In this month Employee Spotlight we focus on Store Manager Peter Oates as he reflects on his career at Redox.
When did you start at Redox, and what was your first role?
I started in May of 2005, when I was only 22 years old, as a store coordinator/accounts clerk/receptionist.
Seventeen years later, you are still here; how has your career advanced since such a humble beginning?
I’ve had several different roles but my current role as Warehouse Manager for the last 15 years has been the most fulfilling.
What is it about Redox that keeps you here?
The freedom to adapt and learn. Redox has always allowed me space to build my knowledge, extend the capability of the warehouse and consistently improve as time goes by. You feel supported here.
What’s your most stand-out personal or professional achievement while working at Redox?
Over the past five years, I have been working on and learning how to manage a Major Hazard Facility, which is considered the highest level of certification in chemical storage.
In 2021 I created and submitted the Safety Case, Assessment and Management System to Safe Work South Australia. Very few people in South Australia can claim to have achieved that.
I also undertook my Bachelor of Business Supply Chain Management Degree which I fit around my very demanding role.
You mentioned feeling supported earlier. Is that a quality you think Redox embodies, or are there other stand-out qualities that make employees feel valued?
Support is a major one for me. I have found this at all levels of Redox, and it’s now what I try to apply most with my staff.
Being able to make suggestions and be heard is so important in making people feel like they are a part of the team and not just working for one.
What strategies do you see Redox employing to stay ahead of its competition?
With Adelaide being such a small community, the need for adaptability and speed of service has been essential. Many of our competitors do not have the large warehouse or presence in this state to match Redox.
Also, management has consistently invested in warehousing and certifications to ensure continued and uninterrupted supply to all customers.
Health and safety must be a primary focus for running any warehouse; what’s distinctive about our warehouse in Adelaide, and what are the challenges?
In South Australia, we are a unique warehouse for Redox, operating as the only Major Hazard Facility. This certification has compelled the branch to create and maintain a very high level of safety.
We’ve had to develop many complex systems whose sole focus is to keep Redox, customers and the local community safe.
What could have been. “Manchester United” team line up for the cameras before kick off during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea – a man can dream, right?
What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
Redox is very lucky. Before I accepted the role here, I swear I was only a season away from a contract with Manchester United.
It turns out about 15 years early as now they’d probably have me. Currently, I’m working with Liverpool fans that I hired.