Meet Brian Hutchins
Pahiatua Plant Manager and Chief of Woodville Volunteer Fire Brigade Brian Hutchins has been protecting and supporting his local community for 25 years.
To mark his quarter century of service with Woodville Fire Brigade, Brian recently received his Gold Star and credits this milestone to the support of his family, his wife and two children.
“You can’t do it without family support. I believe that 25 years is not just my 25 years,” he says. Brian was born and raised in Woodville. Outside of work, he spends most of his free time at the Woodville Fire Brigade and he says he has been fortunate to volunteer with great people.
“I’ve been very lucky with the last three Chiefs I’ve served under. We also have a great team in the brigade, they will do anything to help out.”
As a Plant Manager, Brian manages 38 staff across two milk powder plants. His favourite part about the role is being able to connect with his team and the wider site everyday.
He has spent about 39 years at the Pahiatua site starting his journey in 1984 as a Dairy Cadet for Tui Co-op Dairy. After completing his Diploma in Dairy at Massey University, Brian ventured overseas based in London for a couple of years before returning to Pahiatua as a cleaner and then stepped into a Shift Supervisor and Process Manager role.
“Over the years, I have been very lucky to attend various leadership courses, including a Diploma in Competitive Manufacturing Management with support from the Co-op,” Brian says.
You can’t do it without family support. I believe that 25 years is not just my 25 years.
When Plant 3 was built at Pahiatua site in 2014, Brian started as the Operational Readiness Lead for the project and in 2015 appointed Plant Manager in 2015 for its debut season.
“Being involved in the development of a new plant and managing its first season are some of my proudest moments with the Co-op.”