IT was a celebration tinged with sadness on Saturday night, as more than 450 people gathered to mark 70 years since the Electrolux Factory began operating.
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The Electrolux Ball was held at the Orange Function Centre, withy many people travelling long distances to attend, including from China, Thailand, Singapore, Perth and Adelaide.
Guest speakers included former plant manager Peter Cotterell, AO, OBE, who became the chief executive officer of the entire organisation and holds the honour of being the first Orange manager to be promoted to the role.
He spoke, via a video address, of arriving at the plant as a young man in grease-covered overalls and being impressed with the overhead conveyer belts.
“If fridges didn’t have the right parts we just wheeled them out the front onto the road until they became available,” he said.
Mr Cotterell now 88, also spoke of the apalling safety record he faced with when he became manager, before the existence of occupational health and safety standards, and the push to improve safety standards for workers.
He spoke of the three failed takeover bids he managed during his time at the helm.
“I was told there was no way I could save the company, but I was determined there was no way Email was going down on my watch,” he said.
During general manager Mark O’Kane’s address the crowd erupted into a cheer, indicative of the respect he has gained through his efforts to support the staff.
“Since that harrowing day in October 2013 when we made the announcement, I have been impressed with the professionalism of our employees,” he said.
“We should all feel proud we have set new records for safety and quality in the last year, which is a reflection of the work ethic of everyone and I am incredibly proud of our employees.”
He encouraged employees to stay strong in the months leading up to the plant’s closure.
“Let’s bring this home and finish our task well,” he said.
Former plant manager Peter Gray, who succeeded Jock Ferguson in 1995 and worked at the plant for 24 years, was emotional as he spoke of the pressures brought down on the plant and its employees through government policies on free trade.
He said the enduring legacy of the Orange plant would be the positive culture and the way it embraced migrant workers who brought their skills with them from post-war Europe to work along local residents.
It was during his leadership a second afternoon shift was introduced to keep pace with demand for whitegoods produced in Orange.
“What has happened is not a failure of this factory or a failure of the employees,” he said.
“Orange [the plant] has been ranked amongst the best in the world and knows no peers in the production of refrigerators. It is first class,” he said.
Also speaking on the night was member for Orange Mr Andrew Gee, who spoke of the collaborative efforts to keep the plant going, and councillor Chris Gryllis, who represented Orange City Council.
Attendees also heard a special recorded message from former industrial officer Vic Byrne, who worked at the plant for 50 years.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au