Popular area supervisor George Dykes has said goodbye to the business after a career spanning 40 years.
Starting out as a welder, George learned the ropes from colleague Pat Taylor and began his career working on the famous McConnel Sawbench.
He played a key role in welding the dipper arms for the iconic PA44 - the first of the modern flailhead-equipped Power Arms - but his favourite model was the PA8, a machine he still feels a tremendous affection for.
George explained: “I think I did the welding on every single model the company ever made, so whenever I saw a PA8 out working I knew I had helped build that particular machine.”
George worked his way up to area supervisor and said he felt a tremendous satisfaction in building a close-knit team with a reputation for hard work and high quality.
He explained: “I feel proud that I was part of a great team of people. They made the job special for me and I will miss my colleagues and friends at McConnel a lot.”
McConnel’s manufacturing manager Richard Ward said: “George has always been an extremely popular member of the team and we will really miss him.
“He was very supportive of his colleagues and was a great team leader so I’m sure everyone here wishes him a long and happy retirement.”
