From 16 to retirement: Linda Wiggans reflects on 50 years

Having made an indelible mark on the business across five decades – most recently as Inventory Planning Manager in PACCAR Parts – Linda holds the distinction of being the longest consecutively serving female employee in our history.

At just 16 years old, she began working for Leyland Motors, hired for a junior role in Chorley’s after-market sales team. Like that of a modern-day apprenticeship, Linda rotated through departments, including sales and finance, before finding her niche in materials supply.

As the British Leyland empire evolved to manufacture trucks, buses and cars, Linda remained based at the Chorley site for three decades, rising into senior managerial roles within materials.

When we joined the PACCAR family, she was one of 18 employees to transfer to our Leyland site – the most senior among them. Her deep knowledge of materials, analytical expertise, and problem-solving skills made her instrumental in setting up our Leyland parts operation, systems, and databases from the ground up.

Linda said: “At 16, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. I applied for a junior role in sales at the Central Parts Operation at Chorley and haven’t looked back since. I have always been happy in my career. I love my job, and still do to this day, I’m fully committed to the business. If you cut me in half, it would be like the rings of a tree, with all my years of service running through me. 

“The togetherness at PACCAR Parts is what has kept me here. The team deserves all the praise in the world. We make a habit of celebrating success, and every few weeks I cook for the entire materials team, and we pause to have lunch together. Most people within PACCAR Parts materials have extensive service and many which will celebrate long service, so we must be doing something right.

“Being the first woman to reach nearly 50 years of continuous service is a huge personal achievement. I am proud of the legacy I leave behind me, especially where we have created databases, reports and working practices that the team can build upon, and through further development and the integration of digital innovations and AI, achieve greater success.

“If my parents were still alive, they would have been super proud of this milestone – my dad especially.  I remember he always said to me that if I was fortunate enough to get a job at Leyland Motors, you will have a career for life, and he was right. This business and its people have brought me so much happiness and will always be close to my heart.”

Linda and her partner plan to celebrate her retirement with a trip to Seville, followed by touring the UK in their soon to be acquired new campervan with their four dogs.

Shane Christie, UK distribution centre manager at PACCAR Parts, said: “On behalf of the entire team, we want to extend our heartfelt wishes to Linda following five decades of unwavering dedication and commitment. She’s been part of the fabric of Leyland for longer than many will remember and leaves a remarkable legacy. We wish her a joyful, relaxing, and adventure-filled retirement. She’s earned every minute of it.”