The Team
Simon
Leader of the pack, Simon was practically born with spanners in his hands as his late father, Roger, was the founder of ACO Motors. With over 20 years of experience in the motor industry, Simon’s knowledge spans from the days when you had to manually tune engines right through to our modern day cars which require computers.
As the manager and director of ACO, Simon prides himself on still being ‘hands-on’. When not under a car or MOTing (which he has been doing for the last 14 years), he can often be found with at least two phones glued to his ears and a fair few customers waiting to speak to him. Busy busy busy, but always with a smile and finding time to ensure all clients are happy and fully in the picture.
When not at the garage Simon is a family man, having been married for almost 20 years, he has two children and enjoys nothing more than spending time with them. However, there is one other great love of his life and that is extreme sports; Simon is a serious adrenaline junky, enjoying such sports as mountain biking, snowboarding, wake boarding and surfing. His next mission, much to the bemusement of his wife, is to kite fly with an engine strapped to his back.
Colin
If you think Simon has been in the motor industry a long time, he has nothing on Colin he’s been in the trade for over 40 years and been with ACO Motors since 2001. What he doesn’t know about cars is not worth knowing. Colin is also the master MOT tester with over 30 years of experience.
When not at work, Colin loves nothing more than strutting his stuff on the dance floor. He has some killer moves, vouched for by the rest of the ACO Motors team who are regularly entertained by him at the Christmas do’s.
Family is also an important part of Colin’s life, loving nothing more than spending time with his wife and ever expanding number of grandchildren. We would like to say he enjoys DIY but we have been reliably informed by his wife that she is the one who hangs the wallpaper etc.
Matt
Or ‘Woo’ to his fellow team mates – why, I don’t know, dare you to ask. Although one of the youngest of the crew he has grown to be an invaluable asset. He served his apprenticeship with ACO Motors back in 2002 and has risen to become ‘second in command’ when Simon is away.
Always ready with a smile and happy to help, Matt has also been MOT testing since 2006.
Another family man, Matt is a father of three and enjoys nothing more than spending time with his wife and children and ever expanding menagerie of animals – the latest being chickens.
Matt is always tinkering, whether it be running up a chicken pen or embarking on a major DIY project. But his biggest tinkering project has got to be Daisy, his Lomax (a three wheeler kit car) – so far Daisy’s completion date has been put back at least four times, however, we have all been assured it will be worth the wait.
Guy
Meet Guy, the baby of the pack. He came to ACO Motors back in 2004, a little wet behind the ears and is now a very capable mechanic, having completed his NVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 as a ‘Light Vehicle Technician’.
More of a strong silent type, Guy is a diligent worker and always happy to muck in. Always here on a Saturday morning to help out the MOTer has highlighted Guy’s versatility; he is as happy to serve customers petrol as he is getting his hands dirty.
When not at work Guy loves nothing more than getting together with his mates, whether it be for a quiet drink or hitting the town.
Val
Val has been with ACO Motors for more than 10 years and is the fount of all knowledge – especially where accounts and trying to balance the till are concerned. Always warm and friendly, she will normally be your first point of call when either phoning or dropping in to the office.
She is Simon’s ‘right hand man’ in the office and if Val doesn’t know the answer, then no one will.
She is also a mad keen gardener, expert pickler and has a thing about the colour blue – yes, she is a Guider and has been for more than 25 years, so not only can she book your car in for service, she can also rustle up a crockery stand using only a few bits of wood and some string.
Nicky
When Val is not manning the office the equally impressive Nicky is. She has been with ACO Motors since 2003 and is renowned for her quick wit and dazzling smile – talking of dazzling, she also ensures our office is always gleaming too.
Nicky is very much a people person, quick to put customers at ease and always eager to help. There is no problem too large or too small that she cannot solve.
When not charming the birds from the trees at the ACO Motors office, Nicky loves nothing more than spending time with her two lovely daughters. We have also found out she is a secret tap dancer – but don’t tell her we told you.
Natalie
Has been helping as a fill-in at the office for more than 18 years and is also the poor woman who married the boss – only joking.
When not helping out, Natalie looks after her two children as well as fitting in being a School Governor, fund raising on the school PTA and generally trying to make sure Simon doesn’t come to any harm when doing his extreme pursuits. In her spare time Natalie also enjoys gardening, talking to her chickens, swimming, snowboarding and going to the gym.
