Patterson Cheney bids farewell to long-serving manager

A respected truck service expert with 54 years of experience has bowed out at Patterson Cheney Isuzu.

Roger Padfield, the longest serving member of the Patterson Cheney family, will retire after 28 years as the Afternoon Shift Supervisor in the Service Department in Dandenong.

Padfield started out as an apprentice back in 1967 in the South Melbourne branch.

Later on he moved to the facility at Footscray for 11 years, before landing at the Dandenong dealership in 1983.

Wayne Murphy, Patterson Cheney Service Manager, said Padfield has been a pillar of strength in the department and a cornerstone of knowledge for his colleagues.

“Roger was key in helping us set up our afternoon shift when it first began and he also supported our 24-hour service later on,” he said.

“His official title may be Afternoon Shift Supervisor, but really, that does not reflect the breadth of his actual responsibilities,” said Murphy.

Indeed Padfield was active in advising work, spare parts selection and interpretation, diagnostic checks on the trucks for the mechanics to help them identify problems faster and road tests.

“Honestly, he’s done a little bit of everything, and done them brilliantly,” said Murphy.

“It has been a privilege to work with Roger, who is not only very experienced but more than happy to share his knowledge with the rest of the Isuzu dealer network.

“We have all benefited from his skills and been inspired by his dedication to the brand. It is going to be so difficult replacing Roger that we are splitting his current role into two jobs,” he added ruefully.

Padfield’s secret to a successful and fulfilling career in service? Enjoy what you do.

“I enjoy learning how things work and I love fixing problems, put the two together and I simply had my perfect role,” he said.

“And that’s why I have lasted so long. I just enjoy understanding how vehicles work so I can fix them.”

Padfield’s valueable contribution to Patterson Cheney, according to Murphy, can be partly defined by consistent delivery and willingness to embrace new methods.

“Roger may be a veteran technician but one of his many admirable qualities is that he never shies away from embracing new technology,” said Murphy.

“Many technicians can drift away from the network because they can’t learn new systems, but that’s never been the case here.

“Roger has always been ready to adapt and is so keen and proactive about keeping up his knowledge.

“Everyone can see that he truly cares about the job and the business, and the brands he represents.”

Padfield admitted he would miss the hustle and bustle of the service department but would have plenty of opportunities to occupy his time after retirement.

Having judged the Adelaide Royal Show and the Melbourne Royal Show for dog obedience and agility, he plans to continue as an expert dog trainer and competition judge in the future.

Isuzu Australia Limited National Service Manager, Brett Stewart, offered Padfield congratulations on an outstanding career.

“Roger has had such a terrific career in the service industry, he will no doubt be sorely missed by both Patterson Cheney’s customers and fellow team members,” Stewart said.

“From all of us at Isuzu, we would like to thank him for his dedication, hard work and loyalty to the brand,” he said.

“Our best wishes to Roger as he enters this next stage of life—we hope you enjoy a very well-earned retirement.”

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