A MAN from Bude has reached 40 years of working at the leading manufacturer, Bott Ltd.

Fifty six-year-old Roger Gliddon, a local man from Bude, first joined the company, which was known as Lockpanel, at the age of 15 in 1976.

Starting as an apprentice, he has seen years of evolution and progression over his 40 years of employment within the company, now known as Bott Ltd.

Bott is a leading manufacturer of workshop equipment, in-vehicle equipment and workplace systems, with production facilities worldwide, including Germany, the UK and Hungary.

Before its current reputation as a world-leading global giant, Bott Ltd was a six-man metal sheet folding operation, and at the age of 15, Roger attended a presentation at the Bude snooker club to listen to information about the firm, where he saw managing director at the time, Grahame Woodward, give an informative talk on the career paths within the company, as well as the work that Lockpanel offered.

With work like this being limited in Bude during the time, Roger was excited at the prospects of a company like this being within walking distance in the town. Luckily, an apprenticeship came up soon after this presentation, and Roger managed to secure it — the start of a 40-year career within the company.

Roger said: “To be honest, this was the sort of job I was looking for, and there was nothing like this in Bude at the time, so the job came up at the right time really.”

Roger was then able to leave school and start his new career path within Lockpanel, and then, Bott Ltd.

Roger is a tool room supervisor, which involves maintenance of equipment, as well as some health and safety work, and has gathered a lot of experience over the years to train new apprentices and pass on his wealth of knowledge to the next generation of Bott Ltd employees. During his time there, he has also seen the positive progress the company has made.

Speaking of his 40 years at Bott Ltd, Roger added: “Oh my word, the company has definitely made a lot of positive progress. I hope, in the future, that it will just keep getting better really. I’m absolutely amazed how it’s changed over the years and how far it has come.

“It’s brilliant that I’ve reached 40 years, I feel quite achieved, and I feel like I’ve made my mark, really.”