Today we celebrate the retirement of Andy Barnett, after 29 years!

Today, we celebrate the well-earned retirement of Andrew Barnett! A valued member of IAE for nearly three decades, Andy’s presence will be deeply missed by his colleagues within distribution and across the team.

Andy began his journey with IAE in 1996 at just 33 years old, starting as a Forklift Driver at the Barnfields site in Leek. Over the past 29 years, he has worn many hats, always willing to lend a hand, he could be found keeping operations running smoothly in the distribution yard and has even built up a Cattle Crush or two when he was needed.

His role extended beyond the yard, too. Andy played a vital part in delivering show kits to agricultural events across the UK—sometimes even camping on the back of a flatbed truck before making the journey home! After earning his HGV licence, he hit the road, delivering products nationwide before eventually returning to work full-time on-site.

(photo above taken 26th August 2005)

Reflecting on his time at IAE, Andy has witnessed remarkable changes, from a small family-run operation to a thriving company employing over 400 people—all while remaining under the Klucznik family. He recalls transporting goods for galvanization and watching as the various Staffordshire sites evolved, culminating in the creation of the Mossfield site complete with a galvanizing facility.

Andy also remembers training Frank Klucznik some 25 years ago during his early years at IAE…

“Andy was one of the guys who took me under his wing when I first joined IAE from school. He didn’t think twice about showing me the ropes, including driving the forklift… I have great memories of traveling to shows—me in the pickup, Andy in his wagon—while he made light work of organizing the show kit, lifting sheep feeders and calf creeps like they weighed nothing was just second nature to him.”

“Andy has always had a solid work ethic and played a key part in moving the yard from Barnfields to Mossfield Road. But his willingness to help went beyond work—being from a farming background himself, he often delivered bales to my mum and dad, which we were always grateful for!”

– Frank Klucznik, CEO

One of Andy’s career highlights was taking his son, Martin, along for the ride during his time as an HGV driver over 20 years ago. Today, Martin follows in his father’s footsteps, working as a supervisor in the distribution department.

So, what has kept Andy at IAE for so long? He credits his love for outdoor work, which stems from his farming background, and most importantly, the camaraderie of a great team that made every workday enjoyable.
As Andy steps into retirement, he plans to explore the UK in his caravan, traveling from top to bottom. When he’s home, he’ll be spending quality time with his grandchildren—or out and about on his new electric bike, ensuring he stays active (and out of trouble!).

(from left to right- Dave Klucznik, Andy Barnett, Martin Barnett & Frank Klucznik)

Wishing you a long, happy, and adventure-filled retirement, Andy! You will be greatly missed!