Hall of Fame

Age 17. In my last year at school I really had no idea what I wanted to do and saw add in paper for Cadet Woodsman 3 year Course with NZ Forest Service.

I was successful getting into Woodsman School at Berwick Forest Otago – that’s where the School of hard knocks started.

Greatest achievements in life – Married for 48 years ( to same lady). Brought up a family who I consider good people, got grand children, got enough money to comfortably retire on and a few more overseas trips.

Greatest achievements in work – I would like to think I have some respect with in our community and industry. Also I have mentored some of our younger up and coming managers and helped steer them away from some of the same mistakes I have made.  

I have found that in most cases the people in our Forest and Saw Milling industry are honest and hard working no bullshit people and I have made a lot of life time colleges and friends in work career.

Semi-retired Managing Director

I would like to continue for a few years yet within the forest industry  and maybe carry on a mentoring role and help promote new business. While I’m still kicking the industry will still be in my blood.

In my opinion the general public do not realise how important the Forest and associated industries are to NZ. I’m not sure of numbers of employees but what if all the Sawmills, Forest Operations, Log Export disappeared out of the Canterbury /Christchurch region – I think we would have a pretty depressed community economy wise.

I started at the School of Forestry in 1990 – a fortunate vacancy came up that put me on the journey to learning about all things Forestry in education. I was 29.

At work it is probably evolution of my role at the School from an office “junior” to Senior School Coordinator and (so my staff tell me) running the ship. It’s more nuanced than that but it is a fantastic place to work. Part of that role is mentoring/nurturing our students when life gets in the way. On the personal side of life, I would say some of the wins I’ve had in my sports clubs – tennis and golf club championships being the main ones, but also as a basketball referee and score bench manager – including a couple if international matches. My best achievement though is supporting my family (brother and his children) through some challenging times in the past.

I’m the Senior School Coordinator – oversight of all administration in general terms, plus academic administration.

My primary aim is to support all staff in administrative functions so they can focus on their teaching and research. Alongside this, supporting our students – domestic and international, undergraduate and postgraduate – so that they can enjoy their time with the School.

Shands Road Sawmills was owned by my parents.  In 1975 at 23 years old I purchased shares in the business after an early career as a computer technician.
My brother John joined soon after.  We changed the company name to SRS New Zealand when we moved from Shands Road in 1985.

Work:
Growing the business from a staff of 5 to 130 today.
Having a very low staff turnover.
Establishing NZPP.
Instigating CWCWC.
Founding member of the Inspire Foundation.

Life:
Three age group ultra marathon world records.
Oldest competitor at the 2011 Commonwealth Ultra Marathon Championships.  Fourth place and first Kiwi for team bronze.
Completing the longest trail race (320km) held in New Zealand.  January 2022

Semi-retired Managing Director

SRS feel privileged to be part of a uniquely cooperative and supportive group of businesses.  I take a much less active role nowadays but the company will continue to participate in industry initiatives.

130

It was a family business, and I grew up involved in the industry.

Work:

I have been in many roles over the years in our industry.  I was chairman of the NZ timber export for several years, we ran a very successful trade export.  I have been president of the timber federation, second president of Who Who, which is a group in the South Island.

I have had a senior role in NZ pine processing and still involved in this. I was involved in the earlier stages of the Wood Council. 

Life:

My family, growing the business over the years.

Forklift driver!

We are a heavily involved, fully integrated forestry company. Our company is independent and has lead the way in technology, with a trip to Sweden to purchase a sawmill and relocating it to our current site for production.

We employ about 30 people.

An interest in trucks. Starting my driving career while doing a mechanics apprenticeship fixing them. I thought I’d rather be in them than under them.

My first driving job taught me some good basic skills and when a local sawmill advertised for a log truck driver I thought to give it a go, it was handy to home and the mill only had two trucks and I thought I would enjoy the challenge.

That mill was Waimak Sawmills. A family owned business who we have maintained a relationship with for over fifty years and still occupy some of the original mill site today. I soon realised that sawmillers are better at cutting timber than truck ownership and while the trucks were important they were pretty crude and it was up to your own ingenuity to make the best of things, working alone, long hours and the equipment of the time soon honed your skills and desire not get hurt every day.

I was twenty when I started. I really loved the work and progressed my driving of trucks and machines with several small businesses from 1969 until I bought my first truck in 1978 prior to establishing SML in 1980/81 contracted to Odlins. The rest is history as they say.

Surviving over fifty years in an evolving industry and world particularly in the last twenty years as expectations on business owners have increased significantly.

Without exception my wife, son Chris, and daughter Rebecca, have been on the same journey, luckily we all share the same outlook and sense of humour which has kept us grounded enough to take it how it comes in keeping the Murphy family together in business and in life. If you put more in than you take out I’ve found it makes you appreciate what you have and the respect of your peers.

My son Chris now owns the family business and my allocated role is SML Brand Ambassador. I am passionate about our company and sector and its great to be able to not be too PC and specific on issues but try to give thoughtful insights at times when needed. As we have a habit of repeating ourselves at times in business while not forwarding unsolicited advice, when there are two leaders there is no leader.

I will continue to promote our brand within our sector and support our local industry whenever needed and role fill as the company needs.
I have always enjoyed the challenges of projects and still do so Chris enables me to fluff about the place restoring classic- trucks fixing up old machines and generally keeping engaged.

SML is established as the regions primary logistics and transport service. Canterbury being home base but always looking for opportunity to maintain sensible business through put to enable service level consistency. We have a great rapport with other regions operators and network to ensure resources are balanced and industry issues/pressures shared. SML will continue to be a big part of the Canterbury forestry sector supporting and evolving with customers, resource and markets under Chris’s leadership and his commitment to our industry at a national level.

I am proud of our achievements and will continue to support the business in my role as Ambassador, driver, or whatever the job may be on the day while still having time out with Jill and the family.