Unit 5 , La Hure Mare Industrial Estate, Vale ,Guernsey, GY3 5UB
WMS Service Centre was founded in October 2007 by Richard Le Poidevin and moved into premises on La Hure Mare Industrial Estate in 2009 with two full-time mechanics. WMS relocated to their much larger 4,000 square foot workshop on the same industrial estate in 2015, fully refitted with brand new equipment including five ramps and a scissor lift.
Richard and his colleague, Liam Bridle have over 30 years combined mechanical engineering experience with a complete range of skills and knowledge.
I, Richard Le Poidevin, Director, started my career at Guernsey Body Repair Centre (Tran’s am custom) as a training mechanic electrical technician (MET) when I was 15 years old.
During my work there, over the period of 2 years, I spent some time travelling to the UK on various training courses including the Thatcham training centre & the Porsche training centre. Despite asking the company on many occasions, they would not send me to college to begin an official apprenticeship, so I handed in my notice and started working for Marine & General Engineers as an apprentice mechanic, where I was sent to college to begin my apprenticeship.
I spent 2 years engineering, 1 year of welding and 1 year of motor vehicle mechanics. I also went to Volvo Penta inboard engine & stern drives training centre & Barrus training centre for Tohatsu, Evinrude & Mariner outboard engines. I was with Marine & General for 4 years.
I transferred my apprenticeship to St. Peter Port Services for the last year where I started working on lorries/tractor units etc. After one year they brought out another company called Vale Commercial Centre, where I then went to work cutting down Lorries, making scaffold Lorries and all aspects of mechanical & welding work. This is where I qualified as a mechanic. 2 years later the company was closed down for unexplained reasons.
I went to work at Rabeys Garage as a fork lift mechanic. I stayed there for just over 1 year and then was then was unfortunately made redundant
I went to work at Project Hire and sales, mainly servicing and repairing power tools, boom & scissor lifts etc. and hire machinery.
I stayed there for approximately 1 year before going to work for Barras car centre for a couple of years as a qualified mechanic.
The opportunity then arose to go self-employed. This was all put into action and with all the skills I had learnt in the trade since the age of 15, WMS 2007 ltd was born.