Staff Profiles
Bruce Graham
Manager Blenheim: Allied Concrete Ltd
At school, I enjoyed riding on the lawn mower more than going to the actual classes! Coming from a farming background, I gained a great deal of mechanical knowledge and achieved my HT licence at the age of 16. This experience has since been put to greater use in my current role of Manager for the Allied Concrete Blenheim plant.
I came to the Allied Concrete Blenheim seven years ago from the position of Driver/Batcher for Issac Concrete in Timaru. Within a short period I was promoted to Manager of the plant and am now entering my eighth year with the company.
During my employment I have had a lot of training and support and have been involved in some great projects. My previous experience on the farm, driving trucks, provided me with a great source of knowledge for the truck servicing schedule I have helped develop for the Allied Concrete Group, nationwide. This means that all of our vehicles are serviced based on the hours they have completed, rather than on a monthly basis, and each and every vehicle is extremely well maintained.
During the period of 2006 -2009 I took on the role of selling the Allied Super Slab System. This particular flooring system is an alternative to using block foundation. Some of the benefits are minimal excavation, thermal insulation, speed of installation, and cost savings for all. This concrete flooring solution has now been installed in over 180 residential homes. This has been a very rewarding challenge for me and I have loved the time I have spent creating great relationships with architects and builders which have opened up other opportunities for the business.
The support of the HW Richardson Group has allowed me to study several management courses which have had a positive flow-on effect in my everyday work. The strong emphasis on training has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the technology behind the concrete.
My family consists of my wife, Sharon, and three wonderful children. Sharon and I both have a particular interest in tractors and are members of the local tractor club. I also may, from time to time be known to play the bagpipes!
HW Richardson Group have a family orientated approach and it is refreshing to see the culture of openness and sharing sustaining our industry through the tough times. The resources that have been put into the training and personal development of staff have enabled me to go to the next level, which makes me very loyal to the company.
Jemal Dixon
Manager: Allied Concrete – AML Ltd
Born and raised in Hawkes Bay, I began working in the roading industry at the age of 12. Starting off as a labourer and traffic controller, I was introduced to all types of Heavy Machinery and taught the “old way”, correct operation and maintenance of all the machinery involved.
By the time I finished high school in 1996 I knew my career would start in contracting and go from there.
My first year out of school I worked full time between a roading crew, and the kerb and channel team for Truck Contractors. The following year I attended E.I.T in Napier where I studied the first year of what was then known as N.Z.C.E.
In 1999 I took a year off study and again worked full time for Hawkes Bay Drainage and Contracting where I learnt another whole skill set involved in contracting, and worked on some of the biggest drainage jobs in Hawkes Bay.
In 2000, with some money saved to finish NZCE, I moved to Wellington to study at Massey University. Half way through the year I decided that full time study was too hard financially and began looking for a cadetship with the hope of continuing my studies whilst earning at least a little money.
In August 2000 I began as a Management Cadet with Allied Concrete in Wellington. My immediate responsibility was concrete and aggregate testing for both the Wellington and Lower Hutt plants. Within six months I was competent at both batching and dispatching and was soon after promoted to full time batcher.
One of my greatest tests came in 2001 when I turned up to work at 6 am to find no one else in the office. Both dispatchers and the manager had called in sick I was there on my own wondering whether I should just leave as well. However, as all the drivers were there, I thought I might as well give it a shot. Long story short, I survived but only just. I think I learnt more about dispatching and batching on that one day alone with the main point being; most customers will be flexible and helpful if you manage their expectations by communicating time frames for delivery before their concrete is due.
I was promoted to Manager in 2004 and have enjoyed the job and the challenges it involves. I have had great support and training from a lot of people throughout the Group, and have enjoyed running my own division. My proudest achievement to date was to be awarded the 2008 Best Overall Plant Award by the General Manager, the diamond amongst other awards we collected that year.
I am closing in on 10 years of service with Allied Concrete and am very proud to be involved in such a professional and supportive group. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.
Peter Stringer
Regional Manager Southern: Allied Concrete Limited
Originally from Central Otago, I was brought up in Roxburgh, then moved to Cromwell where I attended Cromwell College with my final year at Dunstan High in Alexandra where I was selected for the school 1st XV rugby team.
Having always had an interest in farming, after leaving school I joined the farm cadet scheme. This placed cadets on various farms over a two year period, to get experience in the practical side of farming. Upon completion of this, I attended Lincoln University studying for a Diploma in Agriculture. For several years after completing my studies I travelled overseas and worked in Scotland and around Australia.
In December 1988, after returning to New Zealand, my wife Chris and I arrived in Christchurch from Australia early one morning, proceeded to the Air New Zealand counter and asked if there were any stand by seats available. The lady at the counter then asked where we wanted to go, to which we replied anywhere in New Zealand as we had no ties and location did not matter. We were advised there were two seats available to Nelson, we took these and have lived in Nelson ever since.
In January 1989 I started with Certified Concrete Nelson Ltd as a concrete batcher / dispatcher. This type of business was totally different to anything I had done in the past. In 1990 Allied Concrete took over ownership of this plant and I was appointed Branch Manager.
Over the next few years I took on various roles within Allied Concrete including Regional Manager of the top of the South Island (including Nelson, Blenheim and Kaikoura); the West Coast of the South Island and Whangarei in the far north. During this time I was also involved in the moving and set up of Allied Concrete mobile plants which are moved to locations nationwide when specific projects require a ready mix concrete plant on site outside of our normal delivery regions.
In 2008 I was given a further challenge which has extended my current region to include Otago/Southland.
Working for Allied Concrete and being part of HW Richardson Group’s great culture, is a challenging and rewarding experience. Being part of this large family-owned company, with the ongoing personal and employment development opportunities, is the reason I am still motivated after 21 years employment within the group.