It was quite a moment when Pete Allitt, an engineer at Greencore in Atherstone, came face to face with a larger-than-life picture of himself on the back of one of the company’s delivery vans.
Seeing his image on the van marked the fulfilment of a promise that he had made to his daughters last year. After writing a personal email to Greencore’s CEO Dalton Philips; managers and colleagues at the company set about making Pete’s promise come true.
Like many people, Pete’s wellbeing was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and sadly it had an impact on his mental health and his usual positive outlook on life. Thankfully, due to the support of his managers and team around him at work, along with his own determination, Pete turned things around and found his mojo again.
Pete said: “Due to a whole load of different circumstances, I found I was really struggling to keep my spirits up. I lost interest in myself, and this regrettably had a negative impact on both me and my family. Thankfully, Greencore didn’t give up on me, but supported me through this tough time until I was eventually able to see the light at the end of what was a very dark tunnel. It was during my recovery that I spotted a Greencore van when I was out driving with my daughters, and I spontaneously promised them that I would make them proud by getting featured on one of the vehicles. I cannot express how grateful I am for everyone that has helped make this happen.”
Nick Davies, General Manager at Greencore’s sandwich manufacturing facility in Atherstone, said: “Pete is a highly valued member of our team, who has done so much to help and support his colleagues through his nearly 20 years with us. We knew he was going through a challenging time, but at Greencore we have the people and the resources to provide the support that our colleagues need, when things get tough for them.
“When I heard that Pete had made the personal request to our company CEO I just thought ‘that’s so Pete! He is a determined and extremely positive colleague, and I am delighted that we’ve been able to support him to fulfil his promise to his daughters.”
Dalton Philips, CEO of Greencore, said: “Greencore is a people business, and it’s important that our colleagues know they are valued, so when I heard from Pete, I knew that this was something that the team at Greencore could get behind, and I’m delighted to see the new vehicle design.”
Greencore is a leading convenience food manufacturer, which employs 700 people out of its sandwich and food to go facility on the Carlyon Road Industrial Estate in Atherstone, Warwickshire. The company operates over 645 vehicles, all of which feature one of eight different Greencore colleagues, so keep your eyes peeled and see if you can spot Pete on the back of a vehicle.
Click here to download the press release.
