On 9^th July 1996 Tony Preece joined #TeamHeaford as Works Manager, 26 years later, we say goodbye to Tony as he begins a new chapter in his life, starting his retirement enjoying more time with his wife Lyn, his children and grandchildren, playing golf, fishing and heading off  on holidays to the sunshine!

Tony started his career as an apprentice, rising through the ranks to take up a management role with his previous company before joining Heaford as Works  Manager in 1996.

Always the first in the factory every morning, Tony was  hands on and would do whatever task was required to ensure Heaford customers got the very best service. His unwavering work ethic and unique ability to see things from a customer perspective made him the first point of call for many customers and agents and his friendly helpful manner made him very popular with his colleagues too.

As a very experienced and passionate engineer, he travelled extensively for both Heaford and his previous company and understands ‘life in the field’, happy to share his knowledge and experience to help others and he always supported our next generation of engineers. With his extensive manufacturing and machining knowledge Tony forged strong relationships with our longstanding supplier base, all of whom respected him greatly.

All the team at Heaford  wish our respected colleague and friend a very happy and healthy retirement – he will be missed.

David Muncaster, MD at Heaford commented: Tony’s been a key part of the Heaford management team for many years now and a great support for me personally since I joined Heaford. A true ‘grafter’, Tony gained respect from colleagues, customers, agents and suppliers, with his firm but fair ‘say it how it is’ approach. Over the past six months he has continued to show that same work ethic that has defined his career as he successfully transitioned over the role to  our new Operations Manager Andy Lomas.  

Sally-Anne Heaford, Chairperson at Heaford commented: We’ll all miss Tony, he’s been a great ambassador for Heaford for the past 26 years. His commitment and hard work over the years has been exemplary.