Summit Cranes director Joshua Shields has forged a path that in just a few short years has people taking notice.
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The Dubbo-based crane and rigging company has in the past 12 months taken on new markets in both Australia and Papua New Guinea and tripled its casual labour pool, he reports.
Now Mr Shields is the newly-crowned Outstanding Young Business Leader in the region.
He said he was humbled to receive the 2021 Western NSW Business Awards accolade, announced on October 15.
"Being a role model for Dubbo and the western NSW community, I hope it inspires more young people in Dubbo and the western NSW community to step up, take responsibility and embrace challenging circumstances no matter what may come," he said.
Summit Cranes was recognised for its efforts meeting the challenges of 2020 at Dubbo Chamber of Commerce's Salute to Dubbo Business event 12 months ago, and Mr Shields said then he intended to grow the 400-strong casual labour pool to 1000 people.
There's been no resting on laurels for the business that brought up its fourth anniversary in September.
"COVID did make business challenging, but challenges are something we embrace and I'm proud to say we exceed that to about 1200 people across Australia, strengthening our foothold in Papua New Guinea and Western Australia," Mr Shields said.
Among the highs of the past 12 months were taking on new markets in Papua New Guinea, sponsoring "our local sports teams CYMS, the Dubbo Bulls, South Dubbo Raiders and the South Sydney Rabbitohs game" at Dubbo and hitting the company's diversity targets as an equal opportunity employer, Mr Shields said.
It had not all been plain sailing, with Mr Shields reporting of one of his employees being medivacked out of Papua New Guinea to Cairns Hospital because of a serious illness that lasted three months and baffled doctors.
"We supported his wife and parents, myself talking to them every day to ensure the best care for our staff and his family but I'm happy to say he's back to work now currently in Sydney," Mr Shields said.
The mice at Dubbo, which the team "fought relentlessly" for some time were another low on the director's list.
Mr Shields attributed his success to his team and the people around him and "those that hold me responsible, our clients, our competition and my kids Tyler and Ava" and embracing anything that challenged them.
"Challenges, innovation and growth" are what's next, the director says.
"We have our second stage ISO accreditation audit on December 3, which we are confident we will pass and achieve ISO accreditation in Environmental, Quality and Safety Management," Mr Shields said.
There would also be new assets to allow the company to take on new markets and business relationships, Mr Shields said.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
