November/December Issue 64 - Flipbook - Page 15
TES FIFTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE RECOVERY BUSINESS
would suggest that he should be
heading a successful company
with a very high personal profile.
He certainly cannot be accused of
talking too much.
No, I think Mike is a bit of a oneoff. He has quietly got on with what
he does best – building recovery
trucks and selling them. Many
operators go to him for advice on
their next purchase, especially if
they require something bespoke.
Mike quietly gets on with it and he
has done that for fifty-five years,
firstly learning at the technician
level and then playing a major role
in some successful companies.
He has a reputation as one of
the ‘nice guys’ in the trade and
celebrating fifty-five years in the
business will not alter that. He
intends carrying on supplying
trucks to the industry and playing
his part in influencing the recovery
trucks of the future.
the sole distributer for the Century
range of Recovery Equipment.
He then spent some time working
for Ray Coleman at Worldwide
Recovery Systems who are still
operating from the old site of
Wreckers International.
Eventually,
Miller
industries
acquired Boniface Engineering
although Worldwide Recovery
Systems are still able to offer their
Range of Equipment.
Mike eventually set up his own
company RecoveryVehicles.com
and Vehicle Recovery Systems.
He still operates that company
today and is seen by many
operators as the man to go to
for advice when purchasing
equipment. Mike will consult with
the operator and then build the
best piece of kit at the right price.
He still uses Worldwide Recovery
Systems for his new vehicles.
They build vehicles from 3.5 to 44
tonne.
There are many great men in the
recovery industry; there are many
successful men in the recovery
industry and there are many
people in the recovery industry
who have a lot to thank Michael
for.
I guess Mike Saward would tell you
he does not really fit any of those
profiles. His industry knowledge
He has some strong thoughts on
the recovery industry. He is excited
about the amount of younger
people coming into the trade but
doesn’t like what he describes as
‘instant experts.
He would like to see more
safety issues brought into crane
construction such as: Rotators
fitted with safe load indicators,
warning buzzers and compliance
with crane regulations, in cab
weight screens on Slidebeds and
annual proof load weighing and
testing on all recovery equipment.
E: mike@recoveryvehicles.com
T: 01438 840 690
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