KAEFER SE & Co KG

10/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/20/2026 22:03

David Eggleston’s KAEFER story: 45 years in the trade

For David, the job has always been about more than the work - it is about the people, the enjoyment and the family tradition it carries forward.

Ask David Eggleston when he plans to retire, and he laughs.

"I'd like to take Wayne's job first - if I ever figure out the technology."

Wayne is his manager. David is 76. And after 45 years with KAEFER UK & Ireland, he remains one of the most respected figures on site - not because of his title, but because of what he represents: a working life built on showing up, adapting, and never losing enjoyment for the job.

The foundations of a lifetime career

David started his working life in 1968 from the age of 18 working for a company called Metal Spinners. His role there involved shaping and reworking pots and pans by hand, learning what it meant to work on a specific task and take pride in the result. It was unglamorous, physical work. But it taught him something that has stayed with him ever since.

Not long after that, David moved into industrial painting, beginning his career with what is now KAEFER. With only 10 employees, the job looked very different to today. His work went from painting factory steelwork and national grid pylons, to then painting much larger constructions of Navy vessels, passenger ferries and bridges. David and his colleagues would simply throw their gear in the back of a van and drive to wherever the work was - factories across Teesside, sites in Newcastle, wherever they were needed.

"You just got on with it," David says. "That was the culture. You turned up, you did the work, and you looked after each other."

What he does not romanticise, however, is the safety culture of that era. In the 1980s, harnesses were the exception, not the rule. PPE was minimal. The idea of a structured break room - a place to sit, eat, and talk to your colleagues - was a luxury most sites did not offer. The industry has changed enormously since then, and David is clear about where he stands.

"Health and safety has improved everything. It is better for everyone. No question."

  • Smith's Dockyard Company Shipyard on the River Tyne, Newcastle University Library, 1973

  • Construction site on Sydenham Terrace, Newcastle University Library, 1973

  • KAEFER site in the 1970s in Hamburg, Germany

  • KAEFER pre-fab workshop in Germany in the late 1980s

A defining moment in David's career

Of his entire career spanning four and a half decades, David singles out his time in Port Glasgow in 1988 - where he undertook supervisory work as a foreman, as his proudest moment. During this time, he oversaw the construction of six ships that were used for oil transportation. David also remarked that his work of fully restoring vessels back to clients on time and in budget was a task requiring enormous amounts of skill and management, though is something which he will never forget.

Doing the honours

In December 2025, David was given the honour of cutting the ribbon at the opening of the KAEFER Hannington Works facility. The facility now supports more than 200 projects across the UK, supplying scaffolding and major plant and equipment nationwide.

"There was food, there were friends, and there was a lot of laughter," he says. "It was a good day."

Of the 21 workers at Hannington, around eight have at least ten years of service. That is not a coincidence. It reflects a culture built upon the KAEFER values of ambition, reliability, team spirit and respect; all of which David has embodied throughout his career.

A lesson learned and a legacy continued

In recent years, David has had both knees replaced. The time in hospital, he says, taught him something unexpected.

"I realised I needed to keep moving. Coming back to work - that was what kept me going." Whilst David has reduced his hours to three days a week, that has by no means stopped him from making strides in the industry.

His KAEFER colleagues would agree. And so, it seems, would his family. When David's grandson Daniel followed into the trade, it was a full circle moment. Daniel started out as a scaffold yard labourer in 2022, before moving to the plant maintenance department, where he now works as an apprentice technician and is responsible for repairing and servicing the plant and equipment.

Wayne, his manager, remarked, "Daniel has completed his Plant Maintenance NVQ L2 and is looking forward to progressing onto his electrical qualification to further support the department. He is a credit to the business and certainly follows in his grandfather's footsteps with regards to work ethic and commitment."

Forty-five years David of showing up, adapting, and never losing the enjoyment of the job - now passed on to the next generation.

Through this KAEFER Story, we congratulate David on his remarkable dedication and service. His commitment and hard work have earned the respect of colleagues and industry peers, demonstrating how perseverance and ambition can build a successful, fulfilling career and inspire future generations.

KAEFER SE & Co KG published this content on October 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 21, 2026 at 04:03 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]