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Nothing says “I love working here” like spending over 50 years in one place.

For David Webb, it will be 55 years exactly on the day of his retirement on Dec. 30.

Let’s say that again—55 YEARS!

If you’re like most people, you punch into work each morning counting the hours until you can punch out again. Not Webb.

He has held on to a job at the mill that is today von Drehle Corporation through different names and owners beginning Dec. 30, 1966.

When he started working there, it was called Diamond International, a manufacturing company of fibrous material such as egg cartons. Webb was a machine operator then, and “the best” at it, according to himself and the people who worked with him. He continued working there as the mill later became Mississippi River Corporation and Mississippi River Pulp before it sold to von Drehle. When the mill closed for a few months between owners, Webb did a brief stint working at a prison and didn’t hesitate to come back to his old job once von Drehle took ownership of the mill.

What is equally impressive as the length of time and the history Webb witnessed in all those years is his love for what he did.

His co-workers at von Drehle Corporation said they’ve never seen him without a smile.

“He is the most positive and upbeat person I’ve ever known,” said Jim Ball, maintenance supervisor at von Drehle. Kot Morris even said Webb, while fighting cancer, came to work wondering how others were doing.

Webb himself said how much he loved working at the mill and how much he loves the people there, who to him are like family.

It would be impossible to imagine working in one place for so long and not loving it.

Webb’s career is inspiring to all of us to find something we love and are good at doing and to stick with it. As the saying goes, work isn’t work if work is what you love doing.