A three-year-old boy from Skelton, near Ripon, has been given a VIP tour of Econ Engineering, after winning a gritter colouring competition. And the tour of the factory, located off Boroughbridge Road – which makes more than 85 per cent of the UK’s winter roads maintenance vehicles – was made even more poignant as is where his grandfather, John Simmonds, used to work.
‘Little’ John Telling, who was named after his grandfather, was shown around the factory by Directors Jonathan and Andrew Lupton. He was taken to the paint shop where his grandfather worked for more than a decade, and was presented with a model gritter, visor and hi-viz vest.
Econ Engineering Director Jonathan Lupton said: “It was a real pleasure to take ‘Little’ John and his dad, Liam, on a tour of the factory. It was particularly nice to be able to show him where his grandfather, a valued member of the Econ Engineering team, worked for many years.
“Being a family business, we pride ourselves on our family values, and to make this little boy’s day could not make us any happier. And who knows, in 20 years’ time, ‘Little’ John may follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a member of the extended Econ family.”
Dad Liam said: “I would like to thank Econ for inviting ‘Little’ John to visit the factory. One of the highlights for him was sitting in Goldie the Golden Gritter, which was the focus of the colouring competition.
“’Little’ John is fascinated with gritters, and every time he sees one, he asks if his grandad had painted it. It was a very special day for him, and I’m sure his love of gritters will grow further as a result.”
Further information about Econ Engineering is available from its website, https://econ.uk.com/