In these days of frequent career changes it’s common for a person to work a multitude of different jobs throughout their lifetime until they find something they really enjoy, and others who may never realize what they were meant to do.
That’s why it’s so unique to find someone who has been with the same company for more than a decade. And one employee at Three Point Motors in Victoria has been bucking that trend for the past 40 years.
Dale Smith is a Master Technician at the popular Mercedes-Benz and smart car dealership. He has been there since 1977 and just celebrated his 40th year with the company.
The team at Three Point Motors celebrated his milestone this past week with a small unveiling. It was a gift of appreciation for his years of service and it came in the form of a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 street bike.
As a longtime motorcycle enthusiast, this gesture of providing a “real, personal gift” left Smith speechless.
When he first started, Smith recalled another employee who had been with the company for seven years — which seemed like a remarkably long time to him at that moment.
“I just about fell over backwards. I thought ‘Oh my God, who could do a job for seven years’. I was jumping from a two-week job, to a two-month job, to a couple years (at the time),” he said.
While Smith acknowledges a lot has changed over the years, he has appreciated his time with the company, especially his memories along the way as exotic cars like Ferraris have come through his shop.
“One of our previous owners brought in an SLR (jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren) for us to service. We get to see a lot of different high-priced cars here, along with all the rest of the vehicles too,” Smith said.
“It’s been a good place to work. I’ve always been happy here and I’ve watched it slowly progress into what it is now,” Smith said, adding that he’s not leaving any time soon.
General Manager Scott Shears said Smith has become synonymous with the company and is the face of their workshop at Three Point Motors.
Smith must agree, jokingly stating that they’ll probably find him keeled over against a fender one day. He hopes to continue working on cars at the dealership well into his 70’s.