RB: What is your favourite holiday destination and why?
MF: It has to be Cape Town over Rhyl [in Wales]. The views are similar but it just has the edge with the winter sun!
RB: What car do you drive?
MF: An Audi A7 complete with sunroof and swinging dice.
RB: What are your hobbies?
MF: They have evolved with my body mass. Previously a keen footballer with an avid interest in Stoke City. Now I’m an inept golfing cyclist with an avid interest in Stoke City.
RB: What’s your favourite TV programme?
MF: The Clangers took some beating before the Banana Splits came along. These days I’m a sucker for a Netflix extravaganza - House of Cards, The Sopranos, etc.
RB: What celebrity would you most like to meet or have step through your doors?
MF: The King would be interesting - that’s Presley, not Greenhoff!
RB: How did you get into the industry and why?
MF: I found it completely by mistake. Having rogued around Torremolinos throughout my formative years, I applied for a sales executive role with TIP Nottingham in 1988. Unprepared, I failed at my initial interview but was invited back when the successful candidate turned the offer down because he couldn’t face driving a three-year-old Ford Sierra Ghia.
RB: What will be the outlook for your sector of the market over the next 12 months?
MF: The post Brexit stand-off is making trailer rental and leasing a more attractive proposition. Moreover, the DVSA’s emphasis towards self-governance of compliance through the earned recognition initiative will demand creative solutions from key maintenance providers.
