Statue to honour the late Mr Terence Robinson unveiled in Lambeg’s Tom Robinson Park
May 1, 2019
Friends, family and colleagues of the late Mr Terence Robinson gathered with members of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council at Tom Robinson Park, beside the former Coca-Cola factory site in Lambeg, to unveil a statue in his honour. Terence was the driving force behind the local Coca-Cola business for many years after his father Tom Robinson brought the brand to Northern Ireland back in 1939.
Alderman Paul Porter, Chairman of the council’s Leisure & Community Development Committee had the privilege of welcoming everyone to the Park and unveiling the statue alongside Terence’s son, the General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland & Northern Ireland and the Mayor. He spoke highly of Terence’s achievements throughout his life and how honoured the council was to be part of this event in Terence’s honour.
During the year of Terence’s 20th birthday, his father had an idea that an exciting new soft drink called Coca-Cola would complement his existing ice storage business, leading to the formation of the ‘Ulster Iced Drinks Company’ in Belfast in 1939. This year, Terence made his first sales of Coca-Cola, from a moped fitted with an ice box, to the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast.
In 1960, Terence was appointed to the position of Managing Director and the business saw a period of steady growth and expansion, relocating to the Lambeg premises just outside Lisburn in 1964. In 1972, Terence became Executive Chairman of Coca-Cola Bottlers (Ulster) Ltd, a role which he continued until his retirement in 1989. Up until recent years, Terence continued to serve on the board as a Non-Executive Director, managing the company’s commitment to community programmes and charities, frequently coming to the new Coca-Cola plant at Knockmore Hill to see colleagues and to keep updated on business matters.
Speaking of community, in June 1987, Terence was awarded the OBE for Services to the Community, and his passion for doing good and supporting local people has become part of the fabric of how Coca-Cola does business in Ireland and Northern Ireland to this very day.
Attending the statue unveiling to honour the late Terence Robinson, Matthieu Seguin, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said, “We are very grateful to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council for helping us and the Robinson family to find the perfect place for Terence’s statue, in this beautiful park right beside our former Lambeg plant where Terence grew our Coca-Cola business for many years.
“We are extremely proud to be celebrating 80 years of bottling Coca-Cola in Northern Ireland this year and speaking on behalf of all my Coca-Cola colleagues, I would like to thank Terence sincerely for the role he played in making our business what it is today and for giving us the pleasure of taking his legacy forward and continuing our Coca-Cola story here in Northern Ireland.”
The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Uel Mackin added, “It is an honour for the council to have this statue of Terence Robinson, the ‘Mr Coca-Cola’ of Northern Ireland in this local park close to the old Coca-Cola plant at Lambeg. It has captured him in great detail and the family is very proud of this lasting tribute to Terence.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Terence when I worked in the soft drinks industry and he was a true gentleman. I would like to thank Coca-Cola for bringing this initiative to the council on behalf of the family and I hope that everyone who enjoys Robinson Park will raise a Coca-Cola to Terence.”
Terence’s son, Tim Robinson, who attended the unveiling of his father’s statue along with many family members and friends, explained, “My sisters Bobi, Linda and I are delighted with how the very talented sculptor Darren Sutton has captured Dad’s likeness in the statue and we are delighted with the final result. We are most grateful to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and to Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland for working with us to ensure that his memory has been celebrated so perfectly in the Tom Robinson Park in Lambeg.”