‘Stay strong and protect your independence’

COMMENT

KEITH CHRISTIAN DIRECTOR BAGMA

BAGMA’s director Keith Christian bows out with a few final thanks…

You can all breathe a sigh of relieve as this is my last posting as director. I will retire at the end of March.

My departure has been prolonged because my successor has not been able to start until early March and there is a need for a handover to ensure continuity of service to our members and the industry as a whole.

I would like to welcome Nick Darking on board as our new general manager. He will be in post just as this edition of the BAGMA Bulletin hits the streets. You can find out more about Nick on page 8 of this issue. Nick will no doubt be out and about as much as he can and will be attending shows and events to familiarise himself with our members and his new job. Please make him welcome and let him know what you need from BAGMA.

For me, it remains to thank the industry as whole for a wonderful career, a great time and many great friendships. I would especially like to thank the BAGMA team for their amazing support and contribution to BAGMA and their huge commitment to making our transfer to our new home at the AEA so successful. Thank you as well to the small team that makes sure the BAGMA Bulletin goes out when it should and is still the very independent and varied read that it is.

My thanks and appreciation also go to the members of the BAGMA Council who give their time freely to represent the membership of BAGMA as well as the wider interests of the industry behind the scenes and mostly in ways that are rarely seen by others.

A big thank you to Ruth Bailey and the AEA team and the Board of the AEA for providing BAGMA with a new home and having the faith to ensure that our industry is represented and supported at both the dealer and manufacturer/ supplier level. It was a massive commitment and one that has been thoroughly supported and diligently respected to ensure the dealer community has an independent voice and a strong representative trade association.

To our BAGMA members and to the dealer network as a whole I would also say thank you for your support and contribution to BAGMA and to myself personally. I have always believed in the dealer network and constantly been amazed at how resilient and innovative it can be. Stay strong and protect your independence which makes you all so unique and able to sustain your businesses.