WHILE Mark Dobbie is happy to go about his business with no fuss, the team at Taranto Glass ensured he was the centre of attention at a Wonthaggi celebration last Tuesday to mark his 40 years of service to the business.
Determined not to make the occasion a big deal, Mark left it to his workmates to chat to the Sentinel-Times, politely declining the chance to share recollections and highlights of his four decades of commitment.
Despite a penchant for Coca Cola and cigarettes that might alarm members of the medical profession, Mark has rarely needed a sick day.
While he has recently started working at the Leongatha branch, almost all his time with the business has been based in Wonthaggi, where he was managed by Paul Taranto for 27 years, working for Kevin Taranto for six years, then Mark Taranto for seven.
The latter said that while Dobbie won’t say much about himself, he is undoubtedly one of the best fitters Australia-wide, explaining Mark’s expertise goes well beyond basic installations of shower screens and other fittings.
“When a builder says, ‘This is a Dobbie job’, we all know exactly what they mean,” Mark Taranto said.
He explained that Dobbie draws on his experience, having a great memory of related challenges and how they were solved.
“In the building industry, there are always things that get done architecturally a bit differently to your normal house, and they’re the sort of jobs that everyone calls a ‘Dobbie job’,” Mark elaborated.
“Not many people have seen so many different types of wall claddings, floor coverings, roof fittings and shower screen brackets.”
While Dobbie’s built a reputation for his precision, manager of the Leongatha branch, Scott Stewart shared a story about one time Mark took measurements to fit a security door.
“He’s measured the wrong house, and he went to fit it to the right house, and it fitted,” Scott said.
Despite that one fortunate hiccup, Scott described Mark as “very reliable, never late and a very hard worker”.
“He’s also got a dry sense of humour,” Scott said.
Although 40 years is a great milestone, Mark Taranto is confident Dobbie won’t be retiring anytime soon, and regardless, he’s already a huge part of the Taranto Glass story.