Mechanic who left school without qualifications celebrates successful business

Dean Lomas was unable to read or write when he was 16 yet with grit and determination he became a mobile mechanic and went on to develop his own very successful business.

The 41-year-old now employs eight staff at DC Lomas MOT and Vehicle Repairs on Winsford Industrial Estate.

Asa Thorp, Lewis Stain, Dean Lomas, Samantha Lomas, Dave Ashley, Kyle Johnson and Adam Clawley celebrate the 10th anniversary of DC Lomas Ltd

The Northwich dad-of-four is so grateful for all the support he has received, he has pledged to donate £2,000 to St Luke's Hospice.

"We want to give something back to the community that has given us so much over the past 10 years," said Dean.

"My customers are phenomenal and have really supported me.

"The hospice is a fantastic place and has not got enough funding. Every little bit will help."

Dean Lomas and his wife Samantha marking a decade of their business

Resourceful Dean has a natural flair for anything mechanical and discovered he could fix things when he was a schoolboy.

"I put an engine in my first car when I was 16," said Dean. "I was able to repair punctures from a very young age."

Dean left Weaverham High School in 1996 without any qualifications and vowed to turn his life around.

"I couldn't read or write so I went to night school for two years to learn the basics," said Dean.

 

"I excelled in college work and won the national modern apprentice of the year in 2001."

Driven with a thirst for learning, Dean completed an apprenticeship and later signed up for a management course.

For years, he gained valuable skills and expertise working for various garages.

The enthusiastic mechanic learnt how to repair heavy plant and machinery, trucks, vans and commercial vehicles as well as different makes and models of cars.

His reputation soared and the gifted engineer was soon headhunted by specialist dealers.

"It is a passion,"said Dean, who lives in Moulton. "I love finding a solution to everyone's problems.

"I have been phenomenally lucky. I have worked for a lot of very good garages. Management teams were exceptional and bent over backwards to make sure we were all satisfied with our careers.

"When I worked as a mobile mechanic, garages used to call me to do certain jobs they didn't like to take on."

Dean enjoys spending time with wife Samantha and children Toby, eight, Kai, 11, Scarlet, 17 and Georgia, 18 and family puppy Lola.

"Waking up in the morning and being happy is the most precious thing," said Dean. "I don't have a job, I have a hobby I get paid for."

Dean offers apprenticeships for mechanics and work experience for pupils as well as constantly investing in training courses for his staff.

"We've got a great team here who have a broad knowledge across all sectors from lawnmowers to 500 ton heavy plant," he said.

"We have fantastic main dealer equipment for an independent garage.

"We want to thank all our customers and parts suppliers and everyone else who has supported us."