National Conveyor Service: A Catalyst for Shut-Down Success

Fenner Conveyors has launched a national service model that has been a catalyst for contributing to some of Western Australia’s major shutdowns.

With over 80 years of operations in Australia, Fenner is well known for its conveyor belting products and services, including belt splicing and refurbishment.

The company has had a strong labour force on the East Coast, operating since the early 80s. Now, with exponential growth in Western Australia and the ongoing demands for Fenner Conveyors’ expertise, it was time the business realigned for a holistic approach to conveyor service.

Operating with Australia’s largest service footprint, leaders were coordinated across Fenner Conveyors' 30 service centre locations.

Regional Manager – Queensland, Jamie Taylor, said the business has seen benefits resulting from the collaborative coordination of service planning teams.

“Our planners have been integral to the success of change in approach. It was a big change but we’re much better off for it. Now, the national service model gives us visibility across Australia to pull labour as required from other regions, supplementing work demand and improving labour utilisation," Taylor explained.

The national service model has benefited both Fenner Conveyors and its customers, ensuring everyone’s safety and enabling a more efficient delivery of high-quality conveyor solutions.

Regional Manager – Western Australia, Andrew Doyle, said there was a time where the business was struggling to crew shutdowns to customer expectations.

“It was a wake-up call for us – we needed a solution that would support our continuous growth, and we needed it fast!”

Earlier this year, Fenner Conveyors had two major shuts for customers in the Pilbara scheduled in parallel. Having implemented the national service model, the company was able to crew and execute both shuts perfectly with 30 team members travelling to Western Australia to support the maintenance works required.

“We pulled people from Mackay, Townsville and Victoria," said Doyle.

"For the first time, we were able to take a whole-of-company approach, bringing together the diversity of our brands, skill sets, and experience - this is what sets us apart.”

Executive General Manager of Service, Brett McMillan, said the national service model has opened up opportunities for career development and field experience for Fenner Conveyors’ employees.

“Some of our people who traditionally worked in coal environments now have opportunities to work in hard-rock environments, which they otherwise would have never been afforded. This adds a unique benefit of working at Fenner Conveyors compared to other conveyor service providers in the industry.”