8 | ‘From driving a truck to driving a desk’ Richard Loader Grahame Howell: “It has been such a good company to work for that, 31 years later, I’m still here.” ENERGY Waitomo Group: 75th Anniversary New Zealand’s preferred Compliance Certifiers for the Hazardous Substances certification. Proud to be certifying the Waitomo Group since 2006 with expert knowledge, efficiency and because we get the job done! www.infernoconsultants.co.nz 07 827 3999 What’s driven the success of Waitomo over the last 75 years? Simple – He tangata, he tangata, he tangata – the people; and one of those people is Grahame Howell. With 31 years’ service in various roles, Grahame is one of the company’s longest serving staff members, and a strong ambassador for the family-owned business. Born and bred in Te Kuiti, Grahame and his wife Donna were about to move to Tauranga, when Waitomo advertised a job driving tankers supplying fuel to farm and commercial customers – and it was based in Te Kuiti. “I thought that would be a way of staying local, so I applied for the job and went out for a day’s driving so that I could be assessed,” says Grahame. “I was offered the job, and I said to Donna, let’s give it a go and if it’s any good, we’ll stick around. “It has been such a good company to work for that, 31 years later, I’m still here.” For most of Grahame’s driving career he looked after farmers and commercial customers within the King Country and says the best part of the role was liaising with and developing strong relationships with them. “I was given quite a bit of autonomy and the freedom of the job really appealed to me. Being out in the truck and not doing the same run every day within the region was also very rewarding. “Everything was done on a monthly cycle. It wasn’t as though I travelled the same road back and forth, back and forth and was on a first name basis with each and every pothole.” Grahame loved his role so much that he travelled the King Country roads for the best part of 28 years until Waitomo offered him an Account Manager’s role, looking after customers from Te Awamutu right down to New Plymouth. “I felt, yeah, 28 years is a long enough apprenticeship – I’ve just passed that test, so I will give the Accounts Manager job a go. “Waitomo wanted someone who knew the company, knew how it worked and could make an easy transition to the role rather than employing someone new into the business. “From driving a truck to driving a desk it was a huge learning curve, but the rest of the sales team were incredibly supportive and helpful in the transition. “...the drivers are often the face of the company and there was always a lot of PR involved, listening to the customers’ concerns and taking them back to the Account Managers.” “Also, the drivers are often the face of the company and there was always a lot of PR involved, listening to the customers’ concerns and taking them back to the Account Managers. Often the commercial customers would call me at home if they needed fuel or had some issue, so, I had been dealing with customers anyway.” Mid-way through last year, Waitomo needed an extra person in the Fleet Team, and once again looked at Grahame because of his significant driving experience. “My role in the Fleet Team is Service and Compliance, which is making sure the engines are serviced. “If the driver encounters an issue while on the road, they can call me and I will try to help them over the phone to get them mobile, or a get a serviceman out to them. “There’s also the dangerous goods side and there’s so much that has to be ticked off to remain compliant. “Every three months the tankers come off the road and go through a checklist, with any issues programmed for repair.” Grahame says while he loved his time on the road, and being an Account Manager, he has found his passion with Fleet Team role, as it enables him to utilise his knowledge and help the drivers. Grahame’s passion for helping people has extended to his personal life and he has been a volunteer fireman for 35 years. “There have been some sleepless nights, but I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie of the brigade and being able to help the community.” Looking back on his career, Grahame says he has loved his time with Waitomo, and has enjoyed being an ambassador for the company.
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