A legend has left the building – Dave Stalker retires

Any industry, any organisation, any noteworthy project or successful partnership, is driven by personalities – lead and influenced by people. Sometimes those people are, or become, high profile, household names. But sometimes they exist, operate and thrive in the relative anonymity of the B2B world of service provision. No less influential, no less invaluable but often unrecognised.

SADFIA’s (South African Diesel Fuel Injectors Association) Nuts and Bolts conference, held at this year’s Automechanika Johannesburg, saw long overdue recognition shown to such a man, Dave Stalker, who is respected throughout the diesel injector community. He was presented with a trophy acknowledging his outstanding contribution to the field. A lifetime achievement award, if you will.

In a world seemingly determined to grimly hold on to secrets and cleverly conceal ideas, Dave Stalker, who retired in May this year, saw the value of information dissemination. Ironically, Dave attributes the very existence of SADFIA as the reason for his willingness to share this knowledge, stating that as a member of the association he could operate as a “neutral”.

While he is also cognisant of and thankful for his position with Bosch – providing him with access to cutting edge tech – it was the “healthy rivalry” within SADFIA which pushed all involved to “move the levels of service and understanding forward”.

Peter Nell – Product Manager Diesel & Turbo, MIDAS Group – is quoted as saying, “His dedication to training and sharing of knowledge will leave a lasting legacy.” Ewald Faulstich – Director, Automotive Aftermarket South Africa – said that Stalker’s “experience is irreplaceable” and will be “sorely missed”; while Andy Roth – Desamark Chairman and owner of Diesel-Electric Rand – commented on the void that Dave’s retirement would leave in the diesel injection and vehicle repair fraternity.

When asked to reflect on the award which he’d been given, the predictably understated Stalker simply said, “It was unexpected and humbling. To be recognised by one’s peers is a massive honour“. I asked Dave what his wishes are for the future of the industry and his reply was unsurprisingly magnanimous. He is convinced that SADFIA-organised workshops – as opposed to corporate based initiatives – should command the future of the industry. Again, he suggests that working as a group, the diesel (and fuel) injection industry can better understand the technology and therefore provide increased levels of service.

Today, and in his short- to medium-term future, there is a 1972 MGB restoration project with Dave Stalker’s name on it but he isn’t walking away from the game completely. “I’ll still have my hand (and my thoughts) in a few industry-related projects from time to time”.