Kevin Hurley has always enjoyed tinkering and fixing things.
And for a total of 55 years, he has worked at Stewart and Holland, in Ashburton, doing just that.
But at the end of this month, the 69-year-old will put down his tools for retirement.
Hurley first started at Stewart and Holland working after school, age 14.
Then he went full time, beginning a four-year apprenticeship on January 3, 1973.
His first duties at the company, then located in Burnett St, included cleaning trade-in appliances.
Since then work had involved more technical aspects.
‘‘I’ve been lucky to really not have any mishaps during my career,’’ he said, before remembering an incident in his earlier years.
‘‘I was delivering an appliance on my own. I was getting it up some steps on a barrow.
‘‘It was around the wrong way, the lid flew up, hit me in the face and knocked out two teeth!’’
The biggest change he had noticed in his long career was an increase in the technical side of the job.
‘‘We are repairing less small appliances these days,’’ Hurley said.
He had carried out a variety of electrical work, but the majority of his work was commercial whiteware repairs.
He said he had worked with many staff over his time and his colleagues and a good company culture were the reasons he had remained at Stewart and Holland for so long.
He said that he was fortunate to have been taught by some great staff in his younger working life.
‘‘I have enjoyed the variety of work that I have done,’’ Hurley said.
Former co-owner of Stewart and Holland, David Stewart, said Hurley was a ‘‘dedicated employee, a great worker and a good mate’’ who would not hesitate to help out when needed.
Even to businesses whose boilers would not start in the early hours of the morning.
Stewart remembered sharing many fun times, including trips away.
‘‘Nothing was ever a problem to Kevin,’’ Stewart said.
‘‘When we were doing a lot of installations of air conditioning units in schools around Mid Canterbury and further afield, we did them at weekends.
Kevin was always the first person to put his hand up to do the job.’’
Company owner Mark Cartwright agreed and said Hurley was a valued, highly respected and dedicated team member.
Hurley said, in his retirement, he has no intentions of just sitting around.
He plans to travel, be busy with projects at home, spend time with his grandchildren and continue helping out at his beloved Celtic Rugby Club.
