After 45 years in the industry, and on his birthday, Bob McDonagh decided to call it a day.
Currently service coordinator at James and Scott Air in Seven Hills, Sydney, McDonagh began his career as a technician with Simpson and Pope in 1965.
After working at Dunn Air for a couple of years he then moved to Atlas Air where he remained for 25 years rising to become the service coordinator for that company.
It is a measure of his loyalty to a company, and a company’s desire to retain his services, that McDonagh worked for only eight contracting firms over his 45 years of employment.
The respect with which the technicians hold McDonagh can be humourously evidenced by the photo of the retirement gift they provided.
McDonagh has been with James and Scott Air for the last six years and has seen this company become one of the larger contractors on the eastern seaboard.
“I reckon the changes in refrigerants has been the biggest change I’ve seen in the industry over the years,” he said.
Good workers is one reason James and Scott Air has thrived. No one client accounts for more than ten percent of income and they do not concentrate on any particular sector, retaining a broad based client mix.
Recently the company has been moving into air conditioning in the mining sector and also branching out into general appliance repair, while most of its installation contracts tend to become maintenance contracts as well.
The company has hired another four apprentices and two technicians have returned to work once again for the growing company.
McDonagh and his wife have already booked an ocean cruise and also plan a scenic drive to Melbourne to visit family. After that? Maybe a spot of fishing.