10TH SEPTMEMBER 2010 EULOGY STEVE EVERETT I FIRST GOT TO KNOW STEVE IN 1996 I HAD ALREADY IMPORTED A CHINESE BRAND OF CAST IRON BUTTERFLY VALVES THAT YEAR FOR A COMPANY IN WILLENHALL WEST MIDLANDS I WAS WORKING AT. WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE VALVES AND LOOKED FOR ANOTHER CHINESE FACTORY TO WORK WITH. THE NEXT WEEK BY CHANCE I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL A BUTTERFLY VALVE CATALOGUE ~ FROM APC/NINGJIN IN SHANDONG PROVIENCE. STEVE HAD POSTED THIS TO US, A MAIL SHOT HE TOLD ME LATER HE HAD SENT TO 3 OR 4 UK COMPANIES. WE STARTED TO IMPORT FROM APC SOON AFTER THAT. SOME MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM STEVE, HE SAID HE WAS THE UK & EUROPEAN AGENT REPRESENTING APC/CHINA COULD HE COME TO SEE ME? STEVE AND I MET SOME WEEKS LATER, OUR FREINDSHIP GREW FROM THAT FIRST MEETING. STEVE WAS A RELIABLE HARD WORKING GUY. NOTHING WAS TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR HIM, I KNEW IF I ASKED STEVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME IN CHINA’ IT WOULD GET DONE. HE WAS A MAN TO HIS WORD, HE KNEW VERY WELL WHAT WAS EXPECTED AND HE NEVER LET ANY ONE DOWN. I TRAVELLED TO CHINA MANY TIMES ON BUSINESS TRIPS; STEVE WAS ALWAYS VERY WILLING TO HELP AS MY AGENT AND BEST FREIND IN CHINA. THE FIRST TIME I TRAVELLED TO CHINA WAS IN 2004 WITH SIMON COTTAM THE OWNER OF C&P LTD IN OLDBURY, THE SECOND COMPANY STEVE AND I WOULD HELP TO IMPORT BUTTERFLY VALVES INTO THE UK. I REMEMBER THIS TRIP VERY WELL, WE STAYED IN A HOTEL WHICH HAD A FOUR OR SIX LANES OF 10 TIN BOWLING . STEVE I THINK HAD NEVER BOWLED BEFORE, WATCHING HIM IN ACTION WAS LIKE WATCHING JEFF CAPES “SHOT PUTTING” The SECOND TRIP I MADE WITH STEVE TO CHINA WAS IN NOVEMBER 2006 WHEN I REJOINED ALPHA CONTROLS LTD IN WIGAN. AGAIN STEVE WAS THERE TO HELP ME ORGANISE THIS TRIP WITH GORDON OUR SALES AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, IT WAS A VERY TIRING TRIP, 21 COMPANIES VISITED IN 13 DAYS. ALL 3 OF US WERE EXHAUSTED, I REMEMBER STEVE IN ONE MEETING. TALKING TOO MUCH AS HE ALWAYS DID, BOTH GORDON AND I WERE VERY WELL AWARE HOW TIRED STEVE WAS, WE SAT OPPOSITE HIM AT THE MEETING ROOM TABLE IN ONE FACTORY WE WERE VISITING. STEVE WAS IN FULL FLOW TALKING IN CHINESE, WE WATCHED AS HIS EYE LIDS GOT HEAVIER AND HEAVIER, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE STOPPED TALKING, HIS EYES CLOSED AND HIS CHIN HIT HIS CHEST. ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AT BEGAN TO LAUGH, AT WHICH POINT STEVE WOKE UP AND TO EVERYONES AMAZEMENT STARTED TO TALK AGAIN AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPPENED. THIS WAS STEVE, IF HE COULD SEE US NOW LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE ALL DRESSED IN SUITS AND TIES HE WOULD BE LAUGHING AT US, HE LIKED TO DRESS CAUSUAL !! SOMETIMES FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS MAY BE TOO CAUSAL IN COMBAT JACKET AND SHORTS, BUT THIS WAS STEVE AND THIS WAS CHINA. HE LOVED CHINA. THE WILD UNSPOILT MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS HE LOVED THE PEOPLE, WHATS MORE ALL THE PEOPLE HE WORKED WITH LOVED AND FULLY RESPECTED HIM. I LAST SAW STEVE IN LATE JUNE THIS YEAR AT WUXI TRAIN STATION I SHOOK HIS HAND FOR THE LAST TIME BEFORE I TRAVELLED BACK TO SHANGHAI TO FLY HOME MANY PEOPLE WROTE TO ME FROM CHINA WHO KNEW STEVE VERY WELL Mr Zhou Bayou OF APC QINGDAO WROTE THE FOLLOWING WORDS AS IF HE WAS SPEAKING TO STEVE TODAY: Dear Steve: You are a very honest, hard working man. You will live at our hearts forever. You love your mother, brother and friends. All of us love you, too. What you have done in China will continue. Please do not worry about your business which will be carried on by us. Your oldest friend Mr Zhou Baoyu who have worked with you for more than fifteen years tells all the APC staff they should learn from you to be a good a man as you. Good people can get good respect like Steve. Steve, you can mix western and eastern culture together to do good things for both Chinese and European people. You lived a simple life to make many people have better life. You are a great friend for Chinese people. Your spirit and soul are with us all the time. Steve please have a good rest. Wishing you to live a happy life in the other world. Best Regards Zhou Baoyu and All APC Staff