14 | T T Kelly Deeks Past and future woven into Genia Genia employs over 100 people in the Tasman region and offers opportunities for qualifications or apprenticeships, and access to both internal and external training. Tasman: Genia REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Genia represents our future, our desire to succeed beyond our generation, and the aspiration to build partnerships that stand through time.” In 1870, Joseph Hewetson established a sawmilling venture on a corner of his Motueka farm and ran it with his children. Neither he nor they could have known this was the start of their family’s very long and successful association with timber processing at the top of the South. The Hewetson family was still farming in Motueka in the 1990s when they needed to diversify in order to sustain their expanding family. Mark Hewetson purchased Motueka Lumber Company (MLC), a small operation which manufactured pickets and timber componentry. Under his management, the company shifted its focus to processing low-grade sawn timber into high-value products. Through timber shortages in the 1990s, MLC diversified and increased its product offering, thriving by embracing technology and expanding its talent pool. In June 2021, 150 years after the first log was cut in a Hewetson-owned sawmill, Mark’s son Harvey, now managing director, with his two-year-old son by his side, and his father and his grandfather in the audience, introduced the MLC team to their company’s new identity – Genia. “The generational shift in the company is clear, but Genia means more than that,” Mark says. “Genia represents our long history with timber, the generations of the past, and the experience gained and passed on. It represents the new generation of people, our current team, and the motivation to grow and build on what we have. Genia represents our future, our desire to succeed beyond our generation, and the aspiration to build partnerships that stand through time.” Genia employs over 100 people in the Tasman region, and with a culture of continuous improvement, the company is seeking skilled people who can help them reach company goals. As a company, Genia in return strives to help their people reach their goals and build their knowledge and capabilities. Emma Nell, Genia’s People and Culture Coordinator, explains that in a competitive job market “we have to be a bit more creative about how we promote our employment opportunities”. Genia has worked with HainesAttract, a recruitment marketing agency, to develop their employment brand. “We’re not just promoting a job, we’re promoting Genia - our company culture and what it’s like to be in this workplace,” Emma says. In partnership with HainesAttract, Genia explored what their people valued about working there. One of the obvious benefits was the free firewood and rejects, with one team member building his entire garden shed out of timber at no cost. Aside from this, a four day work week, a profit-sharing scheme, and long service rewards are just some of the additional benefits available to the team. Hitting targets is always a cause for celebration at Genia, and whether it’s done by machines or people, a sausage roll shout is never far behind. Genia has a flexible approach and works with its people to accommodate their needs wherever possible. Whether it’s a side hustle that requires different hours of work, an extended period of leave for personal circumstances, or some professional development to help them achieve their career goals, Genia supports its people in various ways. Emma says there are leadership and advanced technical role career pathways for Genia’s people to move into, with opportunities for qualifications or apprenticeships, and access to both internal and external training. Genia has some exciting projects in the pipeline for both its people, products, and operations. 0800 436 755 10 Cargill Place, Richmond Onsite Forklift Compliance Specialists Celebrating over 30 years in business 100%New Zealand Owned & Operated Sales, Rental, Service & Parts Proud to support Genia
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