POWERTORQUE WITH EVAN KELLY

Even amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis—which has put many under strain—businesses and organisations are still working hard to provide essential goods and services, such as in agriculture and the emergency services. And at Isuzu Power Solutions (IPS), the team similarly remains active, making sure that customers get the power solutions they need. Join us as we speak to the man behind the scenes at IPS, Evan Kelly. Evan’s job is to assemble and test every generator set (GenSet) and power unit before they are allowed out of the warehouse. In his line of work as Product Assistant, he works hard with a singular focus—to ensure every IPS unit delivers on the promise of quality. In our latest edition of the Isuzu Power Solutions newsletter, Evan spoke to us about his work and how he came to be at IPS. How did you come to work at Isuzu Power Solutions? I began my career as an apprentice in aviation, spending over 13 years in maintenance, repair and modification of aircraft structural elements. I worked with Qantas Airways for more than seven years before moving to Boeing at Port Melbourne, and after that I spent another year with Jetstar at Tullamarine. I’d say that aviation has some of the toughest regulations and you need to have a lot of integrity working in the industry. They set a very high bar for workers, and I’ve been lucky to have that experience early on in my career. Besides my love for the work I do, I’ve also always had a passion for golf. I actually side-tracked a little and trained with a professional PGA squad for about 12 months. But then this great opportunity cropped up at Isuzu Power Solutions and I went for it, and now here I am. How has the transition been from aviation to engines? It’s been quite a significant change coming from inspecting and repairing aircraft and into a manufacturing environment. At Isuzu I’m working with brand new parts, fitting them together so the product is ready for operation in its specific operating environment… but my previous work in aviation was different, where I was doing routine checks and maintenance. On the whole, however, I think my transition has gone pretty smoothly. In my opinion, when you’re involved in any type of engineering work, you’ve got to have a background in mechanics, and the knowledge and skills are transferable. I have a firm understanding of mechanical componentry and systems, which is vital to the job. Tell us a bit about your role in the Isuzu warehouse? Our engines come from Japan, but I assemble GenSets and power units at our IPS facility here in Truganina, using local parts. I also have a lot of other tasks, such as housekeeping and 5S duties, maintenance, inspection of our building’s generators, and other OHS activities. My aim is to give Isuzu customers the best quality product, so my job isn’t just routine assembly work. When a product is put together, it can fit well, or you can take it to a level where it fits perfectly. In my role, an intimate knowledge of Isuzu’s parts and products is needed, so I know what needs particular attention during assembly. I always take that extra minute to work on those areas because that’s the IPS point of difference—the quality of build and attention to detail. How are you enjoying the working environment? I started at Isuzu in the middle of 2016, so it’s been nearly four years now. It hasn’t been a huge amount of time, but it’s been long enough to truly understand the Isuzu business environment and how everything comes together. I can comfortably say that Isuzu is a company that pushes you to become better at what you do. They encourage you to learn, upskill and really reach for the stars. This is a company that doesn’t operate just for the sake of operating, or merely for the bottom line. They care about their people. They want to grow and build their people up as much as they want the brand to succeed. What do you think is the most important quality to have in this industry? Being open-minded and taking the time to explore every opportunity. There are many opportunities here to grow, both personally and professionally, and if you’re open to them, you’ll progress. What’s the best part of your job? We do a lot of work with emergency services, so knowing that our product is out there fighting fires is quite rewarding. Seeing the collective efforts of the team, from proof of concept, research and development through to assembly and testing—it’s all very gratifying. I also really enjoy working with everyone at IPS. I’ve been truly blessed to work with such a cultured and intelligent team… they’re people I can talk to and learn from. Sometimes you spend more time at work than you do at home, so it’s important to be working with good people.