IN 1964, The Rolling Stones released their debut album, The Beatles took America by storm and John Hamilton, aged 16, joined Hewden – the plant hire specialists.
Nearly 50 years later, one of the industry’s most experienced professionals is retiring after a lifetime’s loyal service.
John was Area Sales Manager in Scotland and based in Hewden’s Glasgow depot.
He joined the company straight from school and has since dedicated his working life to Hewden.
A retirement dinner in his honour is planned where colleagues old and new will gather to wish him well.
Looking back on his career John saw the beginnings of Hewden and the rise of the company through six decades and his knowledge of the business is second to none.
He started out as a Management Trainee in August 1964 with the then named Scottish Land Development Corporation (SLDC) at Queenslie Glasgow.
The five-year training scheme was the brainchild of SLDC Director Gordon Anderson who later went on to start the GAP group.
Scottish Land was a plant hire company with a specialist landscaping division and an earthmoving contracts division.
John said, “I finished my training in 1969 and secured a position in the plant hire side of the business working on the hire desk.
“I learnt a lot about the trade and it was around that time that Scottish Land was sold to James Hanson (of the Hanson Trust) with plant hire sold to the very early Hewden.”
John saw Hewden grow from strength to strength, helping set up new depots across Scotland and helped build-up a profitable earthmoving depot with Hewden’s own transport and plant operators.
His next move was as Plant Manager at AV Wilson, a division which specialised in the hire of large, hydraulic excavators.
John ended his epic career in sales, where he manages some of the biggest spending accounts in Scotland.
Jeff Schofield, Marketing Director at Hewden, said, “Keeping abreast of changing customer needs and being at the heart of the way we do things at Hewden has enabled John to reach this truly remarkable landmark.
“He has been a huge asset to the company and we wish him every happiness in his retirement.”
