Brian Childs receives a prestigious accolade

Brian Childs, former Deputy Managing Director of NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd, has received a prestigious industry accolade.

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual CAT magazine Awards to mark his career with the company and his work for the UK independent automotive aftermarket.

Brian stepped down from the day-to-day running of NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd in 2013 after 38 years’ service, but continues to hold an executive advisory role with the leading supplier of original equipment (OE) quality spark plugs, glow plugs and NTK sensors.

He has served on some of the industry's governing bodies including the Council of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and its Aftermarket Section Committee, chairing its Car Activity Group and sitting on the Motor Show and CV Show Committee. He was formerly a Council member of the Automotive Distribution Federation (ADF) and Committee member of the Coachmakers Livery Company.

Brian is now involved with the Fellowship of the Motor Industry (FMI), an association for those that work and who have worked in the motor industry to meet with like-minded professionals at a range of national and regional events.

He sits on the main committee of the FMI and in April is due to take on the role of vice-chairman of the 80-year-old association.

Speaking after receiving the award at Twickenham Stadium, Brian said: “I am very surprised, but honoured to receive the award. I have enjoyed immensely my career with NGK and am delighted to continue helping the company when required. I am also actively involved with the FMI which is a great forum for meeting up with old colleagues and making new friends with others who have established careers in the automotive industry.”

Marko Wowczyna, Automotive Director, NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd, said: “I am delighted that Brian has received this tribute. It is particularly apt as this year marks the 40th anniversary of NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd and Brian has played such a major role in the company’s success.”

Brian joined NGK when it set-up in the UK in 1975, moving from Ford, where he started as an apprentice and then worked as part of the design and engineering team at Dunton.

In the mid-1970s NGK was primarily known as a supplier of spark plugs for motorcycles and when Brian joined he was one of just four sales representatives, covering an area north of the Thames up to Norfolk and Suffolk.

He said: “When I started with NGK, we had virtually no distribution network and had to deal directly with garages, and had to work hard to persuade them to try an unknown NGK in place of the well established brands familiar to the market.

“Engines were not so sophisticated in those days and we sold the benefits of NGK technology to solve some of the problems that used to often occur. We would identify vehicles with known problems – for example petrol-injection models presented a good opportunity – and then get the garages to try NGK to see if they could solve the problem. When they did our task to introduce a range was simplified.

“The key to our success has been the quality of our products and this was so important even from the very early days. We gained a good reputation from the quality of our plugs and sold a lot of product into not only independent garages, but also dealerships. Business grew and grew, but really took off when we started supplying national wholesalers like Godfrey Holmes and Partco in 1982. Others soon followed.

“We have an extremely strong team at NGK with good management and fantastic staff. I have been privileged to meet and work with some fantastic people inside and outside of NGK over my career and many have become firm friends.”
NGK is an original equipment supplier to most of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers with whom it works hand-in-hand to produce parts that are manufactured to meet their specific requirements.

The company invests around eight percent of world turnover into R&D to ensure that it can constantly develop spark plugs, glow plugs and NTK sensors that deliver optimum performance and reliability.

It recently successfully launched a range of NTK exhaust gas temperature sensors (EGTS) into the UK automotive aftermarket and expanded the ignition coils range it introduced in 2013.

When he is not working for NGK or the FMI, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife, Yve, children Stephen and Karen, grandchildren Bethany, Alfie, and newly-born Aaron, and also playing golf and supporting West Ham United FC. However his sporting activities may soon be reduced as the family are awaiting the arrival of their fourth grandchild.

For more information about NGK and its products and services, please visit the website at: www.ngkntk.co.uk
You can also check out its blogzine at: ngktorque.com

For more details about the Fellowship of the Motor Industry please log-on to: www.thefmi.co.uk