20.11.2009

David Ridge 1947 – 2009

David Ridge, 62, joint founder of AFI and the current finance director of AFI-Uplift sadly passed away yesterday following a long and serious illness.

He leaves a much-loved wife, Shirley, and daughters, Lisa and Anna, the family are planning a quiet family only funeral.

Ridge grew up in Stoke and later moved to Huddersfield, where he became an accountant for a tiling contractor. He joined Access Rental in 1984 when he first teamed up with Malcolm Bowers. He later became a shareholder and director of the company which was sold to Roskel in 1989 and then onto Lavendon in 1992.
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David Ridge (R) with David Shipman (L) and Nick Selley in late 2004

In 1991 he teamed up with Bowers again working with him throughout the nineties with a group of companies trading under the Myrefield name. In 1998 the two partners decided to re-enter the powered access business and it was Ridge who chose the name 'Aerials for Industry' which became AFI, from a short-list the two had drawn up.

The ownership of AFI changed in 2002 when David Shipman led a Management Buy In. Ridge has remained as finance director seeing the business he helped found grow into one of Europe’s largest aerial lift rental companies.

David Shipman, chairman of AFI-Uplift, said: “We are deeply saddened at the news that David Ridge has passed away. As one of the directors who formed AFI along with Malcolm Bowers, David helped to pave the way for the company’s subsequent growth and success. His contribution over the years has been invaluable. All of our thoughts at this sad time are with his family. He will be much missed by all of those who knew and worked with him."