From corporate boardroom to factory floor – praise for late Sir William Wright’s impact on the community in which Wrightbus operated

Sir William had been director of the firm for decades, and even into his twilight years he remained a presence at the company, coming out to speak with workers in person during the firm’s insolvency troubles in 2019.

The funeral for the 94 year old takes place tomorrow at 2pm in Green Pastures Church, Ballymena.

And ahead of this final farewell, the flood of tributes continued yesterday for the erstwhile company director.

Jo Bamford – son of JCB tycoon Anthony Bamford – took over the firm after it went into administration in 2019, and yesterday declared: “Sir William and his father were pioneers, of that there is no doubt.

“The Wrightbus name is synonymous with everything they stood for and those values – problem-solving, hard work and never giving up – course through the business I run today.

“Sir William was fiercely loyal to this community and the fact his name is still held in such regard is testament to his relentless dedication.

“Everyone here at Wrightbus should never forget how this business started and the sacrifices which were made to ensure it goes from strength to strength in the future.

“Sir William is an indelible part of this fantastic story.”

Mr Bamford added that Sir William had “pioneered aluminium bus framing in the UK in 1976, the first low floor bus in 1992, first British designed and built EV bus in 1999 and finally ensured the future of the business by leading the design of the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell double deck in 2015”.

Following a period of administration in 2019, the resurrected Wrightbus plant in Ballymena employs more than 1,000 people nowadays.

At the other end of the corporate spectrum, George Brash, regional officer for Unite the union, also spoke of the enduring influence Sir William had on his surrounding community.

Mr Brash, who has acted on behalf of Wrightbus workers since 2016, said that Sir William should be “applauded” for having brought “desperately needed” work to the town.

“It’s certainly a sad time,” he said. He brought many jobs into Ballymena and the wider community.

“Nobody really had a bad word to say about him, workers alike, for what he did for the community.

“At the end, when it went from Wrightbus to Bamford, he was obviously out of that equation – it wasn’t really anything to do with him [and] I don’t think it in any way damages his reputation in the Ballymena community.

“I can only speak for any workers that I spoke to: they had nothing but praise for him.

“There were industrial issues. There always will be industrial issues, with every employer...

“But it wouldn’t take away from the job creation in the Ballymena area, which, I suppose, is what he’ll be remembered for.”

A spokesman for the Royal Black Institution – to which Sir William had belonged (as well as the Orange Order) – told the News Letter: “We’re very sad to learn of Sir William Wright’s death. He was an outstanding leader in industry and commerce and will leave a lasting legacy after a lifetime of service to Northern Ireland manufacturing.”

In a 2005 video, produced for the annual Ernst and Young-sponsored Entrepreneur of the Year competition, Mr Wright (who went on to be knighted in 2018) said: “Do unto others as you’d do unto yourself, it’s I think maybe a good rule.

“I’ve lived my life that way and I’ve found it successful. I have no reason to change...

“10% of all our profits go to Christian objectives, including [the] Third World.

“We’ve built a hospital ward out in Uganda. That’s the way we ran the business.”

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