They are the ‘Fab Five’ who took up employment with Trant Engineering 25 years ago – and they’ve never looked back.

Warren Holmes, Kelly Jones, Karen Greenwood, Eddie Ball and PJ Mahon joined 127 other employees in achieving the anniversary at the multi-disciplinary contractor.

The latest award recipients signed up with Trant - now in its 60th year and delivering technology-led engineering solutions on behalf of major infrastructure clients across the world - in 1993.

That year started out in continued recession, with unemployment at nearly three million, compared to less than half that currently. Inflation was at a 29-year low of 1.3%.

Trant’s clients include ExxonMobil, National Grid, the Ministry of Defence, Magnox, Southern Water and Wessex Water.

Patrick Trant, chairman, speaking at the annual awards evening, said: “This year we celebrate 60 years of successful trading, employing 1,100 people, including professional services, with a turnover this year projected to be £150 million.

“Underpinning a lot of our current and future projects is our in-house engineering capability including civil, mechanical, electrical, process, automation, telemetry, systems integration and commissioning.

“These capabilities were showcased on our open days earlier this year to both staff and clients.”

Mr Trant said: “The development of what is now a well-established and comprehensive upstream engineering service over the past decade was a conscious and strategic decision to ensure that the business evolved in line with market requirements.

“This in-house capability provides an engineering advantage over our competitors.”

Mr Trant said: “We are investing more than ever in smart technology – from the way we undertake engineering design, technical drawings, communications, customer care apps, etcetera.

“We recognise the importance of being at the cutting edge of our business in order to maintain and build on the 60 years of success that the business and all its employees, past and present, have benefited from.

“We are and will remain a progressive and successful business.”

At Trant’s head office in Rushington, near Southampton, Kelly Jones is in the payroll department, having joined from school, and Karen Greenwood went from receptionist to accounts, with both showing a strong aptitude for figures.

Out on site, Warren Holmes is a fully-qualified project manager. He started out painting fencing panels and being part of the piling crew working through the UK and Channel Islands.

Eddie Ball - nicknamed ‘Steady Eddie’ for his hard and safe work – is the go-to person for the industrial cleaning of tanks and vessels. He began at Fawley Refinery.

PJ Mahon started his career with Warren in the gruelling work of piling before training to become an expert in directional drilling, including utilising MOVAX machinery on National Grid projects.

Charley Stride, a local vocalist with cover versions of hits, provided live music at the event, held at the Best Western Chilworth Manor Hotel, Chilworth, near Southampton.

Trant’s clients operate in heavily regulated industries - energy, water and process, oil and gas, defence, marine and nuclear decommissioning.

Reflecting latest industry expectations, Trant’s focus is on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).

As a highly-regarded EPC contractor, the company is responsible throughout projects - from design and procurement to commissioning and handover.