Never a dull moment through 35 years with EPE

Never a dull moment through 35 years with EPE

Racking up even five years with the same employer is an impressive feat in this day and age but EPE Managing Director Peter Gardner is about to tick over an incredible 35 years with the company.

The average for Australians to stay in the same job is three years and four months.

But put the right person and the right company together, and any such averages are blown right out of the water.

Such is the case for EPE Managing Director Peter Gardner, who racks up an amazing 35 years with the business next month.

It is one of those classic stories of working his way up through the ranks, and if things had gone a bit differently it may have been a very different rank.

Out of school at 15, Peter joined the Royal Australian Air Force for a brief stint as a radio technician apprentice. But he soon found it wasn’t for him and any dreams of ascending through the military ranks were short-lived.

Not one to be idle, he took on a role with an earthmoving company assisting the fitter. At the same time, Peter attended night school to complete a welding course.

“I had always been good with my hands and loved anything mechanical so the job suited me,” Peter said.

“But I moved on when the boss decided that I could drive the fuel truck and do minor repairs. I preferred being in the workshop where all the major repairs were undertaken.

“So I helped a mate out for a few months in his mechanical workshop, then took a job as a storeman with a government department to try my hand at something different.”

That was the catalyst that eventually led Peter to EPE’s door.

Moving from his native Victoria to WA, where he only intended to stay for a few months, Peter secured a job as a storeman and counter hand with EPE.

“I started by putting into practice some of what I had learned elsewhere,” Peter said.

“Most of the product we sold was second nature to me so when I started on the counter I could quickly and easily problem solve.

“I was interested in electronics as a teen so had an affinity with Murphy products which were the most technical in our product range.”

Peter gained a reputation as a reliable, hard working employee who always had the customer’s interest at heart. So much so that he gained a reputation as the go-to man to solve customer problems.

“Problem solving was one of the things I believe I did and still do well,” he said.

“Helping a customer with a problem is often worth far more to them than the product they buy and it’s what keeps them coming back.

“I have been fortunate enough during my time at EPE that opportunities came along and I moved from storeman / counter hand to full-time sales, then on to Sales Manager, General Manager and later Managing Director.”

For Peter, that original plan to stay a few months turned into a few years, then a few decades.

Over that time, and perhaps one of the reasons that Peter has stayed put for so long, he says the fundamentals have not changed too much at EPE.

“The principles of running a business have remained the same and while our product range has grown, our core products are very much the same and we have some outstanding, long-term customers and suppliers, many who I now count as friends,” he says.

“The additional burden of compliance to regulations for a business of our size can be a challenge to manage but we adjust and adapt as required and maintain our focus on providing great customer service.”

There have been plenty of stand-out moments but one of the most memorable for Peter was addressing guests at EPE’s grand opening of the Bibra Lake facility.

But the magnetic nature of working at EPE has also led to some personal triumphs.

“I have been married – twice – reared two sons I am very proud of who are both married and I have become a doting grandad,” he says.

“While I may not have another 35 years of working life in me, at EPE we have been investing in our younger staff, providing training and mentoring, and to see them rise through the ranks is very rewarding.

“People often ask how I have stayed with the same company so long and I guess it’s because alongside my time at EPE, I have always had something on the go in my personal life.

“That includes some great hobbies, from four wheel driving, to building drag cars and racing competitively, then on to owning a couple of Cadillacs while building my 1929 Ford Model A hot rod. It is featured in the current issue of Cruzin Magazine.

“Through all that, coming to work at EPE has been the one constant in my life for 35 years.

“Owners Peter and Bruce Deetman have been great employers and I have had some terrific co-workers over the years. This always makes coming to work more enjoyable.

“There have not been too many dull moments at EPE in 35 years.”

ABOVE: A somewhat younger Peter Gardner and Peter Deetman at a tradeshow in EPE’s earlier days.

TOP: Peter with his beloved 1929 Ford Model A hot rod in a photo shoot for the recent Cruzin Magazine feature. Picture: Dale Haberfield