On 1 September last year, the moving and storage industry lost one of its true gentlemen. David Malcolm Raynor, or simply Dave to those who had the luck to meet him, was managing director of Reason Global Insurance in the UK.

Known to many throughout the UK and international moving industries, Dave was a man who always had a smile and a welcome ready for anyone who wanted to talk about moving and storing but preferably about life and fun.

A man who never failed to be armed with a smile and a story, along with a mischievous sense of humour, Dave understood that business, like life, was about people and people always came first with Dave.

Born in 1962, Dave met his long-standing business partners John Luker and Mike Reason in 1989 and 1992 respectively, working in different businesses; but the three of them took the leap in business together with the management buyout of Reason Barclay in 1993, becoming known as Reason & Co. As many will know, Mike sadly passed away in late 2015 and was missed greatly by both Dave and John on passing.   Before Mike’s passing, the three of them spent the best part of 25 years building the business from humble beginnings and started to specialise in the moving and storage industries.  This growth was further fuelled in 2005 when they took over the book of business from Willis Transportation Risks, bringing several key staff over with the purchase, who still work in the business today, now known as Reason Global.

Anyone who was lucky enough to know Dave, whether closely or even if just once a year at a conference, will know that as well as being a shrewd businessman, he was a great believer in people and took enormous pride in not only how the company grew, but also how its people grew and developed as well. A constant bringer of smiles and fun to those he met, one of his often-unknown qualities to casual acquaintances was that of a true friend and close counsel to those who really knew him. He was a man who would always try to do anything he could to help you, if you needed it.

Dave is survived by his beloved widow Debra and his two boys, Carl and Matt, who were a great source of pride to him.  He was a great family man, always putting the important things in life ahead of business, but somehow never missing an opportunity either when it presented itself. He loved to travel and visited many destinations around the globe, both meeting clients and also for pleasure with family and friends. 

Dave’s health sadly deteriorated quite rapidly towards the end of his life and he was taken far too soon at just 56. However, anyone who knew him knows how much fun he packed in to those 56 years.

He will be sadly missed but always fondly remembered as a gentleman whose generosity was just like the man: big, heartfelt and genuine.

Editor’s note

Although it has been some time since Dave’s death, it is a measure of the affection and respect his colleagues held for him that it is only now that they feel the time is appropriate to make this announcement.