Work Spins Us Right Round Baby
Recorded on 19/05/2026
Chris Black left school in 1986 intending to become a painter-decorator but ended up joining his dad’s growing company instead. Starting as a factory lad and then working his way up through the departments of installation, service, sales, and then spending 25 years as managing director before becoming the joint chairman of the business. Sound Leisure today is a global specialist selling their Jukeboxes in more than 40 countries around the world.
Chris explains how the jukebox business has shifted during his time from 1950s Americana to becoming a global lifestyle product. We discuss how the industry moved from more accessible wide spread models to specialist high-end custom builds and the industry’s move to a much stronger emphasis on advising buyers about their products and providing long-term excellent service to their customers.
Chris emphasis the vital importance of providing world class customer service and the benefit of having a family culture in business. We reflect on sustainability and discuss the pragmatic business constraints of making and shipping products. Chris tell us how Brexit is a major ongoing disruption for EU trade and we talk about the operational upheaval of COVID, when the businesses pivoted to coffin-making to help out in a time of national crisis.
We also talk about Chris and Sound Leisure’s involvement in the Leeds Manufacturing Festival as well as his and his business’ support of apprenticeships, and we speak to the importance of social media for giving a modern business worldwide credibility.
You can find out more about Sound Leisure at:
https://www.facebook.com/ClassicJukeboxes
https://www.instagram.com/soundleisurejukeboxes/
www.linkedin.com/company/sound-leisure-ltd/
And Leeds Manufacturing Festival at:
https://leedsmanufacturingfestival.co.uk/
Also metioned
https://www.familybusinessunited.com/
https://leedscitycollege.ac.uk/
Also check out
https://www.leedsforlearning.co.uk/
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