Diversification a key to success – InDaily

Tom Glazbrook and his partners have taken Mine Tech Engineering from a fabrication business in Roxy Downs to a full service company working across defence and renewables.
In 2014, Glazbrook had the recipe for a new business. Glazbrook, business partner Matt Glasser and two boilermakers came together in an empty Roxby Downs shed to create engineering, fabrication and construction company Mine Tech Engineering.
Today he has helped grow the company 35 per cent year on year to generating around $70 million this financial year and employing 250 people and has expanded from his outback base to a warehouse in Edinburgh.
Glazbrook, 37, is passionate about creating a healthy workplace for his staff, offering opportunities for staff to upskill and build their career and make space for a diverse team of people to participate.
“We have been successful by being a great place to work with our strong work culture and upskilling in-house,” Glazbrook said.
“We provide a lot of opportunities for our people who want to expand their skill set and career by investing in training.”
But maintaining and growing a skilled workforce is also one of the challenges Glazbrook has faced over the years.
“We are as flexible as possible to accommodate our people’s personal life circumstances and reach an equitable work-life balance,” Glazbrook said.
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“We have been able to attract and retain people by being considerate and understanding of personal demands especially when people are required to work remotely from their loved ones.
“We understand that retaining valuable people is preferred to continual recruitment efforts which are costly and not always successful.”
He said everyone needs to embrace diversity in our communities and also welcome this diversity into our workplaces.
“I believe I have become a better leader by ‘knowing my workforce’ at a personal and professional level without imposing on their beliefs and lifestyles,” Glazbrook said.
For his work in providing jobs for rural communities, Glazbrook won the Regional and Rural Award presented by Business SA for the individual who demonstrates influence and leadership in contributing to the prosperity of a rural or regional business and community.
Glazbrook said they are diversifying the business into defence, hydrogen and renewables.
“We are looking to maximise the potential of our capabilities at our Edinburgh premises via increasing our employee numbers in our Adelaide facility from 50-150 in the coming 18-24 months,” he said.
“We are also looking to increase our interstate customer base and bring in work from these areas into SA.”
The company has also sponsored and supported many local sporting and community groups as well as some national causes.
“I am a born and bred SA countryman who has a passion for what I do and for helping my state,” Glazbrook said.
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