Success in business and success in sport both rely on hard work, dedication and having the right people behind you and that’s exactly the thinking behind a new partnership between Plymouth company Rees Carpets & Flooring and local boxer Josh King.
The well known family business has announced its sponsorship of King as he prepares for his next bout at Millennium Mayhem, where he will face Jonathan Stoner on 29 August at the Millennium Building in Union Street.
While carpets and boxing may seem like an unusual combination, the partnership has already produced plenty of smiles, with a light hearted training video showing Josh putting the flooring company’s products to unexpected use during a workout. It’s a humorous reminder that local businesses can play a big part in supporting local talent.
Rees Carpets & Flooring has built a strong reputation across Plymouth and beyond, not only through its work in homes and businesses but also by backing community projects and local people. Supporting sport is another way the company is investing in the city, helping athletes pursue their ambitions while strengthening ties with the community.
Owner Tommy Rees is no stranger to being recognised in Plymouth himself, having previously won the city’s Face of Plymouth competition. Since then, he has continued to grow the business while remaining a familiar and active figure within the local community.
Tommy Rees said backing King was about supporting local people and giving something back to the city where he grew up. The Stonehouse businessman, who runs Rees Carpets & Flooring, said he has always tried to support community sport, sponsoring local football teams as well as boxers from Plymouth. Reflecting on his own journey, Rees said he built the business from the ground up, starting with small jobs before expanding into a company carrying out both domestic and commercial flooring work. He added that despite losing his mother at the age of 12 and his father five years ago, he kept pushing forward. Today, the business also employs apprentices as part of its commitment to helping train the next generation of flooring professionals.
Josh King laughed: “Tommy’s a great bloke, but I still think I was robbed in the Face of Plymouth competition. If he can win it, I should definitely have won it. I’m claiming that title one day!”
For Josh, the sponsorship provides another boost as preparations continue for one of the biggest nights on his boxing calendar. For Rees Carpets & Flooring, it’s another opportunity to champion Plymouth talent and demonstrate that successful local businesses can make a real difference beyond the workplace.
When the first bell sounds on fight night, Josh King will be aiming to deliver a knockout performance. His sponsors, meanwhile, will simply be hoping they’ve helped lay the foundations for another local success.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post