It is quite unusual for someone to retire twice in a lifetime from the same company. Denis Stellini at Trelleborg Dowty Malta did.

Mr Stellini joined the company soon after its inception as Malta Rubber in 1961, aged 24. He was assigned to work as a supervisor in the trimming area after he had followed hands-on training on the shop floor.

But his enthusiasm, which has not dwindled throughout the years, led him to be appointed to various posts. Soon after joining the company, he was entrusted with managing the shop floor. After following a management training programme at Dowty Seals in Ashchurch, he was subsequently appointed works manager.

In the late Seventies, Mr Stellini worked in the commercial department, which gave him the opportunity to travel extensively. He later took over the responsibility of the purchasing department, a role he relinquished on his first retirement in 1998.

Recognising his vast experience and realising he would leave a huge void, the company asked him to stay on for a few more years. Denis Stellini stayed on as consultant for seven years before deciding to retire a second time - before the best of the summer set in, so he could enjoy his fishing!

Having proudly shared the 44-years-old history of the company's old plant in Mriehel, Mr Stellini was granted the honour of lowering the flag when operations there wrapped up.