A LONG-standing staff member of a Ross-on-Wye based company received an emotional sendoff after 44 years as he heads into retirement.
Melvyn Taylor marked the end of his long career at ABT Loadmac, in Ashburton Industrial Estate, that spanning 44 years in total with two retirement presentation ceremonies.
Melvyn explained that he joined ABT when he left school in 1976 at the age of 16 and worked for eight years before taking a position elsewhere.
“But it wasn’t long before I was back,” he quipped. “And I’ve been here continuously for the last 36 years.”
Melvyn’s current role is as a welder fabricator but he explained that he has had a variety of roles throughout the company, “From top to bottom”, he said and added: “Up to now I have worked with every new starter and watch them progress. I am a lively bubbly person and love entertaining. I would have loved to have introduced a short exercise programme before the shift started to get everybody excited about the day ahead.”
Mark Hignett, chairman of the company which manufactures cab chassis and rollbars, said: “As you can tell Melvyn is our resident entertainer and he makes everybody feel part of a team.”
Ashley Jones, operations manager, said: “Melvyn embodies everything that is great about ABT Loadmac: a can-do attitude, multiskilled and a great sense of humour.
“His experience and product knowledge made him invaluable, and he will be sorely missed. On behalf of everyone at ABT Loadmac, I would like to thank him for his time with us, and we wish him the very best for his well-deserved retirement.”
Having had the management ceremony in the morning Melvyn was to bade farewell to the rest of the staff at ABT at the end of the day.