Letter from the Editor: Remembering a truly great man

I was saddened to hear of the death last week of Duncan Adams who ran the Grangemouth haulage company bearing his name for over half a century.

It is hard to believe that more than six years have passed since I had the honour of presenting him with the Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Falkirk Herald Business Awards.

With his daughter, the TV and radio presenter Kaye Adams, hosting the ceremony and various members of the family in attendance, it made for an emotional occasion.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Over the years, I’ve met numerous high-flying businessmen and some had the egos to match - but not Duncan Adams.

He was quiet and unassuming - but also excellent company during the course of the evening.

By his side as always was his devoted wife Cathie. It has often crossed my mind since that night that maybe we made a mistake in not making a joint award that evening because, while Duncan was driving force behind the growth of the haulage business, he was the first to acknowledge the support he had from Cathie every step along the way.

And her role was not one restricted to the background either, particularly in the company’s fledging years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As Duncan recalled fondly when he received his Lifetime Achievement Award, part of the cost of setting up came from her maternity benefit, while she also took orders and dished out the pay packets while Duncan was on the road making deliveries.

They were a genuinely lovely couple and my heart goes out to Cathie, Kaye, Eric and the rest of the family.

Related topics: