The former managing director of mobile feed milling firm Feedmix has been named as the winner of this year’s Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) unsung hero award.
George McCombie, who recently retired from the role after 48 years working at the firm, is the recipient of the David Argo Award, which recognises an “unsung hero” employed in the agricultural sector.
Mr McCombie, who lives with his wife Elsie in Fyvie, grew up on a small farm near Kildrummy.
His interest in agriculture lead to him spending more than four years working out in Australia from the age of 18.
“I went on the £10 scheme. Initially I was doing share farming growing wheat on the central outback of Queensland, but there was a drought and it didn’t work out that well.
“I then went on the sheep-shearing circuit for the last two and half years,” said Mr McCombie.
He said the decision to move back to Scotland permanently was made during a holiday back home, which resulted in him rekindling his romance with Elsie and the couple getting married.
Upon settling back in Scotland, Mr McCombie spent a couple of years sheep-shearing before joining Feedmix as an operator.
At the time the company was owned by a South African man and after he sold the business to set up a similar venture back in his native country, Mr McCombie followed for a three-month spell to help train staff on how to use the equipment.
He then returned to work at Feedmix, which at that time had changed its name to Mill Feed Services, and many years later when the company went into administration, he led a management buyout of the firm with four colleagues.
Following the buyout, Feedmix Fyvie was born and in the late 1990s the company was taken over by north-east animal feed firm Harbro.
Mr McCombie continued in his role as managing director throughout this spell, overseeing the company’s growth from owning five to 50 machines. In July this year he retired.
When asked about the highlights in his career, Mr McCombie said he “enjoyed every moment of it”.
He admits he is not sure what to do in his retirement, but said he would enjoy spending more time with his two children and two grandchildren as well as holidaying with Elsie.
A true “unsung hero”, Mr McCombie said he was completely shocked to hear he had won the award.
All the citations for the award pay tribute to Mr McCombie’s kind nature and willingness to help others and solve problems.
One reads: “In all the time I have known him, I have never seen him stuck and he is very obliging and will go the extra mile for his customers.”
Another pays tribute to Mr McCombie for the help he gave one farming family when several of their cattle sheds collapsed under the weight of snow one winter.
It reads: “Once the cattle were safely removed, he helped with manpower, removing the mangled shed frames and helping to clear the site.
“He helped us through the early days of what was an extremely worrying time and proved to be a very calming influence on the whole experience.”
Mr McCombie will be presented with his award at an awards lunch on Friday, November 4, at the Jury’s Inn (formerly the Thistle Hotel) at Aberdeen Airport.
