Vein & Skin Clinic

Men ‘Bringing Home the Bacon’ (literally!)

Premier Beehive showcased their women earlier this year in the Women in Business publication. This is an opportunity to showcase the men on the team!

At their plant in Carterton, Premier Beehive produces bacon, ham and smallgoods for the New Zealand market. Owned by Brazilian company JBS, the world’s largest food business, Premier Beehive is still very much a local business employing local people, with the benefit of ongoing investment from the owners to support their growth.

With over 300 people on the team here in Wairarapa, the men on the team make up nearly half of the workforce. They work right across the business including Warehousing, Production, Site Services, and Industrial Cleaning.

HR Manager Vicki McLachlan has many success stories to share about the men at Premier Beehive. “We’ve got men who have not only been added to our 10- and 20-year service board, but who have also introduced their sons and daughters to the business to join the team, which is great. We’ve got men who started out as factory hands who are now in leadership roles, or who have transferred between departments to learn new skills. It’s great to see some of the career paths forged by so many of our people.”

“Premier Beehive doesn’t have jobs that are specifically for men or for women. We are all about putting the right person in the right job to suit their skills and abilities. Some jobs are more suited to the ‘big and strong’ people, and others to the ‘small and fast’ types. Moving 25 kg pieces of meat on to racks and wheeling loaded trolleys calls for some muscle, and working on a slicing and packing line is more about being nimble and working at a quick pace.”

“All of our roles are advertised internally to staff and we will always promote from within where we can. The most recent example of this is an experienced team leader moving from the ham fill and bacon prep team into a newly created Workplace Training Coordinator role. This creates an opportunity for someone else on the team to step up into the team leader role he held.”

“Our team have told us that they value being on a decent wage, opportunities for career progression, good training, consistent and clear communication, and recognition. We can always do better, and we are always working on all of these things. We have improved wage and shift allowances, created workplace trainer roles, and produced an engaging and informative staff newsletter. Our staff can earn up to $300 in vouchers for successfully referring people for roles with Premier Beehive.” Add to this free onsite doctor and physio, weekly meat packs (bringing home the bacon!), an employee assistance program, and full on-the-job training – and you’ve got a great place to work at one of the largest employers in the region!

Men and women have the same challenges around work/life balance and earning a decent income. The flexible work arrangements on offer at Premier Beehive include day, night, graveyard, and weekend shifts, as well as holiday and after school shifts for students, and parent-friendly hours around school and day care commitments. In some roles, there are transition to retirement options to give long serving staff the option to reduce their hours over a period of time.

Premier Beehive is always looking for good people to join their team in a variety of functions. You can stay up-to-date on what roles are available by following their Facebook page @Premier Beehive NZ - Carterton

If you would like to find out more about working with us, you can also email Susan Coleman on SusanC@premierbeehive.co.nz