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BUSINESS IN FOCUS
68 | HIRE
AND
RENTAL
NEWS
| MAY 2012
A start at Kennards Hire, Brookvale straight out of high school on
the recommendation of a next door neighbor kick started what has
become a career in hire for Andrew Lambert.
“I began as a casual driver and service staff at Kennards and stayed
in that role for 12 months while I studied a Business and Real Estate
course at TAFE,” Andrew said. “It was only meant to be an interim job
to help me get where I thought I wanted to be.
“By the end of that first year, I was offered a full time role as service
staff/ driver and proceeded to work my way over the next 12 months
to a Hire Controller role at the Brookvale branch.
“A promotion took me to the Artarmon branch where I stayed for
about 18 months as the assistant manager.
“Another promotion to become Branch Manager took me to
the Mona Vale branch where I remained for two to three years.
We got some good results during the time I was Branch Manager,
becoming the most profitable branch in the company. We won
‘The Second Branch’ nationally and ‘Third Branch’ nationally, in the
annual Kennards Quality of Management awards 2003 and 2004. The
Kennards Quality of Management awards are an annual in-house
awards program recognising excellence in the company.
“It was definitely a big achievement and a highlight of my time at
Kennards.”
Andrew then decided it was time for a change, electing to finally
make some use of his Business and Real Estate diploma.
“I left the hire industry for about two years, to go into property
sales. My motivation after leaving high school was always around
property. I have always enjoyed property and had bought and sold
property personally. I was still only in my mid 20s, newly married and
looking for some more challenges.
“At that time, I felt it was something I needed to do, so I went
straight into sales roles selling myself and my skills.
“Real estate agents don’t have a great name and for a good reason.
It wasn’t so much about the houses I did sell, but more about the ones
I didn’t sell. I guess I was too honest. I had good client relations and
built a lot of good networks and connections. I definitely grew my
ability to relate to people in that period and it certainly helped me to
get where I am today.
“Then I was asked to come back into the Kennards’ fold, to look
after the then new materials handling business, Lift and Shift.
“Allen Besseling was starting Lift and Shift and was looking to work
more strategically in the business. Fundamentally, it was about how I’d
worked previously at Kennards. I’d had some success growing teams
and business in individual stores and that’s what the new role was all
about. I managed the NSW area for Lift and Shift for about five years
before being promoted to Lift and Shift General Manager Australia
wide in October 2010.
“The year since that appointment has been hectic, but brilliant. The
role requires a fair amount of travel and having worked as the NSW
manager, I already had a good relationship with all the Lift and Shift
branch managers. The role is definitely a step up, but at the end of the
day, the buck stops with me and I take that seriously.
Finding a career in hire
From an initial start working as a casual driver immediately
after finishing high school some 12 years ago, to today
being the General Manager of Kennards Lift and Shift,
Andrew Lambert is the perfect example of how far a career
in hire can take you. Here he tells us how he got bitten by
the hire bug and what it takes to make a successful career
in hire.