"Mr Butyl" celebrates 40 years of loyal service at ExxonMobil Fawley
A Hampshire father of three, renowned for his unwavering commitment to his role at ExxonMobil Fawley – including turning up to work on the morning of his wedding day - has recently celebrated 40 years with the site.
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Richard Cooper (59) has worked at ExxonMobil Fawley since 1983, originally joining the petrochemical complex as holiday cover. Since then, he has dedicated his life to manufacturing Butyl Rubber, earning the nickname “Mr Butyl” from his peers.
Chris Ellis, former Butyl Polymers Manager who worked with Richard for 10 years remarked: “If you cut Richard in half, he would have Butyl written down the middle.”
Simon Nunn, Business Team Leader, added: “Richard has been a constant at ExxonMobil Fawley, always there to support when needed. During our £60M investment Butyl investment project last year, Richard was in the thick of, positively influencing and leading his team as always. We hope he will continue to do so for some years to come. And we are certainly grateful for his exemplary service.”
Such is Richard’s dedication to ExxonMobil Fawley that he even turned up to work on his wedding day back in 1993.
Richard remembered: “My wedding wasn’t until the afternoon so, when an urgent request for support came in, I got dressed, went to the site, and applied my expertise to address the situation. After everything was sorted, I headed back home to shower and put my suit on. Safe to say, I made it to my wedding in good time, much to the relief of my wife!”
This positive “can do” attitude has followed Richard throughout his career at Fawley, where he today works as a Unit Supervisor.
“I’ve seen so many changes throughout my years, and am proud to have implemented several improvements to the site which are still in place today.” said Richard.
He continued: “There’s no secrets to a long-lasting career. My advice to future workers is to remain loyal to your company and the work you do. Everybody at ExxonMobil Fawley is treated the same, so come in every day with a smile on your face and work hard. You’ll soon reap the benefits of being part of a fantastic team.”
Nick Bone, Fawley Site Manager, gave his thanks to Richard for more than four decades of loyal service. He said: “It’s our people that make a difference and Richard has made an incredible contribution. It’s great to hear praise from his managers and peers, and to learn more about how he has helped us improve how we do things to deliver top-quality results and keep our customers happy.
“We're really thankful for all the hard work and commitment Richard has shown during his long career with us."