78 | Nigel goes from strength-to-strength Brown and Shanley has been serving the local farming community since 1972. The team at B&S have diversified into a liquid fert sprayer Richard Loader “ He was nervous about the phone interview, and when we went to Wellington there was another process where he had to put his story to the judges in person. He was up against two other very good ‘go getter’ candidates, but on the day, Nigel shone through.” RURAL SERVICES » Brown & Shanley Bulk Spreading Ltd Three years after being given the opportunity to take on the role of groundspread truck driver, 27-year-old Nigel Nunn has won the ‘Ravensdown Young Achievers’ award at the 2022 Groundspread Awards, recently held in Wellington. After several years rehabilitation following a serious motocross accident, Nigel responded to a Facebook advert placed by North Waikato firm Brown & Shanley Bulk Spreading. Gordon Dobbs’ family has owned and operated the well-known Taupiri based business since 1983, and says Nigel started with the company as a ‘bit of a whirlwind’, and as a young man with lots of fresh ideas, and who didn’t need too much training. “We said, righto, here’s your truck — go for it. We were pretty much in the middle of the season and for Nigel it was sink or swim. He chose to swim. Once he understood the business and how it operated, he went from strength-to-strength, and has become a key member of the team. It’s hard to believe where Nigel has come from in terms of his injuries, and he is also dyslexic, but doesn’t let any of that hold him back. We nominated Nigel because he had come along in leaps and bounds since starting with the business, and that’s what the judges saw too. You couldn’t fault why he was nominated and you couldn’t fault him as a candidate.” Gordon says winning the award was huge for Nigel, and a very emotional experience. “Nigel had never won anything before. Even to be nominated was a big thing — and there were tears then. He was nervous about the phone interview, and when we went to Wellington there was another process where he had to put his story to the judges in person. He was up against two other very good ‘go getter’ candidates, but on the day, Nigel shone through. Nigel brings enthusiasm, energy and a great deal of passion to the business, particularly around the use of GPS mapping technology that’s helping to bring Brown & Shanley Bulk Spreading into the 21st century.” In addition to his main driving role, Nigel has taken on responsibility for Health and Safety, along with training new drivers and making recommendations for courses they could take. The Groundspread awards have been held since 2019, and Gordon himself won the President’s award in its inaugural year. “We’ve now won two awards since the start of the awards. That’s huge recognition for a small company.” Brown and Shanley has been serving the local farming community since 1972 and Gordon’s father, Doug, commenced with the business in 1978 as an 18-year-old, buying the business in 1983 — the year Gordon was born. Having worked in the business for the past 15 years, Gordon now looks after the day-to-day management, while his mother, Carol, provides the helpful and friendly voice behind the phone, providing customer service from the office. “Our success comes down to being a family owned and operated business, delivering a personalised service to our clients,” says Gordon. No doubt, team members like Nigel Nunn add to that friendly, personalised and accurate service. • Truck Parts • Trailer Parts • European & Japanese • ADBLUE Contact us on 0800 404 100 for your parts requirements www.multispares.co.nz Quality parts with Professional Service at Competitive Prices 17 Maui Street Hamilton 07 8492943 K & L Distributors Ltd 2 Curly McLeod Way Mt Maunganui 07 5743001 K & L Distributors BOP Ltd www.kandldistributors.co.nz
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