One of the best-known names from the UK AWP industry of the 1970s-90s, Jeff Hull, has died at his Cardiff home, aged 75, after an illness.

Jeff Hull

Jeff was best-known for his work at the original Ace Coin Equipment and Race Electronics companies in Llantrisant, and latterly at Crystal Leisure, JPM and Electrocoin in Cardiff, retiring in 2005. He was a director at most of the companies.

He was at Ace Coin Equipment in its heyday at Ferry Road, Cardiff, joining in 1968, moving to the new offices in Llantrisant when the Cardiff factory was closed down for redevelopment. Race was an associate company that grew out of the supply of printed circuit boards for the coin machine industry and Jeff was a director at both of the businesses. They were subsequently acquired first by Dutch operators Hobea and then by the Gooding Group.

After he left there, he worked briefly in the coin counting machine sector before setting up Crystal Leisure with Ray Underhill and Richard Cox in 1989 to rebuild club machines, again from Cardiff. The company was acquired by JPM and Jeff remained with that company for a time.

His last role was as managing director at Electrocoin Manufacturing in Cardiff, which he ran until he retired in 2005.

Jeff leaves a wife, Mary, and daughters Vicky and Stephanie.

Alan Parker, these days at Spin Gaming in Cardiff, but one of the founders of JPM, the famous AWP manufacturer, had known Jeff for over 50 years. “He was one of those people who had the unique ability to be respected by those who employed him and at the same time respected by those who worked for him. Very few people have that gift. He was a person who could be trusted implicitly and who was very professional.”

John Collinson and John Stergides of Electrocoin told us: “We worked with Jeff for many years, both with him through his other companies and when he joined us to run the factory in Cardiff. He was always totally reliable, a thoroughly professional person and very, very likeable. It is a very sad day for us.”

David Snook of InterGame said: “I have known Jeff, Mary and their family for over 50 years. They are the most likeable people you can imagine and were together since they were children. Jeff was a wonderful guy, with a great sense of humour, but tempered with realism and the most practical of intellects. He gained a reputation as a very able manager of businesses. My family will mourn his passing, just as his own family leads so many others in mourning.”

The funeral will take place on Wednesday, December 18, at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff at 1.45pm. It will be followed by cremation at the Cardiff and Glamorgan Memorial Park and Crematorium, CF62 9PX.