John Hirshman, managing director of the Drakes group, has won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Plymouth City and Waterfront Awards.
A watch and jewellery retailer, Drakes was founded in 1950 by John’s father, the late Harry Hirshman, and stocks such brands as Citizen, Tissot, Rado, Raymond Weil, Seiko and Emporio Armani. John joined the business in 1954 and became managing director in 1975 upon his father’s retirement.
The honour was bestowed upon Hirshman at a black tie ceremony at the Holiday Inn in Plymouth on October 3, as part of the Plymouth City and Waterfront Awards. The event allowed the local community to recognise their favourite are businesses across, before a judging panel selected winners from a shortlist.
Ian Wood, editor of The Herald spoke about the award, stating: “John Hirshman has made a lasting contribution to city centre trading and has paved the way for excellent customer service at Drakes Jewellers.”
On winning the award Hirshman said: “It has been a wonderful experience being involved with the family business for almost 60 years. We are very passionate and love what we do, and being part of the local community is something we consider a privilege. We look forward to many more years to come.”
Blanche Sainsbury, managing director of the South West Media Group, added: “It was an absolute pleasure to see the Plymouth Business Community rise to their feet and give John Hirshman a standing ovation when he was announced as the Herald Lifetime Achiever. John is a well-respected Businessman across the South West. He is also one of the nicest individuals you could ever care to meet.”
