Remembering Alan Bates
Posted on Aug 05, 2025 Tags: UKGSA NewsFollowing the sad news of the loss of Alan Bates, Keith Shepherd shares his memories.
I count myself very fortunate to have known Alan in both a business and personal capacity.
Mr Blackburn Rovers personified, but braving it in the White Rose county amidst a band of Huddersfield Town fans, Alan chose to base himself in Almondbury just a short distance from the Klinger head office in Bradford. It was only a number of years later that I discovered we would have probably shared the same football pitch playing for the old boys section of our respective schools.
Alan was Mr Klinger, first taking on the role with MacMichael gaskets before they were consumed by Klinger into the office that remains in Bradford now. Alan was instrumental in putting Klinger on the map, first within the UK with the introduction of a non-asbestos range of materials following the asbestos ban in the UK. Then expanding the sale and manufacture of metallic gaskets where Alan specialised. Not satisfied with business in the UK, Alan then branched out internationally making a huge success of it.
Klinger had previously manufactured material in the UK, but with the closing of that facility and the opening of Bradford then Alan really put Klinger’s at the top of the tree when it came to materials and supply. It wasn’t long before Klinger attracted many of the major contracts available for gaskets in the UK. His personality and know-how helped develop those accounts and also attracted some of the major gasket cutters in the UK.
It is now nearly 10 years since Alan retired, but his name still resounds around the industry and he was the person who put Klinger UK on the business map and put fear into his competitors.
Alan will be sadly missed both in business terms and personally.
My love goes to Sue and the family at this very sad time and hope they can draw strength from the high regards with which Alan was held both as a person and in the industry.
He will be sadly missed.
Keith Shepherd
