09.12.2013

Rod Abbott to retire

UK crawler crane industry veteran Rod Abbott has decided to retire from NRC, the Hitachi-Sumitomo and Link Belt distributor, at the end of this year after more than 50 years with the company.

His position as managing director will be taken over by Steve Harvey, while Dave Rees will head up sales. Val Elmer will continue to cover crane rentals and Dick Wheeler operations and service.
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Rod Abbott

In a letter to customers, he said: “Retirement was not an easy decision, but I feel it is the right time for me. I will certainly miss all my clients, friends and acquaintances who, in some cases, I have known all my working life. However I will be on hand to give advice and support to the NRC team when required.”

“Over the past four to five years we have suffered a very difficult time in the industry due to the recession, but I am pleased for everyone concerned that there now seems to be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’."

Abbott joined NRC – what was then Neagron Plant - in 1961 as a 15 year old on a five year apprenticeship. Mentored by Neagron Plant’s managing director Ken Gibson he went on to continue his education part time, as he was groomed for more senior roles within the company.
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Rod Abbott (fourth seated from the left) with Neagron work mates in 1961

His education also benefited from short practical periods working at the production facilities of Neagron’s key crane suppliers, including Priestman, Coles Cranes, Neal Cranes and NCK. He then began travelling for the company to find cranes to bring back to the UK for overhaul, eventually becoming the NCK dealer.

In 1972 he set up the Raymoore Engineering & Test division, offering various crane testing services with over 1,000 tonnes of test weights.

He was made a director in 1980 and with the UK crawler crane industry looking shaky was sent to Japan to check out alternative suppliers including Kobelco, Sumitomo and Nisha as potential replacements, should the UK crane manufacturers collapse. NRC was formed in 1986 with the merging of the Neagron and Raymore divisions, and in 1988 the company was appointed UK and Ireland dealer for Sumitomo cranes.

Abbott joined four other directors in a management buy out of NRC and then remained on board after they sold the business to Joseph Gallagher in 1997. When Hitachi and Sumitomo merged NRC became the dealer, and then in 2008 it gained the Link Belt distribution rights for the UK.