Pump expert retires after reaching half-century milestone

A North East pump engineer finally hung up his tools last week, when he retired after 50 years’ service.

Chris Lumsden joined pump distributor and manufacturer Tomlinson Hall as a 16-year-old apprentice in 1974 and has worked for the Billingham-based company ever since.

Chris, who held the role of mechanical pump engineer when he retired this month, started as a mechanical fitter in the company’s original premises in Stockton-on-Tees.

Chris worked his way up the company and over the last five decades he has used his experience to train new apprentices, brought his expertise to some of the company’s largest pump installation projects, and been an integral part of the workshop team.

Tomlinson Hall marked the retirement at a special celebration event at Billingham Synthonia Club, where friends and current and former colleagues gathered to honour Chris for his long service and contribution to the business.

Founded in 1919, Tomlinson Hall is a global distributor for many leading pump brands and manufactures its own innovative liquid ring vacuum pump, Liquivac. The company offers full-service expertise in pump supply, installation, surveying, servicing and repairs.

Among Chris’s among his first duties was chopping wood for the workshop’s fire and filling the workshop’s coke bins every morning. As a teenager, he attended Stockton & Billingham apprentice school while training to repair machinery and use equipment in Tomlinson Hall’s workshop.

Commenting on his 50 years with Tomlinson Hall, Chris Lumsden said: “I have made some great friends here and seen times both good and bad… but mainly good!

“I feel very fortunate to have been employed all of my life and I have really enjoyed my time with Tomlinson Hall.”

Colin Simpson, Business Development Director at Tomlinson Hall, said: “Chris is a typical ‘grafter’. He loved to work hands-on with equipment and get his head down, and he inspired the younger members of our team, who really looked up to him. He has passed down his knowledge to the next generation, which is absolutely invaluable.

“We have seen seismic industrial change in both Teesside and the wider UK over the last five decades but Chris has always been there with us, through thick and thin.

“There’s no doubt that he has made a huge contribution to getting the company to where it is today. We wish him all the very best for his retirement and thank him for 50 years of impeccable service.”

Michael O’Hare, Technical Director at Tomlinson Hall, said: “Chris has been a great asset to the company over his 50 years’ with us. He is a very likeable character and his experience has really shone through, from training our apprentices to delivering large-scale pump installation projects.

“As a team player, Chris has always been happy to take part in any charity events we have held, from sponsored walks and bike rides to the annual Movember fundraiser in support of men’s health.

“He will be a big miss to Tomlinson Hall and the pump industry.”

Jonathan Parkinson, Workshop Manager at Tomlinson Hall, added: “When I first became a member of the workshop team, I was helped on a daily basis by Chris who was always willing to share his knowledge of pumps… I will always be very grateful for that.

“He always had a bit of tongue in cheek advice for any new apprentice: ‘if a little hammer doesn’t work, get a bigger hammer and if that doesn’t work get an even bigger hammer’!”

A joint founding member of the Pump Distributors Association and a member of The British Pump Manufacturers Association, Tomlinson Hall works across the UK and in overseas markets including Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia.

Tomlinson Hall has been named UK Pump Distributor of the Year in the Pump Industry Awards seven times.