It is with heartfelt sorrow that I must inform you that Derek Bonnard, Managing Director of The Promac Group, sadly passed away at the weekend after a short illness. The news has come with great shock and loss to me and the team at Promac and naturally our thoughts are with Derek’s family at this time. He will be greatly missed by all of his friends throughout the window and glass industry, an industry that he has been a part of from the very beginning.
An engineer by trade, Derek helped shape the industry with a number of major installations over his career - which spanned over 30 years. Throughout the UK & Ireland he would personally take responsibility by being actively involved in developing machinery ranges to fit all production requirements with our Italian and German suppliers. Machinery gave him the opportunity to exhibit and he was never happier when it came to trade exhibitions. Not only delighted to bring to the forefront of the industry new technology and innovation, but also to enjoy the company of our existing and future customers and suppliers - nearly all of which would become friends. Never wanting to let anybody down, Derek cared passionately about people - a trait that made him a true Gentleman in business and pleasure and forms the corner stone of our business today.
David Stockton-Chalk
Chairman of The Promac Group
8 comments:
Goodbye Derek. Thanks for a shedload of happy memories. God Bless. Martin Linnell
Derek was one of the nicest people I've met in this industry and played a fundamental part in it's growth. He was a true people person and will be sorely missed. All my thoughts go out to his family.
Iain McInnes
Gone too soon, Derek Bonnard will be a great loss to the glass and glazing industry and of course, an even greater loss to the two families who shared his time. My thoughts and prayers are naturally with his wife Pam, daughter Gemma and son Dan who have lost a great husband and Dad. I am also desperately sorry for his 'daytime' family at Promac, including David Stockton-Chalk, Scott Haslingden, Joe Hague and the team in Rugby who have lost a dear friend, colleague and leader.
Derek spent most of his career at the forefront of window manufacturing machinery technology. He was a consummate salesman who could equally be found pitching machinery at five to four on the last day of a four-day Glassex or in the darkest corner of the smallest fabricator in the most remote part of Britain. He loved the glazing industry and was a passionate advocate for automation. He was responsible for some of the largest turnkey window and IG plants in the UK and Ireland.
As a man he was a leader, an innovator, a mentor and a genuinely nice guy. He was a tremendous inspiration to me personally and I know of many other figures in the glazing industry that 'owe' Derek for opportunities, careers, advice and support, albeit Derek would never see a personal favour as something that needed to be returned. In an industry where all too often PR provides some with a platform to generate a high public profile, Derek Bonnard was the real deal – a private man with sincerity, passion and impeccable character. The industry has truly lost a founding father.
I offer my sympathy to Derek’s family and to David Stockton-Chalk who has lost a much valued business partner and friend. I have known Derek ever since he has been in the industry and whilst my most formidable competitor over the last thirty years he never failed to be polite to me and we passed the time of day at exhibitions, on flights and sometimes at potential customers.
I believe our industry is the lesser for the loss of Derek and hope that others may in future follow his example of hard but professional selling without bad conduct and bad mouthing.
I will always remember this true gentleman and his pioneering drive and enthusiasm.
it is with great sadness that I just got massage of the loss of Derek. having spent many enjoyable moments with him at the early days of Window Machinery sales, later at promac, national and international tradeshows, I can only say we have lost a great man and innovator that has shaped our industry from hour one.
may he rest in peace,
Mike Piqeur, managing director Roto Western Europe
Having stumbled into this industry from University some 25 years ago at KB Windows in Leeds, one character I was introduced to there remains enshrined in my memory as one of the true gentlemen in the game ... Derek Bonnard. Our paths crossed numerous times in those 25 years at various companies and at each point Derek was always fair and courteous in his business dealings and always prepared to go the extra mile to make a deal work. Never happier than when smiling and pressing palms at Glassex every year with WMS & Promac, Derek always made you feel important to him, no matter what size of operation you were.
My Thoughts are with his family and close collegues. The industry will never know his like again.
i am going to rugby on the 11th of jan and thought i look up derek and promark and was shocked when i googled his name and found out he had passed away. knew derek from WMS and early days in longford he was a fantastic bloke and for a salesman so honest. i remember a paint shooting event we went to and had such a laugh. RIP and thanks for some great memories including nights out in curry houses in bradford, gutted i didnt know before.
I was just looking up Derek and am so sad to see that he passed away. I met Derek in Italy many years ago. He was an extraordinary friend, a kind and understanding person and taught me never to give up. How sad. A great, great man
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