It is with great sadness that we announce the death on 1 March 2022 of our founder John Heaford, he passed away after a long illness surrounded by his family.
John started his career as an apprentice draftsman at 17 and after roles in several engineering companies set up JM Heaford in 1982. The company initially manufactured gravure proofing presses. Using his engineering and draftsman skills John designed a flexographic plate mounter and proofing machine using high magnification cameras.
Passionate about his work, innovative and relentlessly hard working, John’s business legacy is 5,000 Heaford machines supplied in over 100 countries. John travelled the world visiting customers with our agents and made many valued and long-lasting friendships along the way.
Led by John, the company achieved the Queens Award for Export twice and John, a Special Achievement Award, for his outstanding contribution to the flexographic industry from the European Flexographic Technical Association.
It is a sad time for all at Heaford, but we celebrate a life well lived and endeavour to continue the values that John and his wife Anne built the company on – integrity, hard work and appreciation of colleagues, agents and customers.
