NGK has honoured the work of Jim Hughes, one of its “founding fathers”, with the presentation of a certificate and a trophy marking his long-standing service to the company. The manufacturer of original equipment spark plugs, glow plugs and NTK Lambda sensors has give Jim this special recognition because of his worked to establish and develop the NGK brand in the UK and Irish automotive aftermarket over three decades.

Jim worked in the automotive sector since 1960, starting out with Champion before moving to NGK in 1981. Joining up with Brian Childs, Jim set about creating a team culture at NGK and finding out what customer really wanted from the company. He expanded the sales network and initiated a process that saw NGK rise to the top of the aftermarket sales league, assisted by a major OE sales drive that saw the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and many more using NGK plugs.  

The great respect with which Jim was held in the industry saw him become involved with several industry bodies. He became the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Chairman of the Aftermarket Committee and a vice president of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI). In December 1996, he became an honorary patron of the Automotive Distribution Federation, what is now the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), for outstanding service to the independent automotive aftermarket. 

Jim’s long and successful career within NGK also saw him become the first non-Japanese employee to be appointed as Managing Director and Chairman in a country outside of Japan.

Although no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the business, enjoying his retirement with wife Sheila in his adopted Norfolk home, Jim is confident NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd is in safe hands under the leadership of new Automotive Director Marko Wowczyna.

Jim says, “I believe that the ethic of teamwork and team spirit and a sense of direction that I encouraged and Brian Childs took on will continue in the future and that NGK as a manufacturer of high quality products will continue to work closely with its customer base. Nothing succeeds like success. The longer I live the more strongly I respect the people with whom I have been privileged to meet and work with in the global automotive industry.”