Business South August 2021

28 | Training commitment underpins success With a team of 35 full time permanent staff and 20 casual workers, Rai Siviculture works throughout the Marlborough and Nelson regions. “I started small, but I grew big because I took the challenge to find and train staff so that we can deliver the best quality work for our clients.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Marlborough - Rai Silviculture T Richard Loader F or Marlborough’s Rai Silviculture, achieving success in both awards it was nominated for at this year’s Top of the South Island Forestry Awards attests to the company’s focus on quality and a passion for training its people. Employing a team of 35 full time permanent staff and 20 casual workers Rai Silviculture won both Training Company/Contractor of the Year and the Forestry Excellence Award for outstanding work in the region’s silviculture. The work of silviculture involves the estab- lishment of plantation forests from planting, spraying, thinning and pruning to maximise returns for the forest owners. The company’s success reflects its journey over the last fifteen years and the passion its Czech born managing director has for devel- oping people. David Koubek arrived in New Zealand in 2003 after studying forestry management and working for a large forestry company in the Czech Republic. Commencing work for Rai Silviculture in 2004, when the opportunity arose to buy the small company in 2006 Dave embraced the challenge. Initially employing three staff and providing silviculture services on small private woodlots, when that work became scarce David secured contracts with large forest management com- panies in the region and the business began to grow significantly. But it wasn’t till 2015 and a personal health scare that real change began to happen. “I was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc and could no longer work in the business,” says David. “I had to make a decision about what I was going to do and in 2016 restructured the busi- ness establishing two crews. “I also became a certified training assessor so that I could be hands-on training people in the business, give them a silvilculture certifica- tion and grow the business that way.” Based in Blenheim and now operating four crews working full time in Marlborough and one crew in Nelson, as Rai Silviculture has continued to grow so too has its structure. “I now have a personal assistant, and my wife looks after the administration and HR. I have a production manager, a health and safety and training co-ordinator, and five crew managers overseeing five different crews.” In 2018 David achieved what no-one else had ever achieved in New Zealand’s silvicul- ture industry. Through Immigration New Zealand David became an accredited employer, which enabled him to help his employees, many of whom were foreigners, work towards residency. “It took me nine months to achieve that accreditation, it wasn’t easy. But it demon- strated that we were doing the right thing in our business, that we have the right resourc- es, pay the right money, do the right training, and that we do try to employ New Zealanders and train them.” David says the biggest challenge facing the silviculture industry is labour shortage, em- ploying staff, training them and making sure they are compliant. “Whoever is trained in silviculture has a job, but there is more work available than there are qualified people. “I started small, but I grew big because I took the challenge to find and train staff so that we can deliver the best quality work for our clients. My passion is providing quality training and to see people grow personally and professionally.” 8 Nelson St, Blenheim | 03 577 9933 | 027 541 5720 | sales@mikesmowers.co.nz STIHL SHOP BLENHEIM 30 Redwood St. | 03 578 3600 or 027 234 5682 | stihlshopblenheim.co.nz The STIHL MS 500i is the first Chainsaw in the world to feature electronically controlled fuel injection, making it a true innovation. With outstanding performance and exceptionally high torque, the MS 500i is in a class of it’s own.