John Saunders
John left school at the age of 15 and enrolled in an Apprenticeship as an Agricultural Diesel Engineer repairing Agricultural Vehicles, HGVs (heavy goods vehicles) Plant and Machinery.
At the age of 22 he became self-employed and opened two shops selling car spares and accessories.
Some four years later, he spotted another business opportunity and sold the shops and bought a Motor Vehicle Garage. In addition to having a workshop and a car franchise, the Garage was situated close to the A1M (a motorway), ideally central to three counties and there was no one in the local area providing recovery for vehicles. He bought his first breakdown truck for ($495) and never looked back. He began working for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire Police Authorities and also clubs such as the AA (Automobile Association), RAC (Royal Automobile Club), Green Flag and the like.
As time passed he identified another opportunity and began working with large construction companies carry out road widening countrywide on the Motorways such as the M25 on behalf of the UK Highways Agency. Motorists travelling throughout the areas where the Works are carried out are entitled to free recovery and this is funded by the Highways Agency and they have been carrying out this service ever since on major motorways. For those who are not aware, the M25 is a large circular motorway in the south of England which circumnavigates London and Home Counties. We have encountered just about everything from the elderly lady who lost her sense of direction and drove twice around the M25 and only stopped because she ran out of fuel to large trucks rolling over and shedding their loads and multiple road traffic collisions (RTCs) involving serious injury and fatality. The ethos upon which John built his Company is that if they cannot carry out the recovery, then nobody can.
In the UK safety became a big issue and around ten years ago, John pioneered the design and manufacture of an RIPV (Recovery Impact Protection Vehicle) which is now used throughout the country. It works in conjunction with a ‘Light’ or ‘Heavy’ Vehicle to protect the scene and the workforce whilst the vehicle recovery is being carried out.
He has lived in Stotfold a small town in Bedfordshire all of his life and is heavily involved in his community. To this end, he has been a local elected Councillor for some twenty five years and during 1999/2001 was elected as Chairman of Bedfordshire County Council. This involved attending functions alongside the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire including attending Her Majesty the Queen’s Garden Party on two occasions.
John currently runs in excess of 125 breakdown trucks including around forty Heavy Trucks, low loaders and Lorry Loading Cranes. His company employs in the region of eighty men and women.