Yesterday around 300 employees still remaining on site at the plant were given the opportunity to sign panelling on the last fridge, according to Electrolux spokesman Craig McCarthy.

When the factory production shuts down next week, manager Mark O’Kane will leave Orange to head up the factory’s replacement location at Rayong in Thailand.

Staged redundancies at Electrolux began late last year as the company began winding back production of various models.

Orange historian Elisabeth Edwards, who has worked closely with Electrolux staff on the 70th anniversary book Made in Orange, said next week would be memorable for employees and the community.

“This will be a huge change for these people who are left and don’t want to retire but need to keep on working,” Ms Edwards said.

“By the production finishing gradually along with the redundancies I think it has given people time to come to terms with it, but in saying that it doesn’t take away from the initial shock when the announcement was made.”

Ms Edwards said the focus on Electrolux’s closure had educated the wider community about the enormous impact the factory has had on Orange’s economy and the working lives of families involved at the plant  since it was set up as a munitions factory during World War II in 1942.

“The exhibition we have on show at the library at the moment has attracted huge interest from former employees, their families and the general public,” Ms Edwards said.

“What it has shown is that there was and still remains an enormous sense of pride in the work carried out at Electrolux.”

A skeleton staff will remain at Electrolux until December dispersing  the remaining stock.

janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au