My Introduction

[nickym007]

Hello all, as my username suggests, Im Nick and pleased to meet you all. Came accross the forum and thought thats one for my favourites.
A little about me then. I left school in the late 70's to work as an Apprentice for a JCB dealership and taking my City & Guilds 630 in Construction Plant Equipment Mechanics. Left JCB to work for One of Yorkshires biggest Plant contractors at the time, Mcloughlan's of Knottingley, who did most the work for the NCB, Terex, Cat, JCB, Komatsu etc, Washing Plants, Crushers after leaving Mc's I joined Eddison Plant working on the smaller stuff again, Bomag and Barford Rollers, compressors up to 900cfm, Forlifts, Trackairs, Chipping spreaders, dumpers. Eddisons was pard of the Cohen 600 group who took over Sparrow, so we had a name change from Eddison to Cheadle Plant. After a few years I left to work freelance, working mainly on JCB's, Paving Machines such as Dynapac, Blaw Knox, Bitelli.

Having lost one of my biggest customers Pioneer Asphalt, who closed their office in this area because they couldnt compete with the join jentures of the larger companies such as Tilcon, Wards etc, I found myself working over in the Falklands on white equipment and an helicopter as a service van.

On my return to the UK after contract I ran a central repair workshop for a 10 depot plant company, rebuilding and repairing all the unserviced, half missing donor plant that came in from the other depots that was run by unskilled half witted, concrete from the neck up, no experience or idea Managers. Might souns a bit negative but to see plant with 2000hrs and never had a filter change, or been stripped for major bits because the engineers couldnt diagnose a simple problem, I was it went against the grain with me.

After a few years I left and went to work For a local Plant firm before Joining what was at the time the biggest Forklift contract hire company in the uk. I joined to maintain the Plant they had on hiire, and ended up training some of the 650 Engineers the company had before becoming Operations manager. Whilst in this role, we took over the Environmental Agency's Plant maintenance and TUPE there engineers accross. The Company got taken over by Finnings in 2003, which involved centralising the operation and closing 14 depots. I moved to Toyota for a few years before retraining at a cost of £6k to become a Microsoft Engineer in Computers. I now work self employed and do several websites for plant and demolition companies too. I was asked a few year ago by a company if i would take a look at a 750cfm compressor, as he couldnt find locally anyone that could diagnose the problem, I ended up doing a few days for him and others too since then. Seems nothing has changed regarding engineer skills, actually got worse.

Well thats the potted version

Nick

[Jeremy Rowland]

Hi Nick welcome to the site sounds like you've had a very interesting career; hope you enjoy the site.

Jeremy

[martyn williams]

Hello Nick and welcome
Martyn

[FOWLER MAN]

Hello Nick,
Welcome from me too, good to have you aboard.
Fred

[Neversweat]

Hello Nick

Good to have you here

Steve

[argie]

Welcome to CMN Nick! Great CV there!
Paul