BETWEEN them the Harvey family leaves behind a legacy of more than century dedicated to working at Electrolux.
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David Harvey, who has worked at the factory for 40 years, and his sister Cheryl Seymour, who has clocked up 28 years of employment, were present at the factory yesterday for an emotional ceremony to mark the final refrigerator to come off the production line.
The legacy of the Harvey family began when their parents Fay and Ted Harvey both began working at the factory, each working on the production line for 20 years.
Their children followed, David, Cheryl and Bradley, who worked there for 35 years, signing up to work for the manufacturer, which was the biggest employer in Orange at the time.
“My wife Rita also worked here for five years and my daughter Taylor for three and a half years,” Mr Havey said.
“I started here in 1975 on my 16th birthday and worked in the old section of the sealed units.”
He says watching the factory become more automated over the years had been a highlight of his working life.
“I’ve had a pretty good working life,” he said.
Mr Harvey, who is the Electrolux production supervisor, says he is looking forward to retiring from the workforce when he leaves.
“I am alright with it all now,” he said.
Cheryl Harvey who leaves today, has a new job to go to.
“I have been fortunate to get a job with CareWest doing their rostering and I am really looking forward to the future,” she said.
Factory general manager Mark O’Kane says while many employees had taken up the offer of Electrolux-funded retraining, some had been working two jobs so they would have a smoother transition to the workforce when the plant closed.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au