Peter and Marion Wandel from Peter’s Offroad & Outdoor have built a successful business in Far North Queensland. Established in Cairns in 1994, Peter’s Offroad & Outdoor offers a wide range of services and products – including Polaris ATVs, scooters, mowers, sprayers and spray tanks, battery products, power equipment and spare parts. Brands that the business offers include Argo, Husqvarna, RATO, and Scag amongst others.
After 30 years building their business, Peter and Marion began looking for easier ways to handle internal Human Resources (HR) requirements and improve on an ageing system that was proving time consuming to use.
A meeting with MTA Queensland northern region Area Manager Rebecca McReight would provide the catalyst for that upgrade. Rebecca suggested that MTA Queensland’s Industry Workforce Advisor (IWA) program might provide appropriate advice and assistance. Subsequent conversations with IWA Kelvin Millar would result in Peter and Marion applying for the State Government-funded $5000 HR grant and, after completing a workforce business plan with Kelvin’s help, enlisting HR consultancy business HR Dynamics to develop a strategy to bring their systems up to modern standards.
Working with Kelvin and MTA Queensland to apply successfully for the grant and be guided through the planning process was, said Peter, a great experience for both he and Marion.
“The workforce planning program has been great, not only for our business, but for us personally,” he said. “Kelvin was really helpful and helped map out what we need to work on. We feel far more in control of our business now and not so frustrated.”
For Kelvin, the result highlights the benefits that the IWA program can bring to the industry and to businesses and owners who are always busy and looking for ways to streamline and simplify their workload. Important to note too is that Peter’s Offroad & Outdoor are not members of MTA Queensland, highlighting the Association’s efforts through the IWA program to help all automotive businesses address workforce challenges, diversify their workforces, and support workforce and productivity growth.
While the HR challenge for Peter’s Offroad & Outdoor appears to have been met, the relationship with MTA Queensland will continue.
“Working with Peter and Marion in conjunction with HR Dynamics has been a pleasure,” said Kelvin. “I look forward to a field trip to Cairns in the coming months to meet in person and discuss any potential issues with which I may be able to assist.”
The Industry Workforce Advisor program is funded by the Queensland Government as part of the Good People, Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (August 2024)
28 August 2024