Last updated 19:59, Thursday, 18 September 2008

THE CHAIRMAN of Mitchell’s Auction Company in Cockermouth is to retire at the end of the year.

Peter Greenhill has spent 13 years at the company and the last eight as chairman.

Mr Greenhill, of Cockermouth, said the proudest moment of his time at the company was the auction company’s move from its old town site, now Sainsbury’s, to just off the A66 Lamplugh Road roundabout - now a landmark for the company and the farming community of West Cumbria.

He said: “Building the new out-of-town site was very important for the company and, looking back, was probably one of the proudest moments of my time at the company and probably of my life as well.”

However, Mr Greenhill also said that the company had to fight through hard times especially the BSE crisis and two foot and mouth outbreaks.

He said: “They were very low times and it is something that I would not want any farmer to experience.

“Despite those circumstances we have managed to overcome that ghastly time and I feel we are still going strong.”

Mr Greenhill said he moved to Cumbria from the south in order to retire and did not expect to be still working.

He said: “I have learned many different skills since I have been here but after 13 years I feel it is time to retire, which is why I originally moved up here.

“Hopefully I will now be able to do plenty of other things that I did not have the time for before.

Mr Greenhill joined the board in 1995 initially as a non executive director and became vice chairman in 1998 and chairman in 2000.

Mitchell’s is looking for a new chairman to take over in the New Year and has appointed two new company directors.

John Rockliffe, 52, joined the company in 2005 to increase the range of professional services available to Mitchell’s clients. He has been appointed as an executive director.

Andrew Nicholson also joined the board as a non executive director. Mr Nicholson, 36, farms more than 1100 acres of land with wife Karen at Swinside End, Lorton, where he runs a herd of 55 suckler cows and lambs more than 1,500 sheep.