Sparky Rob Andrews looks forward to travel, ukulele-playing in retirement

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For the past 35 years, whenever an electrician has needed help, Rob Andrews has been there to provide it.

On Monday afternoon, those days finally reached an end as the manager of MM Electrical Murray Bridge celebrated his retirement.

Mr Andrews spent his last day visiting long-time clients around Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend, and was presented with a cake wishing him good luck.

He had started as an apprentice electrician with Oliver J Nilsen and was a research and development officer with Sun Lighting before starting as a rep for MM Electrical in Adelaide.

He moved to Murray Bridge in 1986 when the company opened its local branch.

“The regional manager said ‘what do you think? and I said ‘yeah, I’ll go’,” he said.

“He said ‘you want to go home and talk to your wife’ and I said ‘no, she’ll follow me’ – and she did.

“I was here for a week by myself, and my very first sale was to BP Oval: six fluoro tubes.”

Now the business serves as an electrical wholesaler for contractors and retailers across the Murraylands and Mallee.

Every day was different – he would miss that, he expected.

But he looked forward to playing the ukulele more, and travelling.

“I’ve got a motor home sitting in the driveway, it taunts me every time I walk out the front door,” he said.

“I want to hit the road.

“I’ve done a lot of international travel with this company ... different conferences, the Hannover trade fair and things like that; but we haven't seen a great deal of Australia.”