Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw remembered

News Story
- 13 Aug 2015 ( #731 ) - London, United Kingdom
2 min read
Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw
Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw
The UK forklift industry is mourning the loss of Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw who passed away last month, aged 84.

An obituary in The Telegraph describes how Sir Neville, "the doyen of the British forklift truck industry", built up the Lancer Boss brand.

Bowman-Shaw went into business with his younger brother, Trevor, in 1957, importing Dutch forklifts.

They began designing their own machines, and, in 1959, they moved their operation from London to Leighton Buzzard, where their company, Lancer Boss, grew to be the Bedfordshire town's major industrial employer - and, in due course, one of the world's top 10 forklift manufacturers.

Their innovative product range included side-loaders suitable for shifting lengths of timber and pipe, and giant shipping-container handlers, and the Lancer Boss B5 model was, for a time, the world's best-selling handler of empty containers.

As chairman from 1959 to 1994, Bowman-Shaw was an entrepreneur of vigorous free-market views, and a hard-driving team leader.

The family-owned firm fought back from near-bankruptcy in 1974 and expanded through European acquisitions in the 1980s. But the early-1990s recession brought losses, and disaster struck in 1994 when problems in a German subsidiary forced the whole Lancer Boss group into receivership. It was then acquired for a token sum by another German company, Jungheinrich, in a negotiation which bypassed the Bowman-Shaw brothers - and was closed down by new owners in 2003.

The obituary describes Sir Neville as a keen shooting man, and an avid collector of vintage tractors: the first, a wartime Allis-Chalmers model, was a birthday present to his wife in 1964, and, at its peak, the collection numbered 150 machines.

He was knighted for services to exports in 1984; he was High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1987-88, and became a deputy lieutenant of the county in 2002.

He was also a member of the Design Council and the British Overseas Trade Board.

Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Connie the container dog dies
Connie the container dog dies 4 Jul 2024 - Rockville, MD, United States - 1 min read
Domenick Iellimo remembered
Domenick Iellimo remembered 26 Jan 2023 - Long Valley, NJ, United States - 2 min read
Robert P. Currie remembered
Robert P. Currie remembered 22 Dec 2022 - Worcester, MA, United States - 2 min read
Do you have materials handling news? Submit your news here

We’re excited to launch a major upgrade to the Forkliftaction forums, packed with new features and improvements. Here’s what’s new:

  • You can now add up to two photos to your posts
  • New search & navigation - find what you need easier
  • Smart brand/model tagging across all forums
  • Top contributors recognised for their efforts!

 Head over to the forums to check it out!

Words of support …

Thanks to advertising with Forkliftaction, GemOne has experienced a significant enhancement in our online presence. Working with Forkliftaction has enabled us to boost engagement with our targeted audience, resulting in an increase in information requests and downloads of valuable materials from our website. Forkliftaction has consistently delivered outstanding results, helping us to effectively connect with the right audience.

Justine Lootens, CEO

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

We’re excited to launch a major upgrade to the Forkliftaction forums, packed with new features and improvements. Here’s what’s new:

  • You can now add up to two photos to your posts
  • New search & navigation - find what you need easier
  • Smart brand/model tagging across all forums
  • Top contributors recognised for their efforts!

 Head over to the forums to check it out!

Inside The News
While innovation and new technology are evolving at what seems to be an ever-increasing pace, the need to capture the data (telemetry) from this tech, and the ability to utilise it (telematics) for efficiency and cost savings, is one area attracting more and more attention ... Continue reading

PREMIUM business

Noblelift
Global leader and manufacturer of high quality electric, lithium-ion, and IC material handling equipment.

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

Inside The News
While innovation and new technology are evolving at what seems to be an ever-increasing pace, the need to capture the data (telemetry) from this tech, and the ability to utilise it (telematics) for efficiency and cost savings, is one area attracting more and more attention ... Continue reading

PREMIUM business

Ningbo Ruyi Joint Stock Co., Ltd.
Manufacturer of forklifts, power stackers & pallet trucks.

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

Even the heaviest lifts must be easy to handle. That’s why N.C. Nielsen raises the bar in lifting capacity, maneuverability, operator comfort, flexibility and technical capabilities.
Heavy duty reach stackers – lifting capacity from 85 to 180 tons.
VIEW ALL OUR CUSTOM-BUILT HEAVY DUTY REACH STACKERS

Contact us now: +45 99 83 83 83 - www.nc-nielsen.com