I started my working career as a Clerical Cadet for the NCHB (North Canterbury Hospital Board) before joining the DSIR (department of Scientific & Industrial Research) here in Lincoln ChCh as an Entomologist. After several years at the DSIR I then moved from Government based research work to commercially industry-based R&D rolls for Ciba Geigy, Bayer, and ICI. My time at these organisations involved R&D work developing, testing, and proving an array of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and mouldicide for the representative commercial sales teams to take to market.
Interestingly, several of the fungicides I was testing are now being used in the Timber preservation field. After finishing with my R&D roll at ICI I then entered the Timber Preservation world.
I have been in this industry for 34 years now. My initial roll in this field was with Hickson’s Timber Impregnation as a Technical sales rep. Hickson’s later merged to form Koppers Hickson, followed by a further merger to form Koppers Arch. I left Koppers Arch when we founded TimTech Chemicals (TTC) in 2001. I was one of the founding members of TTC and was the GM Sales & Service for TTC when we were acquired by Azelis. My current roll is as the Business Unit Manager for TimTechChem – A Division of Azelis NZ Ltd. We manufacture and sell a range of timber preservatives and antisapstain chemistry as well as provide engineering and technical services to the industry.