From the Founder
Contract wins, recruitment drive and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Welcome to this edition of Unstoppable. It’s been another busy period for National Group as we bed down contract wins and expand our workforce.
We’ve hired more than 70 people this year and expect to hire that many again by year’s end. If you know of good people who want a good job at a good company, tell them to contact National Group. We value diversity and are growing quickly.
A recent highlight was National Group’s award of a three-year (plus two) mining-services contract at Yancoal’s Moolarben coal mine in the Western coalfields of NSW.
The lead story in this issue covers the news in more detail. Suffice to say, National Group is delighted to expand its relationship with Yancoal at its world-class Moolarben open-cut coal mine. We appreciate Yancoal’s ongoing support.
The Moorlaben contract continues a sustained period of growth for National Group in the coal sector. In January, National Group extended an equipment contract for Anglo American Australia on its two expanding open-cut coal mines at the Capcoal operations in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland (Lake Lindsay and Oak Park).
Separately, this issue has an interview with Warren Jensen, National Group’s Business Development Manager in Queensland. Warren has been instrumental in National Group’s growth in the coal sector over the past eight years. The interview with Warren is part of our Meet the Manager series.
Also from Queensland is Emily Maddern, National Group’s Regional Maintenance Clerk in the Bowen Basin. Featured in this issue, Emily looks after six National Group sites across the Bowen Basin. She helps keep the wheels turning for more than 100 pieces of National Group equipment and dozens of maintenance staff in that area.
Emily loves her AFL footy, so it was easy decision last year for National Group to support Emily’s team – the Bulldogs AFL club in Central Queensland when it needed water bottles to meet Covid-safe protocols during the pandemic
Although small, that financial support is another example of National Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Our CSR work is expanding into health-related areas and supporting Indigenous communities. This edition has a story on National Group’s support for the Mapoon Aboriginal Community at Port Musgrave on the western Cape York, about 80 kilometres north of Weipa.
National Group donated a refurbished 20-foot container to the community and secured another at a subsidised price. National Heavy Haulage transported the two containers from its Nebo workshop in North Queensland to Mapoon.
We’re also providing jerseys for a touch football tournament in Mapoon that will raise awareness of domestic violence and help provide funds for community initiatives.
This issue concludes with a story on Steve McLachlan, an experienced National Group diesel fitter, who services and repairs our machines at Rio’s East Weipa, Andoom and Amrun mines. Steven is from the Yupungathi people, one of the traditional owners of Old Mapoon. The story showcases National Group’s long involvement at Weipa and our passion for the area and bauxite mining.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Unstoppable and would be delighted if you refer it to colleagues who might also find the information useful.
This e-newsletter is part of National Group’s communication strategy to provide more information about what we do, the people behind our service, and our CSR work with communities.
Mark Ackroyd
Founder and Managing Director
National Group