Half a century of dedication...

For Susie Pearle, Trimfold Envelopes in Trim has always been about more than the job itself. It has been a place built on friendship, loyalty and family and last weekend that family gathered to celebrate 50 years of continuous service...

In an ever-changing world driven by technology, one thing at Trimfold Envelopes has remained constant: the dedication of long time employee and Print Supervisor, Susie Pearle.

This year marks an extraordinary milestone as Susie celebrates 50 years of continuous service with the company. In an era where career changes are common, spending half a century with one employer is a remarkable achievement.

From her first day as a 16 year old fresh out of school to becoming supervisor of the printing department, Susie has witnessed the company evolve through decades of technological change, economic uncertainty and personal milestones, while her commitment has never wavered.

Originally from Summerhill, Susie is one of seven children and now lives in Trim. Trimfold Envelopes has been her first and only employer, a place that has shaped much of her working and personal life.

Fresh from completing her Group Certificate exams, now known as the Junior Certificate, Susie entered the workforce at a time when further education simply wasn't an option for many young people in 1976.

“You just went straight into work back in those days after the Junior Certificate. There was no college or university, really. I came up and Babs Allen and Sonny Buckley, the owners and founders of the company, took me on. My sister Rita (Whelan) was already working here at the time. When you already had family in the place, it was easier to get a foot in the door.

“I got the job on the Friday and I started work on the Monday, and I've been here ever since.”

It was the beginning of a career that has spanned five decades.

When Susie joined Trimfold, the business looked very different. There were no computers, no automated production lines and no high-speed machinery. Everything was made by hand.

“We used to make everything by hand. I won't say it was easy. It was tough at the time. My son, Timmy, worked here for three years when he was about 18 or 19, too and my sister Rita is still working here with me. Rita is the oldest here, and I'm the longest here.”

Her first role involved folding X-ray wallets by hand, a painstaking job that demanded patience and precision.

“The X-ray envelopes we made back then were hand cut and handmade. Eventually we got a cutting and creasing machine, which sped up the process. It was traditionally a job that a woman did. There were about twenty of us hand-making the envelopes.”

Looking back, the contrast with modern manufacturing is remarkable.

“Back when I started it was time consuming and labour intensive, but we got it done. The machines now have the capability of making 60,000 envelopes an hour.”

Over 50 years, Susie has seen Trimfold transform alongside the wider paper industry. She has worked through new ownership, technological advances, two recessions and even the Covid-19 pandemic, when the company continued operating as an essential business.

She remembers the arrival of machinery in 1987 as the biggest turning point.

Over the years, Susie progressed to become supervisor of the printing department. Today she oversees a team of around eight people while continuing to operate the printing machinery herself, applying years of experience and precision to every job.

“Technology has made things easier but I wouldn't be that great with computers. It's made my job easier. The things were a bit simpler back then but it was hard work doing everything by hand. I've had to adapt over the years to new ways.”

She has witnessed first-hand the rise of email and paperless communication, changes that have transformed the envelope industry. While far fewer envelopes arrive through people's letterboxes today than when she first started, Susie has adapted with every new development, embracing new production methods while retaining the craftsmanship that has always defined her work.

For Susie, Trimfold has always been about more than the job itself. It has been a place built on friendship, loyalty and family.

“I had my other sister Nora here years ago and my brother Christopher who was here a while back, too. It was a family affair.”

Today she still works alongside her sister Rita, who remains one of the company's most experienced employees.

Her long-serving colleague and Technical Manager Richard Wheeler has worked beside her since 1987.

“There's very much a local aspect to the company. I knew Richard's family and they knew my family before Richard even started here.”

Their friendship is evident.

“The place would fall apart without Richard, I dread when he goes away on holidays.”

Richard is equally complimentary of Susie's dedication.

He said: “Susie wouldn't start work officially until 8.30am, but she's in every morning before 8am, with her machine on and ready to go, watching the clock. She's never really missed a day”.

“It's just the way I'm programmed. If it's a thing that I'm late to work, that I've a doctor's appointment that I've forgotten about, Richard would ring me, wondering what's wrong.”

She is equally quick to praise those around her.

“They're all great here. Everyone is so lovely to work with. We'd all be lost without Richard, too.”

Richard has one final observation that sums up the reputation Susie and her sister have earned over decades.

“If you want something done in a hurry, you go to Susie or Rita.”

While Susie has always loved her work, it hasn't always been easy. Raising her son Timmy while working shifts demanded resilience and support.

“It's a great place to work, although it was tough at times, especially when I was trying to rear my son. As time went on and he grew up, it was a lot easier for me. Now my son is 36 and living in Germany.”

Night shifts were particularly challenging for Susie when she first started.

“Back when I started, I was on shift work. It was difficult because I had to get my son out to school. I had a brilliant child minder called Helen Lewis, and only for her I wouldn't still be here. She took Timmy to her house when I was on the night shift. I would work from 10 o'clock at night until 6am the next morning on a Sunday.”

These days life is a little quieter.

“Now I just work day shifts, 8:30am to 5pm every day.”

When she's not working, Susie enjoys travelling to Germany to spend time with Timmy whenever he isn't able to make it home to Ireland.

Having spent fifty years watching colleagues come and go, Susie says the people are what have made her stay.

“I've seen a lot of people come and go. It's difficult especially when people pass away, because they become great friends and everyone knows everyone here.”

She has seen the workforce shrink from more than 100 employees to just over 40 today, yet the close-knit atmosphere remains.

Asked whether retirement is on the horizon, Susie has no plans to slow down.

“I don't see myself retiring at the minute. I still love the job as much as I always have. It's a lot handier now because I only have myself to think about. I just take one year at a time. When I came to forty years, I said I'd go for another bit. But the years just go on and on.”

Reflecting on her career, Susie also acknowledges how much opportunities have changed for younger generations.

“In the modern times we're in, it's difficult to even find a company that has lasted this long. Third level education back in the seventies wasn't an option for a lot of people. There was no free education or grants.”

When asked what the secret to keeping a job for such a length of time, Susie said that the years truly do fly by when you love what you do.

“When I came in here, I never thought of how long I would be here. The years just fly by. When you work a job you don’t like, it drags.

“We have it great here. I remember Babs Allen and Sonny Buckley used to give us a turkey and a ham at Christmas, and we were delighted. It meant a lot to us. We were well looked after.”

Fifty years after walking through the doors of Trimfold Envelopes for the first time, Susie Pearle remains exactly where she wants to be. Her story is one of loyalty, resilience and quiet dedication, a reminder that while technology and industries may change, the people behind them continue to make the greatest difference.

For everyone at Trimfold Envelopes, Susie's remarkable milestone is not just a celebration of years served, but of the lasting impact one person can have on a workplace, a community and generations of colleagues.