Steve Pickup retired on 31 January after a career spanning 47 years with Plaxton and ADL. Starting as an apprentice coachbuilder at what was then the Seamer Road plant of Plaxton in Scarborough, he progressed to selling coaches across most of the south of England and Midlands for ADL. After 11 years in the factory, he relocated to Berkshire to work as an Account Manager, providing the link between customers and the production facility before successive re-organisations led him into the Kirkby dealership arm of the business and a broader sales role involving both new and used coaches. Steve continued in that position and is now retiring.

Steve said, ‘It’s been a big part of my life and there are so many people – colleagues, customers and associates – who I’ve known and worked with and will hold some great memories of. I’m going to miss it.’

Coach Sales Centre General Manager, Mick McElhone, said, ‘As probably the longest serving member of any sales team in our industry, he’s undoubtedly one of the elder statesmen of the coach business, becoming something of a legend in a career which has seen him cover almost half the country at various times. His professionalism has been a model for any young and aspiring salesman and indeed many of those in vehicle sales across the industry today will have worked with him and as a result learned a great deal along the way. I’m certain that I speak for customers across his former area, and indeed beyond, as well as everyone here when I say we will all miss him and we wish him a long and happy retirement ahead.’

. . . and Mark takes over

Replacing Steve as ADL Regional Sales Manager for London and the South East is Mark Taylor. Mark has 20 years of experience in the business and will report directly to Regional Sales Director, Martin Brailey, who said, ‘Mark knows the bus and coach business intimately and he further strengthens our team in London and the south east. We go into 2014 with a good order book, having finished 2013 with market leadership in every key sector. That’s a hard act to follow but we are in good shape and confident we can raise the bar again, particularly in London and the south east. Across the country we now have a strong team of specialists who have vast experience in the industry, all of which forms part of our broader based sales strategy.’