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Introducing our Operations Coordinator Deane Rose! Deane joined us in 2022 and brought with him a range of experience, including 3 years as an Assistant Winemaker in Waipara Winery followed by 6 years as the operations manager for an Australian Winery.
After 30 years of working across several different industries, Deane wanted to find a place where he could not only work for an organisation but work with them too. Oak Tree has welcomed this attitude as we continue to build our organisation and expand into new areas.
Particularly this has been valuable as we are faced with the challenges of managing staff and staffing levels. Deane says “Having mostly unskilled staff with various barriers to employment on our books, makes for a new and challenging angle… Also staff not turning up to work adds a little extra spice to the mix. The Bonus Pay system put in place last November, that rewards devanner reliability, helps with this aspect,”
In his time with us, a highlight for Deane was going to Auckland to help coordinate operations during the start-up phase of our expansion into Auckland. This was a big step for Oak Tree and something Deane looks forward to developing over the next few years. “The constant development of ProDevan means that we can remotely run a devanning operation from any location. Auckland being a great example of this. So with that in mind, expansion into areas such as Tauranga, Hamilton, and Sydney are possible, and on the horizon,” he says.
Deane has enjoyed working alongside our staff and seeing them develop themselves. He says “I see people going from either long-term unemployment, health issues, parole constraints, living in a car or struggling with addiction issues, to working, making money, getting out of the house, meeting people, and generally making a better life for themselves. Oak Tree is able to offer a little more financial security to some, which is an important building block in stabilising their lives. It is rewarding to be a part of that,”.
It’s awesome to see Oak Tree progress in this way and have the capable hands of Deane on the job. When he’s not managing staffing levels, recruiting, covering staff or even devanning containers, Deane enjoys spending time on his motorbike. “If it is sunny, I will be dropping my dogs off at daycare, getting on my motorbike and riding anywhere the sun is brightest. Tekapo, Kaikoura, Arthurs Pass, Akaroa and anywhere in between,”
It’s awesome to have Deane with us and to see his hard work pay off as we grow and expand. We look forward to more exciting developments in the years to come!