Jay Wright

Senior Operator

Jay grew up in the Waikato and moved to Nelson 17 years ago. At that time, his life was all about sport. Jay made the New Zealand rep team for touch rugby, was a Junior Mako, and also made representative teams for rugby league and cricket.

A prompt from his father-in-law to look at a job ad from Taylors was the nudge he needed to try a new career.

“Nigel (Jay’s father-in-law) also works for Taylors,” says Jay, “and he saw an ad for a trainee digger operator while I was working for Post Haste Couriers. Every boy wants to play with Tonka toys in the sand pit, so this felt like the adult version of that.”

Jay’s experience was a far cry from what he had been used to as a courier driver, especially during the frenzied time around Christmas.

“I’ve never worked for another company in this industry, so I don’t know what’s normal and what’s not, but I came from being a courier driver to working outside fulltime and getting time-and-a-half and a work vehicle and getting paid to drive to work – all those things that just weren’t normal to me. It felt like Taylors cared about the individual rather than just the bottom line.

The opportunity at Taylors was for someone to go to Westport and sit in digger school and learn. “Then I had the interview, and they said, “we’ll just teach you on site” so I ended up going to my first job at Grampian Oaks working under Dylan Hall and I learned everything from him and Hayden Allison.

“I’ve proudly been part of the Taylors team now for six-and-a-half years, each one filled with growth and learning.”

Jay says that what he appreciates most about his job is the variety it provides and the opportunity to work all around the region.

“As a senior operator, my role encompasses being a multi-skilled operator who can fit into any role required – from supervisor to helping hand – meaning no two days are alike in my role. I’ve been all over the region doing all sorts of stuff. I drive everything … one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was sitting in a bulldozer on a barge, heading from Kaiteriteri to Torrent Bay to reshape the beach there.

“It was summer and I was sitting on a bulldozer in the middle of the ocean and then landing on a picturesque beach to reshape it. It was just cool. Something different!”

Jay enjoys the team environment at Taylors and the opportunity to learn and develop.

“Taylors fosters a culture of individual value and family. At times in a big company it may not feel like you’re anything but a number, but at Taylors, if you ever are struggling, the company does notice and does do anything it can to help.”

“I believe Taylors provides ample opportunities for growth and advancement, which is exciting for my future within the company and it’s where I want to be heading.

As a dedicated dad, Jay has a busy time outside of work with his family of three kids. “Much of my time is filled with family or sport such as cricket, touch, and golf.”