Remembering Robert Rose

Robert Rose, Encirc’s Glass Operations Director sadly passed away in January 2021. Here, Adrian Curry, MD of Encirc, pays tribute to the man who helped shape the industry.
Robert Rose was a colossus of the container glass world. Respected by all and revered by many, I wanted to write a few words today about my friend, who helped to shape our industry as we know it.
Robert was one of the very first people to join Encirc, or ‘Quinn Glass’ as it was known then in 1998, when he, Isobel and their daughters made a very courageous decision to move to Ireland, join a new, unheard of company and be part of the start-up of the Derrylin plant.
The challenges in those early days for Encirc at times seemed impossible. We were a massive disrupter in the industry, under huge pressure to make our business work. We needed experts in glass-making, so to have someone like Robert with us was invaluable. It was Robert’s job to help build us a glass-making offer that would one-day rival anything anywhere. Robert took it on and never looked back. That was 23 years ago, and over that time with Encirc, Robert achieved things that were truly unimaginable in 1998.
To note a few of his achievements: he personally managed the start-up and commissioning of all 26 lines in Encirc; led the develop of our NIS machines; he oversaw the first 12-section quad gob and the first 12-section triple gob food jar production in our industry. He has developed Encirc’s plants in Northern Ireland, England and Italy to the stage where we will produce one million tonnes of glass annually.
Perhaps his biggest legacy is how he dealt with major challenges with integrity, passion and relentless determination to get the job done.
A gentleman loved by his family, friends and colleagues, I feel so very privileged to have worked with Robert for so many years and thank him for his loyalty, his honesty and his friendship. There is no doubt Encirc would not be what it is today without him and I know he will be missed by us all.
Our thoughts and prayers go to Robert’s family. And for the Glass Industry, we have lost one of the greats.