After 30 years with John Sutch Cranes - and a lifetime in engineering - Ian Seddon, our Workshop Manager and long-time friend, has retired.
Ian’s career began at just 16, when he joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.E.M.E) as an apprentice mechanic. He went on to serve 12 years in the British Army, including tours in Northern Ireland and time with the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, specialising in armoured recovery and heavy equipment maintenance.
When Ian left the Army, he joined Grayston White and Sparrow Ltd as an engineer in 1989 before moving to Grove Coles in Manchester. It was there, working on a 25/28 Super Coles crane, that a chance meeting with John Sutch would shape the next three decades of his life.
Ian recalls: “I was working away on a John Sutch crane when John came over and asked what I was doing. I told him exactly what I was doing! We got talking, and I said if he was planning to invest in more cranes, he’d need proper engineering support. A few weeks later, he called - and that was that. I started in 1995 and I’ve been here ever since.”
From those early days in Liverpool with a skeleton team which was simply John, Elaine, Hayley and Andrea Sutch, with Jimmy Golbourne in Operations and Ian as an engineer to the business growing year on year with a fleet of 50 cranes at one point, Ian has been through the thick of it.
It’s not forgotten by the man who started it all, John Sutch.
He said: “Ian has been a big part of this company’s journey. He’s seen it all — the challenges, the growth, the late-night callouts and he’s given everything with total commitment. He’s not just a great engineer, he’s a great person. We’ve shared laughs, hard graft, and a huge amount of respect.
“His work ethic, loyalty, and care for the team are second to none. He’s been a constant through every chapter of our growth, and we’ll all miss having him around the yard and in the workshop every day.”
Ian said he’s going to be sad to leave but feels the time is right.
He said: “I just knew it was the right thing to join. I took a leap of faith, but I knew that if the business turned good, we would do alright and John's certainly done all that.
“We then had a yard in Trafford Park, we got to be a 50 crane company and yes there's been pressure, but I've enjoyed it. Maybe not the 2am calls on breakdowns, but the majority of it. John is a tough task master, but he's always been great with me.
“We had a real understanding. We've had trips to Germany, to various manufacturers, trade shows, the lot - we have always been friends but within the working environment. I've met Leo Spierings through John, all the top guys in the game from Liebherr and Tadano. John will do anything for anyone if he can. And he does. I won’t forget him or the business. It’s been a big part of my working life.”
Ian leaves behind not just a record of hard work, but a legacy of friendship, mentorship, and reliability that embodies everything John Sutch Cranes stands for.
From all of us - thank you, Ian.
%20(1).jpg)
