Keith - Site Manager

I’ve worked in construction for 35 years, and I’ve been with Cape/TCC for 17 years now, so I’ve a good in-depth knowledge of the industry and plenty of management experience. Over the years I’ve been involved in scaffolding, insulation, coatings and rope access operations for major clients like Alcoa Australia, Amec, Thor Construction, Dowers Engineering and Western Construction. In recent years I’ve been in charge of safety advisors, foremen and up to 70 people at a time.

Keith - Site Manager, Alcoa Kwinana, Western Australia

My key responsibilities are upholding Cape’s excellent safety standards, maintaining productivity and positive relationships with Alcoa’s on-site teams and support staff. By striving for the best results possible in these and other areas, we can continue to compete at the highest level for maintenance contracts across Australia.

I first worked for Cape many years ago in the UK, on new gas power station construction projects, and came to Australia in 1994 where I joined TCC. 14 years later when Cape acquired TCC, I felt like I was re-joining the family. My experience means I’ve been able to mentor and train several Cape people over the years, and it’s really rewarding to see them move on to roles they really enjoy and get a lot out of. I think Cape’s approach to helping people develop their careers is a big part of its success. I’ve sensed a real team spirit since re-joining Cape, which supports and encourages people to achieve their potential. It has helped me establish and develop many strong relationships, on both personal and professional levels.

A typical day for me – if there is such a thing – starts at 6.30am when I meet site supervisors to discuss day-to-day running, upcoming projects, productivity and manning levels on the various projects I’m responsible for, and to deal with any issues as they arise. My main point of contact is the site superintendent, who coordinates work crews and manages workloads across the site. My role recently expanded to supervision and mentoring at some of Alcoa’s other locations nearby, at Pinjarra and Wagerup, so I’m out and about a lot. I’m pretty free to manage my days and prioritise my workload, which is both challenging and rewarding. It’s really satisfying to have earned the trust to make this role my own, and to do it to the best of my ability. I think the support from Cape’s higher management and office-based staff is excellent, and encourages all of us to work hard and enjoy what we do.