Robert Galloway (centre) is presented with his gift by Scot Kelly, watched by Jim Carson.
Two loyal staff at Tayport food processing equipment maker Foodmek have welcomed their apprentice successors at the firm as they each celebrate 40 years’ service.
Jim Carson (77) and Robert Galloway (58), both from Dundee and turners at the company, say they’re delighted to see an increase in apprenticeships at the business to take on their roles in the future since Managing Director Scot Kelly started the project to grow the company rapidly.
Jim started his career in the coal industry outside Edinburgh, before moving to Dundee in 1979 and starting at Foodmek. Robert served his time as an apprentice at Foodmek and has remained with the firm since completing his apprenticeship in 1979.
Jim and Robert manufacture a range of precision items – from the largest support rings for vessels to pistons and valves for food-filling machines. They say they’ve stayed at Foodmek so long because the firm has always provided them with a secure job.
Proud
Both are very proud to achieve their 40 years’ service as not many people stay with the same company for long periods these days. They were presented with gifts by Scot Kelly – a quaich, along with a voucher for a local jeweller.
Jim and Robert say they’re delighted to see the focus on engineering training to bring on the next generation to replace them when they retire – with the reintroduction of apprenticeships, which is at the core of Foodmek’s renaissance strategy. They think the Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships are good for both Foodmek and engineering in general.
Asked what the biggest change they’ve seen since they started was, they agreed the arrival of £500,000 investment for new machinery and more staff, via a loan from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Loan Scheme, announced recently.
Speaking about Jim and Robert’s long service, Scot Kelly said: “People are at the heart of Foodmek and we’re delighted to see Robert and Jim complete 40 years’ service with us – producing high-quality equipment used by well-known brands to make and package food eaten around the world.
“We thank them for their dedicated service to date and wish them well for their continuing career at Foodmek. It’s our hope that our current apprentices take them as inspiration to serve for similar lengths too.”