CPA Bulletin

12 CPA Bulletin > February 2022 www.cpa.uk.net OBITUARY December 2021 saw the sudden and unexpectedpassingof Peris Jones, at 85 years of age. Peris Jones Plant Hire was a highly reputed company in thehiregameandhaving been a part of the sector for more than 60 years, thisnoteof recognition iswell deserved. From humble, rural beginnings in Carmarthenshire, Peris started his career as an agricultural contractor. He purchased his first machine (a Dinkum Digger) in 1960, which enabled him to branch out into other groundworks. In close succession he purchased his first JCB, which paved the way for a long career with the council, forming and maintaining roadways. As the company grew, so did the range of plant machinery available for hire. Contracts were secured with several opencast coal mines and quarries across South Wales, the largest of which being Maesgwyn, near Glyn-Neath. As a result, Peris Jones himself was with the first to assist following the disaster at Aberfan of 1966. Over the years Peris worked with a number of large contractors such as George Wimpey, Sir Alfred McAlpine, Murphy, Carillion and the National Coal Board. His involvement with the rail track work took his machines as far as Oxford; locals would regularly report sightings of Peris Jones’ machines as they travelled along the Paddington line. Peris was a farmer at heart and renovated a farm to convert into his family home and business headquarters. Realising a keen eye for sympathetic restoration, this set a precedent for a number of successful renovation projects over the subsequent 20 years. Peris employed hundreds of operators over the years and many have expressed gratitude for cementing their careers in the construction industry. He particularly enjoyed plant shows and loved nothing more than discussing the latest industry developments and opportunities. In 2007, after being asked many times, Peris finally accepted an invite from JCB to be picked up from his farm by helicopter and flown to the JCB factory in Uttoxeter as a VIP. Peris was a very unassuming character and worked tirelessly at the hire business and farm until his last days. Our deepest sympathies go to Peris’s family. He will be sorely missed. Donations in the memory of Peris Jones can be made to the Wales Air Ambulance Charity at www.walesairambulance.com/donatewaa Below: Peris finally accepted an invite fromJCB in 2007 to be picked up by the JCB helicopter and flown to the JCB factory inUttoxeter. Obituary - Peris Jones