IMechE Honorary Fellowship for Lord Bamford
JCB chairman honoured by Institution of Mechanical Engineers for ‘huge impact’ on UK manufacturing
ONE of the country’s leading professional engineering bodies has bestowed its highest honour on Lord Bamford for his ‘huge impact’ on UK manufacturing.
The JCB chairman has been appointed as an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) at a ceremony in London after more than 50 years in the industry.
Lord Bamford (right of photo) was presented with the Honorary Fellowship by IMechE President Prof. Richard Folkson (left).
Congratulating Lord Bamford on his appointment, Prof. Folkson said: ‘This is a very well-deserved honour, recognizing the huge impact Lord Bamford has made on UK manufacturing and innovation.
‘It is thanks to his leadership and vision that JCB is the success it now is and he is one of the strongest and most inspiring ambassadors for British engineering.’
Lord Bamford said he was delighted with the honour and that it was a tribute to all the work of JCB’s engineering team.
‘Engineering is a very exciting profession and it offers real opportunities to make a difference to the world in which we live. I encourage all our engineers to pursue professional accreditation with the IMechE,’ he commented.
Lord Bamford’s career began with a two-year engineering apprenticeship at Massey Ferguson in France before he started at the JCB World Headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, in 1964.
He has been chairman of JCB since 1975 and was the inspiration behind a project that resulted in the JCB Dieselmax car, powered by two JCB engines, setting the current world land speed record for a diesel-powered car at 350 miles/h in August 2006.
He also spearheaded the establishment of the £22 million engineering-focused JCB Academy in Rocester, which opened in September 2010.
IMechE currently has 50 professionally registered JCB engineers accredited to the Institution who act as mentors to JCB colleagues working towards professional registration.
A further 62 JCB engineers are currently active on the IMechE’s professional development schemes with 26 graduates and higher apprentices commencing registration currently.
