It is not often a company is blessed with so many long-standing employees, however here at Dugdale Nutrition we are fortunate to have many loyal members of staff who have been with us for decades, both past and present.
One of which is Senior Sales Specialist, John Hickson, known to many as "Hicky." After 32 years with us, John has fully deservedly taken the decision to retire. His presence will be missed by everyone here at DN, not least his colleagues in the Retail Sales Team.
Last week the sales team, Dugdale family members Hannah, Matthew & Roger, and two members of the Sales Support team who have worked closely with John over the years, went to the Calf's Head in Worston for a farewell lunch. We were also joined by retired Sales Director, Peter Wormleighton and ex Sales Specialists, Colin Price and Bill Hardman.
Following the lunch, the sales team headed back to DN to complete their final sales meeting with John in attendance. Managing Director, Matthew Dugdale, made a farewell speech to John with various members of staff present, thanking him for his commitment to the company over the years and wishing him a long, healthy and happy retirement.
Not only has John been a long-standing employee, he has also been a Dugdale Nutrition customer for decades too! In 2016, we had the pleasure of photographing John with his sheep for use on our website and social channels.
Retirement thoughts from John...
After 32 very happy years at “Dugdales” I feel now the time is right to retire and hand over to some younger blood.
In 1990 after chatting with my Dugdales Rep, Howard Blackburn, I met with Roger and Stephen Dugdale and they offered me a position within their Sales Team.
This today would be called my “Farm Diversification Project”!
How things have changed! Who would have thought then that we would now be milking cows robotically and B Dugdale & Son would develop into Dugdale Nutrition, the big innovative company they are today.
It has been a privilege to work with many fantastic colleagues and develop a large customer base many who have become good friends.
Over the past few weeks I have tried to see as many customers as possible with my replacement colleagues and apologise to anybody I have missed.
I would like to thank all my customers past and present for their support and I will definitely miss all the brews and home-made cakes!
Good health, happiness and prosperity to you all.
Best Wishes,
John (Hicky)
Memories and thanks from colleagues...
"Thanks for all your help and support John, your enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge and dedication to your customers and DN is something I wish we could bottle for future members of the team! Enjoy retirement, keep in touch and if you ever fancy a day out give us a call." - Sales Manager, Stuart Rhodes
"John - may I take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your hard work, dedication and your irreplaceable spirit. You have been an integral part of the Retail Sales Team for so many years, your input and presence will be truly missed by all. I have very fond memories from my childhood, attending local agricultural shows in the Dugdales caravan with your daughter Laura. Enjoy your retirement with Marjorie and don't be a stranger, you're welcome to call in for a cup of tea and catch up any time." - Hannah O'Hare, Marketing & Communications Director
"Just want to thank John for all his help and guidance while I have been at DN. Also, when John discovered curry sauce was an option with fish and chips at one of the iFeed meetings we had on farm, the comment was made that obviously curry sauce hadn’t made it to Austwick yet! That will always be a fond memory." Tom Rigg, Specialist Product Manager
"John, I will always remember the good old days and the fun times we had with little Jo. We will miss you!" - Susan Haythornthwaite, Raw Materials Co-Ordinator
"John, you've been an absolute dream to work with! I have always been fascinated by the fact that you are so keen to learn, frequently requesting training, even when approaching retirement. You have been a true asset to the sales team and have kept me motivated on many occasions. We will miss you." - Debby Brown, Technical Manager
"It will be strange not seeing you in the collections warehouse when you're in for bags and I will always remember delivering feed to your house. Have a great retirement." - Ryan Stewart, Warehouse Team Leader