Gold For J Mould

The life of the eight-wheeler can be harsh. Trucking went to hear how one Reading operator switched to Renault after a long and tough market-wide evaluation.

- Kev Watson

Countless pictures of old lorries dating back to the company’s foundation hang proudly on the walls of J Mould, the Reading-based aggregate and recycling business we’ve come to spend the day with. It’s a celebratory year, we’re told, as 50 years ago John Mould pointed his secondhand Bedford KM tipper towards the gate and began a career which would see him encounter – and ultimately defeat – all of the lumps and bumps any new business venture has to offer.

Today it’s John’s son, Jay, who is our host, taking over the day-to-day running of the business three years ago. “He’s still very much active and is either here in person or calls every single day,” Jay smiles. “Dad is 78 now but wants to go to 80 before he retires!”

Going the distance seems to be a strong theme here – and it’s not just the top brass. One of J Mould’s longest-standing employees has notched an impressive 38 years with the firm.

In John’s office, we can’t help but notice a rather large portrait of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the no-nonsense British stateswoman who served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990. She takes her place alongside Scammells, Leylands and a host of other British manufacturers who are also no longer with us.

As Jay begins to give us a brief overview of the business today, some 50 years later, the stats are impressive. The multimillion-pound business employs around 120 people, with specialist divisions covering haulage, skip hire, demolition, decontamination and materials recycling.