Northern Irish OEM, SDC Trailers, has appointed Tony Sturgess as Commercial Engineering Officer at its base in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Sturgess brings more than 40 years of experience in the commercial vehicle bodybuilding industry and will oversee SDC’s engineering department, as well as new product development and quality improvements at the plant.
Sturgess is familiar with SDC's semi-trailer range having previously worked with the company as Chief Design Engineer for 17 years from 1997 to 2014, liaising with customers on bespoke specifications, designing trailer bodywork and providing aftersales support.
He began his career in 1979 as a design engineer at G.C. Coachworks in Long Whatton, hand drawing specialist vehicles from exhibition units to mobile libraries on a drawing board in feet and inches. Tony’s passion for commercial vehicle design continued, with engineering roles specialising in curtainsiders, rigids, dry freight bodies and double deck trailers, developing innovative solutions such as double tier tail lifts.
“I am delighted to take up the position of Commercial Engineering Officer at SDC Trailers, as the market leader, SDC are at the forefront of product innovation and it is fantastic to be a part of that,” said Sturgess. “I look forward to working with customers, developing trailer solutions to advance their business operations.”
“Tony brings a wealth of experience to the role and will be a great asset to SDC as we continue to develop our trailer portfolio.” said SDC Chief Operating Officer, Paul Bratton. “With over 40 years developing customer centred solutions and over 150,000 units manufactured, SDC’s engineering capabilities are second to none, providing flexibility without compromising on quality.”