LONDON, March 31 |
LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Edward Stobart, who turned the family trucking company into one of Britain's best-known brands as his distinctive green and white lorries thundered along the country's motorways, has died at the age of 56.
The company said in a statement: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart, son of Eddie Stobart, passed away at 8.10 a.m. this morning at University Hospital Coventry, after heart problems yesterday."
Although not involved with today's Stobart Group, Edward was managing director of Eddie Stobart Ltd for over 30 years, a business started by his father Eddie.
He sold the company to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler in 2004.
William Stobart continues the family involvement in his role as chief operating officer of the group.
What began in the 1950s as an agricultural business in Cumbria, northern England, turned into haulage company Eddie Stobart Ltd in the 1970s, eventually passing to Edward.
Once named after female singers, the trucks and their smartly dressed drivers are an integral feature of the British trunk road network, the subject of a million counting and I-Spy games on long car journeys.
Such is the cult status of the firm that it has its own fan club and dedicated army of "Stobart spotters" who keep tabs on the fleet of nearly 2,000 trucks. (Reporting by Steve Addison; Editing by Keith Weir)
Edward Stobart, famed for his construction of the  truck empire and being its  for over thirty years, has died at the age of 56. In a statement, the Stobart Group commented: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart, son of Eddie Stobart, passed away at 8:10 AM this morning at , after heart problems yesterday."

When Eddie Stobart — Edward's father, who is aged over eighty — created the company during the 1950s in  in northern England, it originally involved itself in the business of agriculture. In the 1970s, the business was given the name Eddie Stobart Limited and became a haulage service. Eddie Stobart then handed over the company to his son. The enterprise subsequently became the most popular of that industry within the United Kingdom, according to ''''; it extended to include transportation by air and railways, as well as warehousing and management of .

Due to the  that they had achieved via a  of 'Stobart spotters', which involves the observation of their company's uniquely named vehicles, the Stobart Group decided to create an official followers' group, which now has in excess of twenty-five thousand members. Eddie Stobart-branded merchandise has also been released.

William Stobert — the brother of Edward Stobart — and Andrew Tinkler purchased the business from Edward in 2004. Edward subsequently relocated to the  and took over what was to become an unsuccessful  building firm in 2009.

Edward Stobart experienced his death in , England at 0810  (0710 ) on Thursday. The Stobart Group have expressed their condolences to "Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time."

Haulage firm Preston's of Potto's chairwoman Ann Preston described Edward as "the most iconic figure that has ever been in this industry" and that the death of a man who "was very passionate about road transport" and "didn't want to do anything else" since he was a child was "a massive loss". The Stobart Members' Club have stated: "The club's members will certainly have fond memories of the man who started the phenomenon off, created the iconic Eddie Stobart brand and made it cool to spot lorries. Stobart Spotting will continue and the legacy of Edward Stobart will live on."