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In memory of Lloyd Group Chairman Ralph Lloyd.
19/10/2011



It is with great sadness that Barry and Bryan Lloyd announce the death of their father, Ralph at the age of 85.  Well known throughout Cumbria as the founder of the Lloyd Group,  Ralph  had been unwell for some months following a stroke, but he will be remembered for his vitality, steadfastness and entrepreneurship that have made the Lloyd Group one of the country’s most successful family-run businesses.  In recent years Mr Lloyd has been Chairman of the Lloyd Group, with Barry running the Lloyd Ltd business and Bryan the motors side.

In 1964 Ralph took over a Ford tractor franchise at Hardwicke Circus in Carlisle, which resulted in the establishment of R Lloyd Tractors.  The head office was built at Kingstown, the first building to be built on the estate, although the premises which house Lloyd Ltd Carlisle today were not built until 1976.  Throughout the 1970s, the tractor business continued to grow, with branches added in Dumfries and Penrith.  The 1980s saw further expansion to Kelso and Barnard Castle, the latter being relocated to Bishop Auckland in 1999, a year after Lloyd Ltd Newcastle was built.

On the automotive side, Ralph established Lloyd Motors Ltd in 1976 in Derwent Street, Cockermouth in a specially-designed BMW dealership previously known as Fleetwith Motor Company. A BMW car owner himself,  Ralph had seen that the dealership was for sale and purchased it despite much interest from across the country, although he planned to rent out the building as a carpet warehouse should it prove unsuccessful.  Fortunately, that original dealership, now on Low Road in Cockermouth, has over the years been joined by BMW and MINI dealerships in Carlisle, Colne, Newcastle and Blackpool, as well as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Honda, Honda Motorcycles, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo in Carlisle, and the recently-acquired Land Rover dealership in Kelso.

On a personal level, Ralph Lloyd was uncomfortable in the limelight, intensely private and family-minded.  His lack of self-publicity, however, does not diminish his significant achievements, creating a flourishing local business which employs over 800 staff as well as running an 80-acre farm.  Until his recent stroke, he continued to visit all his business sites regularly and made a point of talking to and getting to know his employees, who held him in great warmth and respect. His dedication to his company and his farm saw him continue to work long hours, his commitment to his work ingrained over several decades despite his success.  He was a keen race-goer and had part-owned a racehorse - or 'one leg of a horse' as he would put it.  Horse-racing gave him many years of pleasure and his interest is a key reason why the Lloyd Group is a sponsor of Carlisle Racecourse.

Ralph leaves his wife Beryl, daughter Tracy and sons Barry and Bryan.

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