A college lecturer who spent over 20 years teaching before going back to his roots has appointed his son to bring crucial industry skills to the area, benefitting their customers.
Duncan Mould started out in the motor industry as an apprentice before turning his hand to teaching others who were learning the trade.
His business DMG Services, in Stoke-on-Trent, has quickly expanded in the year since it launched and now has a waiting list for work which he says is partly down to the skills brought in by his son Tom.
The 17-year-old is currently studying a three-year coachbuilding qualification at the prestigious Heritage Skills Academy, based in Surrey, which offers traditional skills training for classic and historic vehicle restorers.
Duncan, pictured above, said: “Having spent 20 years educating apprentices and assessing them as a further education lecturer, I never imagined that one day I would employ an apprentice myself.
“Tom studies at Brooklands, a mecca for historic racing, and is sponsored by Morgan Three Wheeler Racing, the racing division of the prestigious Morgan Motors famous for making hand-built cars since the 1900’s.
“It is a very prestigious college place which costs £30,00 a year. There were only 12 spaces available and over 500 applicants.
“He is in a very privileged opportunity to bring his historic car restoration skills back to Staffordshire and we are already seeing the benefits of that with the business.
“It is massively important to retain these skills in the industry because, unfortunately, they are dwindling.”
Tom travels down to the college once a month for a week-long learning block.
The rest of the time, he is based at DMG Services, which is now based in Hanley after originally being set up in Smallthorne in February last year.
Tom usually carries out restorations whilst Duncan does general servicing and day-to-day work.
The pair have previously built several cars and motorbikes together.
And Duncan himself has a great deal of experience in the trade.
He started out as an apprentice with Martec Training when he left school, working at a Vauxhall garage in Longton for three years before moving to BDR Racing in Audley where he race prepared two Formula Opel race cars for the European rounds of Formula Opel, usually on the tracks as a warm-up race to the main event.
Then he went on to work for Don Law Jaguar, in Fenton, race preparing Group C Le Mans cars, XJ220 and historic and classic Jaguars. He restored many prestigious and famous Jaguars, Listers, Maseratis and an AC Cobra.
His first teaching job was at Stoke-on-Trent College where he taught motor vehicle studies But his career in education has also seen him work at Reaseheath College, Buxton College and another in Bracknell.
“The business started off small but now I have a bigger place in Hanley with space for about 10 cars,” Duncan added. “Tom has really helped the business to expand.
“It has been a big learning curve for me because I have never run my own business before, but I am ploughing money back into it to buy new equipment and it is growing well.”
