FIVE employees at an electronics manufacturer who have together clocked up more than eight decades of working for the company have been honoured.

EC Electronics — a global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company headquartered in Basingstoke – has recently handed out long-service awards to five of its employees: Geoff Hardisty, Sam Thompson, Chris Brown, Kevin Osgood and Phil Simmonds, who have together worked in the business for 85 years.

Sam Thompson, an accounts administrator who has been with the company for 10 years, initially began her career in a part-time role. She then progressively increased her hours and responsibilities and is now an integral cog in the day-to-day management of EC's operations.

The manufacturer's supply chain manager, Chris Brown, began his career with EC Electronics more than 11 years ago when he joined its newly formed office in Hong Kong. Since the business relocated its supply chain operations to the UK, Chris has developed an EU-centric supply chain to feed into EC's Romanian factories.

Geoff Hardisty, a senior PCB operator, has worked with EC for over twenty years. Geoff started his EC journey as a contractor but enjoyed the team’s relaxed and friendly culture so much that he applied for a permanent job opening.

EC Electronics' group quality manager, Kevin Osgood, has also been at the company for 20 years. Since joining EC Electronics in 2001, his role in quality management has developed to encompass integrating specialist standards and environmental management systems across international sites.

And taking the crown for the organisation's longest-serving employee is Phil Simmonds, CEO of EC Electronics. Phil has grown his business from humble beginnings over the last 25 years. He trained and worked in the construction industry for 14 years before joining his father, who set up the company. At the time, they had just six part-time workers making simple cable assemblies. Now, EC Electronics spans multiple global sites and has a network of hundreds of staff.

All five individuals also noted the fast-paced, exciting nature of electronics manufacturing as a reason to stay in the sector. EC’s services are constantly evolving to keep up with the demand for new technology in the increasingly digital world.

“No day is the same,” Kevin commented. “There is always something new to involve yourself in, from adopting new standards to making process changes to supporting contractual expectations of different industries.”

Phil continued: “I enjoy the variety in my work, and I like spending time with the team and keeping up with what goes on all around the business.”

Despite what has been a challenging few years for the manufacturing industry, the future looks bright for EC Electronics. The prospects for the electronics manufacturing sector are hugely exciting, and EC's team want to be at the forefront of the digital revolution.

“Our size and geographical positioning make us well placed to be an industry market leader in the medium-sized EMS category,” said Christopher.