Farm hand to car seller

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Nov 23, 2007

A CAREER change from farming to motors has paid off for a Northumberland man who hasn't looked back since joining Jennings Ford .

After achieving a BTEC National Diploma in Agriculture at Kirkley Hall College, James Downey, 39, from Morpeth, spent 10 years working as a farm worker for Dungait in Stannington.

As a result of the devastating and disastrous foot and mouth outbreak in 2001, James decided it was time for a complete career change and started looking for a suitable job in the motor industry. "I knew I wanted to work in motors, so it was a case of sending my CV off to various dealers in the region," said James.

"Since being given the opportunity at JenningsFord, I haven't looked back. I can honestly say, it's the best career move I've made."

Initially, James was based at the group's former dealership in Morpeth, prior to transferring to the Eslington Park dealership in Gateshead where he is currently responsible for selling the Ford range, in addition to used cars. Tel 0191 4607464.