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EVENTS
This year’s Annual General
Meeting of the Contractors
Mechanical Plant Engineers
(CMPE) was held at the Marriot
Hotel in Northampton and very
professionally organised by Mr
Gerry Hill, National Treasurer and
Northampton Branch member.
In idyllic surroundings, CMPE
members converged for a day
of lively debate, formal business
matters and networking.
Top of the agenda items were marketing
and promotion of the association (led by
Mr Gerald Bingham, Preston and Fylde
Branch) and a comprehensive update
on the Certificate of Competence
(CoC) card scheme. Mr Bingham
emphasised the need for CMPE to
continue in its commitment to market
itself far more vigorously and provided
examples of major national events,
including Scotplant and Hillhead, where
CMPE exhibition stands had been
extremely well received, attracting new
members and generating considerable
attention for the new CoC Gold card.
Outgoing Chairman, Mr Malcolm Webb,
Sussex Branch
42
June 2011
cmPe agm 2011
Welcoming in the new
national chairman
Each year, the CMPE rotates the post
of National Chairman, with the outgoing
Chairman retiring to make way for the
previous year’s National Vice Chairman
to step up to the post. This year the
association extended its thanks to
retiring National Chairman, Mr Malcolm
Webb (Sussex Branch) and issued a
warm welcome to the incoming one,
Mr Bob Nugent (Northampton Branch).
In his closing speech, Mr Webb
thanked CMPE members for their
help and support during his tenure
as National Chairman, and extended
particular appreciation to the branches
he had visited for their hospitality and
encouragement. Although he was sad
to step down, Mr Webb said he was
confident that the incoming Chairman
would do equally well in his tenure.
The incoming National Chairman,
Mr Nugent, was unfortunately unable
to attend the AGM due to a hip
fracture he had incurred in a recent
incident, a real tragedy for a man who
has always been passionate about
the CMPE and industry affairs.
One fellow branch member paid tribute
to Mr Nugent and said: “Bob has been a
long term member and stalwart support
of CMPE over many years and has an
industry insight and professionalism
that is second to none. He has made
some superb contributions to the
management and promotion of the
Northampton branch and the members
have every confidence that Bob will
be an invaluable asset to National
Council as our Chairman. These are
difficult times given the economic
crisis that we still face as an industry
and so members in the association
“everyone’s talking about it!”
will appreciate and value his strong
leadership at the helm over the next
12 months.”
Mr Frank Fiveash (Sussex branch)
added: “Bob joined the CMPE
Northampton Branch in 1986, serving
the branch well since that time, and in
1996 he became National Chairman
for the first time. Joining John Laing
and Son as an apprentice at 15, he
worked his way through all the vast
range of mechanical plant owned by
that company, repairing everything
mechanical from a BSA Bantam
motor bike to walking draglines and
Euclid dump trucks. He has spent
the last 10 years involved with crane
hire and its operations. We wish him
a speedy recovery and look forward
to seeing him in action again.”
frank hooper Prize
In Mr Nugent’s absence, Mr Pat
Bowring (Wessex Branch) adopted
the role of acting National Chairman
and had the pleasure of presenting
the annual Frank Hooper prize for
an outstanding contribution to the
Mr Pete Attwood, Wessex Branch (left), receiving the
Frank Hooper prize shield from Mr Pat Bowring, acting
National Chairman (right).