The long-serving managing director of Grimsby motorhome manufacturer Auto-Trail has retired.
Dave Thomas served the business for 28 years, overseeing the development of a brand new factory on Europarc. He left the business this month, with his departure announced late last year.
Mr Thomas has led the company through a period of strong growth, overseeing the introduction of numerous popular ranges in the thriving leisure vehicle market, growing the company’s workforce to more than 200.
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Staff held a surprise retirement presentation, before he closed his final day by addressing the team, having looked back through the years and shared stories.
Mr Thomas said: “On leaving Auto-Trail, I shall miss the industry, the people in it and my Trigano colleagues, but now is the time to move on, spend more time with my family and, who knows, do something else to occupy my time.”
Shane Devoy, who joined Auto-Trail in 1998, has been appointed as the new managing director and is joined on the board by commercial director Scott Stephens and technical director Steve Moverley, bringing almost 80 years of experience to the table to help shape the future of the firm.
Mr Devoy said: “What a great pleasure it has been working with Dave. The words he has written in the Auto-Trail story are powerful, encouraging and are destined to feature in the management philosophy of ours and future generations.
“Now, he is about to write another exciting story. One that I am sure will be as spirited and colourful that he has written for this company. On behalf of everybody at Auto-Trail, I want to wish Dave all the very best. Happy retirement Dave and thank you.”
He also spoke of the economic and supply constraints, but can see positivity on the horizon. “In the short term, I see the market holding up at the current levels despite the economic challenges facing consumers,” Mr Devoy said. “Auto-Trail had been compromised in the last year as a result of the chassis supply constraints, but I see that improving a little in the coming year and Auto-Trail will be able to satisfy customer orders in a reduced timescale.
“In the next five years, the transition to electric vehicles will rapidly gather momentum across the whole automotive industry. Even though new diesel commercial vehicles will continue to be available beyond 2030, chassis manufacturers have already started the groundwork for an electrified landscape.”
Those who have stepped up also thanked Mr Thomas for his leadership.
Wishing Mr Thomas a happy retirement, Mr Stephens said: “My experience working with Dave stretches over 20 years and he is a true gentleman. He is a man who is not just your boss, but is also interested in you, the person, your family, and that really counts for a lot.
“With the direction of Dave Thomas, Shane Devoy and Steve Moverley, we made a great team which is what we strive to continue with in the future. There is a fantastic team of people here at Auto-Trail who are all striving to supply the best motorhomes in the industry.
“We could all learn a lesson from Dave. He is one of the founder guys who created this company and made it what it is today. We owe it to him and those before him to ensure this great company continues to be a market leader.”
Mr Moverley added: “I want to thank Dave for his contribution to Auto-Trail and myself for the past 28 years. Dave taught me some valuable skills, which most of our staff can relate to.
“One of his favourite sayings is to grasp the nettle. If there is an issue, do not shy away from it, just get stuck in and sort it out and don’t be afraid to make decisions. If you make the wrong one, it is not an issue, just hold your hands up and come up with a backup plan.
“I would not be here if it were not for Dave offering me a job in the first place. The range of vehicles that we produce now looks very different from the early designs, but the formula still remains very much the same.”
Mr Thomas sat down for a final interview with business editor David Laister before he left, a full feature will appear soon.
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