Plant operator still keen as mustard at 85

Not unusual, you might think. Except that Butcher has been operating heavy plant for more than six decades and is now 85 years old.

Butcher is a plant operator for the demolition division of Winchester-based civil engineering contractor HWM Group. Working on sites across Hampshire, Surrey and Dorset, Butcher has a reputation for being on-site early – he says he likes the early starts and doesn’t need an alarm clock.

Over the years he has worked for a variety of employers including Clancy Plant, RMC Plant and Blaze Construction. He claims to have retired for about one week during his sixties but couldn’t settle and went back to work.

He is currently operating a Kobelco SK300LC excavator alongside his son Paul, who is also a plant operator for HWM Group.

HWM Group director, Adam Blake, says, “We love having Jack and his son Paul on the HWM team. Jack more than pulls his weight. His ability to do the job and his reliability as an employee are second to none. He’s a real team asset and we can always count on Jack to get the job done.”

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