fathers of the BMA in its current form, giving it the solid foundation as President which enabled it to grow and flourish. He continued to be a big supporter of the association and was immensely proud to see his son David follow in his footsteps to become President.
“Everyone here is truly grateful for Gerry’s contribution to industry, and our thoughts are with his family”.
