In high-pressure industrial environments, technical capability matters. But for Geordie, a mechanical fitter and supervisor at BRE Services, the strength of a team it is also built on trust, respect and the confidence that the people around you will show up properly.
“When you’re working 10 or 12 hours a day, you’re spending more time with the boys at work than you are with your family,” Geordie says. “Everyone at BRE is very supportive. Everyone gets around one another. It’s just a good environment.”
That environment matters in a business like BRE, where teams work across complex industrial sites, major automation projects and high-value production environments, where a grid line of robots can be worth $64 million dollars. The work requires precision, initiative and the ability to make good decisions under pressure. It also requires people who can operate as a genuine team.
For Geordie BRE Services’ culture is less about ego and more about getting the work done properly. Jordan believes it starts with leadership and works its way through the business.
“Jordan is a down to earth, approachable and well-rounded CEO who has an incredible vision for BRE. Because he interacts with the teams- and we have 150 staff, so there is a few of us- and you get that recognition, and you think, ‘okay, that’s who I’m working for and you carry that confidence with you on site.’”
Geordie says when management is accessible, grounded and involved, it changes the tone of the workplace. People feel seen. “We then understand the standard and we know the business is not being run from a distance.” He says this influences the entire culture of BRE which- which is critical given BRE’s technical standard depends on more than individual competence. “Teams are developed for precision, working to a high-quality standard, showing initiative, and the expectations are clear- in our job, you have to be very thorough,” Geordie says.
“You have to be switched on- always. A dopped ball bearing or a little nut on a track, can flip the robot which are worth about $250,000 each,” he says. Some projects having approximately $70 million worth of robots on each grid.
While that variety and responsibility can be demanding, Geordie says it also builds stronger tradespeople.
“Working across different sites and sectors gives BRE’s teams exposure to a wide range of systems, standards and client expectations. You become familiar with systems and you’re able to adapt,” he says.
“One day you might be in a pharmaceutical plant, the next day you might be at Nestlé, and the day after that you might be at Cobbs Popcorn,” Geordie says.
“It keeps you on your toes. It keeps your mind fresh, and I know its good for my long term career path.”
Adaptability is especially important as industry changes. “Wherever there are robots, we are always there,” he says. “Someone has to fix the robot, install the robot or carry out servicing.”
While the work is fascinating, for him, his career at BRE Services is both technical and personal. As a supervisor, he is building his career in a business that develops from within, gives him exposure to major industrial projects, and has a supportive culture, at a time in his life when he can make work his primary focus.
“While I’m young, fit and able, I’ll work as hard as I can now, develop my skills and continue to improve so I can cruise a bit more when I’m older.”
In a sector where skill shortages are growing and industrial environments are becoming more complex, Geordie is the proof point that BRE’s advantage to is not only in the systems it works on. It is in the people it brings together — and the culture that allows them to do their best work.
