Local firm goes on carbon mission to improve environment

Jonathan Eglin with Robin Eglin

OMC Ford of Rochdale is spearheading a new green campaign in an effort to reduce its contribution to carbon emissions.

OMC’s Director, Robin Eglin, who is responsible for the scheme, says his Northern roots have made him a stickler for recycling. He says: “Being a Lancastrian born and bred means I hate waste! I have always taken bottles to the bottle bank and paper to be recycled from my home and I thought it was about time to start doing things on a larger scale.”

The ‘Plant a tree’ scheme will see the National Forest Commission planting a tree for every new and used car and van sold by the Ford dealership on Manchester Road, Rochdale in an effort to redress the balance in carbon emissions. The initiative will initially run for 3 years and in that time it is hoped that OMC Ford will have made a considerable difference to reducing carbon footprints for individual car drivers in the area.

The campaign comes at a time when the company is gearing up to celebrate its centenary. Ralph Rothwell Eglin Senior, set up the firm in 1907, later leaving the business in the hands of Ralph Eglin Junior. More recently, brothers, Robin and Tony have been running the family business, although Tony retired in 1999.

Jonathan Eglin, Sales Director and son of Robin says: “OMC Ford was the 13th Ford dealership appointed in the country and we are the second oldest dealership remaining in the same family in the UK. Embracing and addressing the issues of the new century is, in our minds, a great way of celebrating our triumphs of the last 100 years in business.”

OMC Ford has maintained a long commitment to the reduction of its carbon footprint by recycling waste oil, oil filters, solvents, plastic bumpers, scrap metal, car batteries, tyres and cardboard packaging. The company also promotes the display of an eco-friendly rating in each of their cars.

Robin Eglin says: “Small things like avoiding ‘topping off’ from the fuel tank when filling up will make a difference as this excess fuel contributes to air pollution. Using your heater or air conditioner properly can also take the load off the engine as well as removing excess weight you may be carrying in your car unnecessarily.”

He continues: “Henry Ford used to say: ‘you can have any colour so long as it’s black – at OMC Ford we say: you can have any colour but it will always be green!”

Nigel Sharp, Sales Director, Ford Motor Company Limited has commended the dealership on their environmental initiatives. He said: "We congratulate OMC Ford for reaching their Centenary and for playing their part in limiting the impact of motoring on climate change. At Ford we take this issue seriously. We are working diligently to minimise the environmental effects – in particular CO2 emissions - of our vehicles during their entire life cycle."