A CUMNOCK man who has committed his working life to well-known farming equipment company Pollock Farm Equipment is retiring after 53 years in the business.
Jimmy McGhee was born in Ayr in 1951 and grew up in Cumnock.
He received his education at St Joseph’s High School in Kilmarnock and attended Kilmarnock Technical College on a one-year pre-apprenticeship course.
On August 14, 1967, Jimmy joined A & W Pollock as an apprentice agricultural engineer.
He soon progressed on to the drawing office and then salesman, making him the perfect candidate to take over the company, renamed as Pollock Farm Equipment in 1998, upon John Pollock’s retirement.
John Pollock joined the business in the 1960s, making him the last Pollock family engineer to own the company, and brought his own success to the company, selling over 1,000 of his well-known Byre Cleaning Systems in Japan.
Under Jimmy’s leadership, the company has won two silver medals, the most recent being in 2019 for the New Rope Scraper System, and the sales have gone from strength to strength.
Sadly, in June 2020, Jimmy took seriously ill and spent seven weeks in hospital.
On his 53rd anniversary of joining Pollock, he retired as managing director.
His daughter Alison is continuing the business on alongside Jimmy’s brothers Gerry and Reid Armour. All three have combined over 75 years experience at Pollock’s.
Alison said: “He is recovering well, we were told he wouldn’t make it so to have him home is great.
“The nursing staff at Ayr Hospital and Crosshouse Hospital were fantastic with him.
“We are all hoping that now he has retired and once he has fully recuperated, he can concentrate on his interests in Vintage Pollock Equipment, Mauchline Ware and Cumnock Juniors FC.”
Due to COVID-19, Jimmy’s family cannot give him the retirement party he deserves.
However they are hoping to make up a book of messages and cards to present to him.
The family ask that if any locals wish to contribute, to send their message to pollockfarmequip@aol.com
The Cumnock Chronicle wishes Jimmy all the very best in his retirement.
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