It is with great sadness that we report the untimely death on April 27th 2011, at the age of 62, of LAMMA Show Chairman, Tony Lighton, following a brief illness.

With more than thirty-five years of involvement with tractors produced under the Marshalls of Gainsborough banner, particularly Track Marshall crawlers, Tony was very well known to farmers and Dealers, both in the UK and around the world. After joining Marshalls on a commercial apprenticeship in 1964, he spent two years on the shop floor, followed by two years of commercial training before, in 1968, being appointed Office Manager. After spells as both a Regional Sales Manager and National Sales Manager, Tony became World Sales Manager for Track Marshall in 1982.

Despite a hectic work schedule Tony also served as a Director of the Gainsborough Building Society from 1972 up to its merger with the Yorkshire Building Society in 2001.

The traumatic period of business rationalisation and amalgamation experienced, nationwide, during the late 1970’s & 80’s had a dramatic effect on the then Marshall Tractors company. A series of changes in ownership of the business between 1975 and 1998 culminated in the purchase of the Track Marshall business by Tony’s own company TMS Gainsborough Ltd.
 
Although production of Track Marshall tractors had ceased in 1996, there were many hundreds of tractors still operating around the world and TMS Gainsborough, in addition to supplying genuine spare parts became involved in overhauling and refurbishing Track Marshall tractors of all ages and later as a supplier of parts for cultivation equipment, fasteners, bearings and general supplies.
 
In the Autumn of 2000, Tony became Chairman of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association, the organisers of the LAMMA Show, a position he held up to his death. During his Chairmanship the LAMMA Show grew from a small regional event to become the UK’s largest and most successful farm machinery show with a national and rapidly growing international reputation.
 
Tony is survived by his wife Marie and daughter Sarah.