14.04.2011

Richard Ambridge 1931 -2011

Richard Ambridge, the chairman of UK based NMT Crane Hire of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire sadly passed away on Thursday the 7th of April.

Having started up and succeeded at a number of equipment and rental related businesses he still took an active interest in the day to day activities of the Crane rental company run by his three sons.

The following is a review of his life contributed by staff at NMT:

Richard Ambridge was born in Edinburgh in 1931 while his father was serving in the armed forces, the family moved back to their home village of Cranfield when he was five. After leaving school he went to work on the farm and soon had the urge to be his own boss, starting an agriculture contracting company working around Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire area.

In 1954 he married Joan and soon started his family, the couple would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary this year.
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Richard Ambridge

In the late 50`s Ambridge started his own civil engineering company where he first branched out into equipment rental, running a fleet of Thames Trader tipper trucks and early JCB backhoe loaders. He built up a very successful company and then gained his pilot’s license and soon purchased his first of the three
Cessna aircraft he owned. He would often relate many adventures flying his aircraft, such as when he took Graham Hill and his son Damien for a pleasure flight, the time he made an emergency landing in a field of peas and a particular favorite was the time he was asked to fly a certain young lady to a venue and unbeknown to him it transpired his passenger was a “model” prominent in the famous Profumo case.

Following the success of his civil engineering company, Ambridge retired in 1973 but with three sons starting their working lives decided to come out of retirement and together with Nicolas and Mark, started a vehicle recovery company. Again this soon expanded and his third son Tim was seconded into the company and the name of NMT was created.

To assist with the recovery, the company purchased its first Coles mobile crane and after a few years found that they were being asked to provide cranes to the construction industry. During the mid 80`s the fleet was increased with most of the fleet being Coles telescopic cranes. In 1993 the company purchased a Demag AC 615 200 tonne crane which triggered the build up to the successful crane hire company they own today.

He was passionate about his beliefs and would never take no for an answer if he felt his case was justified. He spent many hours talking to the highest person within any organization and would not rest until his goal was reached. Richard did a great deal of work for charity and financed a rest room for the nurses at Bedford Hospital which was name after the family as the “Ambridge Rest Room”.

Active up to the time of his death and could be found most days in the office doing what he did best, finalising the latest purchase of a new crane and utilizing his uncanny knack of always obtaining the best price for fuel. His life was based around his sons Nick, Mark and Tim and was determined to ensure that the company would expand, ensuring a long future for his family and all the 48 staff employed within the crane, van and car hire businesses along with fabrication works and MOT testing station companies.

We can now confirm that the funeral will take place on May 4th at St Peters and St Pauls Church, Court Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire. MK43 0DR. Afterwards at Moretaine Manor, Woburn Road, Marston Moretaine.

The family has said that all colleagues and industry acquaintances old and new who wish to pay their last respects are most welcome to attend.