Five More Inductees Join the Nz Road Transport Hall of Fame

Five More Inductees Join the Nz Road Transport Hall of Fame

Five new inductees have been honoured in front of 500 guests tonight for their contribution to the road transport industry in New Zealand at the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame Awards at the Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill.

The five inductees include one posthumous award, that of Les Cleveland. His award will be accepted by his daughter, Shirley McLennan. All other inductees will be present this year in attendance with family and friends.

The full list of 2014 inductees follows:

LES MacKENZIE - CLINTON

Formed Clinton Transport Ltd with his sister and brother in law. Took over full ownership and went on to purchase T A Graham Ltd and built up many other business interests and achievements.

JOHN ANDERSON - WELLINGTON

Joined the family company L G Anderson Ltd and after much expansion over the years is now the Managing Director of the L G Anderson Group Of Companies.

MIKE LAMBERT - TAURANGA

Purchased his first truck at the age of twenty. The log trade industry was his primary focus and he set up many companies before retiring in 2006.

MELVEN (ROWDY) AITKEN - TIMARU

Rowdy and three others brought Temuka Transport initially. Rowdy has now built the company into the impressive business it is today.

POSTHUMOUS AWARD

LES CLEVELAND 1931 - 2013

Les was from Dunedin and started Transport Supplies Ltd before splitting from his business partners and forming Transport Wholesale Ltd.

The proceeds of a Charity Auction during the evening will go to the ProActive Driver Training Trust which provides free driver training to secondary school students. Auction items include a signed 2014 All Blacks jersey donated by International Telematics, a Kenworth VIP Tour to Melbourne donated by SouthPac Trucks with airfares, accommodation and all transfers paid for two people, a Bridgestone Motorsport F1 podium cap donated by Bridgestone New Zealand and signed by the Red Bull Renault Racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, McLaren F1 collectibles donated by Exxon Mobil Australasia and a Lakers House Of Travel voucher donated by Lakers House Of Travel Invercargill.

The five join the inaugural inductees from 2012, Bill Richardson, Sir Robert Owens, Jim Barker, John Emmerson, Lachie Griffin, Neil Clarke, Ron Carpenter and Tony Friedlander plus the six who were inducted last year - George Wallis, Jim Ramsay, Sir Russell Pettigrew, Bert Godfrey, George Tyler and Cyril Mahon. Godfrey, Tyler, Mahon Owens and Bill Richardson were all inducted posthumously.

There has been a huge amount of interest in this years awards from guests throughout New Zealand and Australia with a long waitlist for those wishing to attend. The numbers are capped at 500 but next year could prove to be even more popular with the function being moved into the new section of the Museum. .

The Hall of Fame was initiated by Scott and Jocelyn O'Donnell of HW Richardson Group after attending a similar awards function in Australia in 2011. They returned to New Zealand and initiated
the concept on this side of the Tasman just nine months later, four hundred and fifty people attending the inaugural awards gala dinner which also marked the opening of the Hall of Fame.

Sponsors of the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame are the Road Transport Association NZ, Mobil Delvac Lubricants, General Tyres Ltd, Motor Trucks Investments (Mack, Volvo, Hino, Renault and Truck Stops), Gough Group (Transpecs, TWL and Caterpillar), International Telematics, Mobil Fuel, VTNZ, Wynn Williams Lawyers, Transport Trailers, EECA Business.

ENDS

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