The man behind one of Southend’s greatest companies is finally being celebrated with a life-size sculpture, much to the delight of his family.

Eric Cole, founder of the Ekco factory in Southend, took great pride in his employees and was a pioneer in paid holidays and workplace pensions.

At its peak, the company employed more than 8,000 people in Essex and played a key role with the Ministry of War to help end the Second World War.

Ekco started as a radio manufacturing firm in 1922 but quickly grew to be an international brand, manufacturing the must-have electronics and gadgets of the time.

Eric was at the helm until the company was bought out by Pye in 1967.

His son Derek, who also worked for Ekco, has long wished for a permanent memorial to mark his achievements.

That wish is now granted.

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The 400kg and 2.8m tall mosaic and bronze sculpture of Eric standing on an AD65 Ekco radio is being installed in the new Ekco Park housing estate opposite Priory Park, where the old factory once stood.

His head, hands and shoes are cold-cast bronze, while his suit is made from a mosaic of porcelain tiles fired with photographic transfers.

The 182 images are black and white in a sepia tone of the era.

The radio, made from Corten steel, reflects the shape and colour of the early Bakelite radios and forms a plinth.

Its creator is Anne Schwegmann-Fielding, an internationally renowned British sculptor and mosaic artist based in Colchester.

For the sculpture she used original photographs and has brought the community together, working closely with Eric’s relatives and Ekco former employees and the author of the Ekco Sounds book

She said: “It was a joy to work on, at times complicated, making sure all the elements worked together.

“All my projects involve researching the history of the place.

“Ekco is so loved, that it was not hard to meet people with great knowledge and stories.”

“I am also working with Southend Museums on an Ekco website and we hope to put together some kind of app or document where people can discover about each of the images featured on the suit.”

Anne Muir, Derek’s sister, said the family has great pride in Eric’s life and work and especially how much he was appreciated by the workforce.

She said: “My father was not a gregarious person but quite private and non-demonstrative, liking his own company.

“We have a photograph of a Royal visit to Ekco’s Malmesbury factory during the war, where Queen Mary is in front with another Ekco director, while my father walking behind by himself.

“He loved to travel, so this, I think, compensated for the vast amount of socialising that needed to be done around the world to promote the business.”

“When the unveiling can happen, we expect quite a few of the Muir clan to want to be there including some of his seven grandchildren.

“We do look forward to seeing it ‘for real’.”

n Ekco Sounds is available from www.estuarypublishing.co.uk and Southend Museums for £9.99.