A changing Hydro

Geoff Richardson
Training technologist
35 years
‘Loyalty both ways’
My father started at this site in 1952 and left in 1985 as BXL’s
personnel manager. I started in 1972 when my father got me a
position on the Resin Plant after I had served time in the Royal
Artillery and other local employment. My son Michael works
here, too, in the warehouse.
It was really manual, very hard work. I started on the bottom
rung of the ladder, cleaning. I worked through the department
to become shift manager, followed by Maintenance Shutdown
Coordinator, now my current position is Training Technologist.
You get some experience with people after 35 years. I’ve
mellowed – there was no one more pigheaded than I was. You
could say I’ve got a degree in life.
It’s a shame that it’s the route Hydro thinks we have to go.
I like Hydro. But this is just another challenge. Yara has done
well – we’ll do well.
This is a fantastic site. A lot has happened over the last
25 years. When the site was owned by BXL there were 1,500
people here, now we have just under 400. I’d like to say it’ll
be here 50 years from now.
Loyalty has worked both ways. A lot of people here enjoy
coming to work, and Hydro has been good for the site.
I could take my pension, but I don’t have any desire to retire.
I moved up from the bottom, and I still have energy and moti-
vation.
Carolle Land
Personnel officer
11 years
‘Rise to the challenge’
A changing Innovation Hydro hi! 21
I’ll have been here 12 years in May. I started in a secretarial role, and after
a couple of years moved into HR; my current position is Personnel Officer.
I love interacting with people, we have an open-door policy where
people can come in and talk confidentially. HR is there to help support
and advise the workforce. These are exciting times.
I was here during a possible takeover a number of years ago. They
were our main competitor and a lot of people didn’t want to go with them.
We all breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t go through.
From a workforce point of view, we’ve had some tough years, not
defined as a core business and being for sale. But we continue to do
our best irrespective of what is going on. The workforce always adjusts.
Every month is a challenge, and we rise to that challenge. Whatever
we’re asked to do, we do more. It’s in the fabric of what we do here,
continually looking to improve.
With this divestment, we all know it’s definitely going to happen, people
will carry on regardless. We’re really quite proud of our workforce and
their achievements. Whatever happens, our workforce has a lot to give.
People want to come and work for us. There is a lot of opportunity for
people here to move within the organization.
There are mixed emotions. Of the just under 400 employees, about
120 have more than 25 years’ service. These employees have seen a lot
of changes.
It’s to be expected that these are worrying times for some people.
People will have worries for themselves and for the site, it’s their bread
and butter. We are not frightened of hard work and I know we will rise to
the challenge.