The Life & Miles of Colin Gotheridge – A Long-Serving Liniar Driver

Colin Gotheridge has been part of the Liniar family for 16 years. At 71 years young he is very happy in his role as a delivery driver in the Transport and Logistics team, with no intention of retiring anytime soon.

Speaking about working at Liniar, Colin tells us, “It’s a great environment and when you’re at work you can feel a vibe. People here do a good job because they’re happy, and that’s the best feeling you can get isn’t it?”

Colin has seen Liniar grow from its humble beginnings into a PVCu manufacturing industry-leader, including becoming a subsidiary of its parent company Quanex. He says, “Over the years the site and facilities have got better and better. Hopefully it will continue to grow, like our motto says, we’re part of something bigger and I really get that sense of belonging.”

Liniar is proud of its reputation for excellent customer service and understands that being in close contact with customers every day, its delivery drivers play a vital role in representing the company. This is something Colin is well aware of, as he explains, “We’re like a go-between and we hear first-hand how customers feel about the service they’re receiving and can feed that back to the Liniar team to make sure they’re aware. We’re always looking for ways to improve on the little things that office-based staff might not know about.”

He continues, “Customers on our regular routes have our phone numbers and if they want to know what time we’ll be arriving they can get in touch for an update. Sometimes drivers might even start a bit earlier to help manufacturers get the most out of their day. It’s about being flexible, and it works everything connects.”

Colin’s desire to become an HGV driver was seeded during his time at Bowmer and Kirkland, where he was an apprentice mechanic. He recalls, “I’ve always had an interest in lorries and that’s where it comes from. I get in my lorry in the morning and I’m happy to be in it. Even after all these years, I still enjoy it.”

Asked about his future at Liniar Colin smiles telling us, “I would like to think I can go on for at least another five years. I feel good, I love walking my dog Ella and I can go and do a 10 mile walk easily. I often stroll along Cromford canal, which is a beautiful part of Derbyshire. I get home and feel like I could go and do it again!”

Colin has been happily married to wife Elaine for 44 years. He is the proud father of two children, daughter Lianne (a teacher married to Dean) and son Mark (a quantity surveyor married to Emilie), and Colin loves spending time with his two grandchildren Rosie (3) and Jack (8 months). His passion for mechanics also keeps him occupied and he enjoys vehicle restoration as a hobby, telling us “I’ve got an old tractor I’m restoring when I get around to it, but I’ve been busy because I’ve just built a patio for my son. I did such a good job that my daughter wanted one too!”

The Liniar family would like to thank Colin for his dedication and professionalism in delivering fantastic customer service and wish him the best for continued success. Thank you Colin.

For information about careers at Liniar visit  https://www.liniar.co.uk/careers/