THE 420-litre Westinghouse top mount refrigerator, which rolled off the production line for the last time yesterday, has been the “bread and butter” of Orange’s Electrolux plant since the first unit of the model was manufactured in 1978.
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The white top mount fridges struck a chord with the Australian public, with more than one million fridges of this particular model sold in the last 37 years.
All employees at the plant signed the fridge yesterday and its new home hasn’t yet been determined.
“We’re not sure, we will keep it here for now but it might be suitable for a museum,” production manager Matthew Vickery said.
The end of production of the model yesterday adds to the 20 models that have already been phased out in the lead-up to the plant’s closure expected in May next year.
One of the first models to be phased out at the plant was the small chest freezer in March this year.
Mr Vickery said until the phasing out of models began earlier this year more than 200 models were produced at the plant.
“But this 420-litre Westinghouse model was our most significant,” he said.
“This is a sad time for us, but we have all come together as a team to continue to produce high-quality products until the last fridge is produced in this plant next year.
“Everyone here takes a great deal of pride in their workmanship, and I am also proud we have maintained excellent WHS standards and quality under the leadership of Mark O’Kane.”
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au