Author Biography
Jack Kernohan was born in 1937 on a farm on the outskirts of Ballymena, approximately two miles from where The Wright Group is based today. He's the oldest in a family of six - four boys and two girls. He attended the Fourtowns Primary School, in the local village of Ahoghill, before completing his education at Ballymena Technical College. Jack's father was a carpenter and he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps so he began an apprenticeship with McLaughlin and Harvey, then one of the largest engineering and building contractors in Northern Ireland, in 1951. He was attracted to coachbuilding and joined Robert Wright and Son Limited, as the company was then known, in 1955 and accepted every opportunity to aid his progression through the company. Appointed Workshop Foreman in 1961, Jack became Production Manager two years later. This latter position was a challenging role in that he was entirely responsible for the operations of the company during a period when many technological changes were taking place within the industry. By 1967, the company needed to provide an after sales service support for its range of products and Jack saw this as a major opportunity. Supporting the customer in their time of need would ensure that the company sales team had a better chance of securing that customer's next order. In February 1970 Jack was appointed Sales Manager, initially for Ireland; this territory was increased to also cover all of the United Kingdom. He was promoted to Sales Director in 1988, a position he held up until his retirement on 31 August 2005. During his long service with the company, Jack made numerous friends. Many, like him, have since retired but they all still retain an interest in the latest range of products which the company now builds.
