Deputy Editor, David Jordan talks to McGimpsey’s Michael Dunbar about how he moved from being a porter to a member of the company’s management team, and a few of the trips along the way.
Joining the removals industry may not be an obvious choice for teenagers starting their working lives, but Michael Dunbar, Head of Department for UK and Ireland at McGimpsey Removals in Bangor, believes the industry offers great opportunities for young people to show their worth and progress their careers, regardless of their academic achievements at school.
I spoke to Michael via Zoom at McGimpsey’s office in Northern Ireland and asked him why, having joined as a teenager and having suffered his fair share of setbacks, he feels so strongly that removals is a great industry to work in?
“I joined McGimpsey 17 years ago as a porter, not long after leaving school. I’d really wanted to be a professional footballer having played for Glasgow Rangers as a teenager, but my career was cut short when I developed a blood clot in my leg,” said Michael. “That was a bitter blow, especially as I had no qualifications from school, so my second choice of becoming a sports journalist was also a non-starter. Luckily, my uncle knew Peter McGimpsey and asked him if he needed anyone to help on the vans, and that’s how I got started.”
Michael enjoyed his time as a porter and as a young man with no family responsibilities found the money he earned was more than enough to enjoy his late teenage years. One added benefit was that he didn’t need a gym membership to keep fit having spent all day lifting furniture and running up and down stairs! Nevertheless, perhaps driven by his sporting nature and a burning desire to be the best, Michael was determined to progress to the next level ...
Photo: Michael Dunbar.