The KFL Story - Kajavala Forestry Limited, Kawerau New Zealand

Summary

The video script narrates the journey of a forestry company from its humble beginnings to becoming a major player, overcoming challenges like a fatal accident. The speaker, driven by a desire for justice and innovation, merges IT with traditional forestry, leading to significant growth. However, realizing the negative impact of a harsh corporate culture, the company shifts focus to a supportive, family-oriented environment, fostering employee empowerment and well-being, which ultimately transforms the company into a nurturing and productive workplace.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The company was founded in the forests, starting with tree planting and evolving into large-scale logging operations.
• 🚜 The business progressed from manual labor to using heavy machinery, including log skidders, haulers, and bulldozers with winches.
• 🎖️ The company was a pioneer in integrating IT with traditional forestry, becoming the first forestry contractor in New Zealand with an IT department.
• 📈 This integration led to rapid growth, increasing the company's workforce from 20 to 170 employees within three years.
• 🔄 The founder experienced a life-changing accident that fueled a desire for revenge and a drive to set things right in the industry.
• 💻 The founder's computing skills were leveraged to differentiate the company in the market, leading to significant growth and success.
• 🛑 Initially, the company's management style was aggressive and unyielding, which resulted in high staff turnover and a challenging work environment.
• 🤝 A shift in company culture occurred, focusing on empowerment, open communication, and creating a positive work environment.
• 🏆 The company values its employees, offering trust, support, and benefits that contribute to a family-oriented and nurturing workplace.
• 🌱 The founder emphasizes that the most important aspect of the business is the people, aiming to improve not just the business but also the lives of the employees.
• 🏗️ The company's transformation has led to increased productivity and a better place to work, with a focus on community upliftment and personal growth.

Q & A

What was the founder's initial activity when he started the company?

The founder initially started planting trees in the forests behind the area where he was based, which later became the first croppel forests.

At what age did the narrator start working in New Zealand and what was his first job?

The narrator started working in New Zealand at the age of 16, working in Murupara in 1963, and was involved in meat hunting on the weekends.

What significant event led to the narrator's shift in perspective after the accident?

The narrator experienced a serious accident while felling trees which resulted in him being paralyzed and his pelvis being severely damaged, leading to a change in his outlook on life and a desire for revenge on the situation.

How did the narrator's company differentiate itself in the market after the accident?

The company differentiated itself by merging computing and traditional forestry, becoming the first forest contract in New Zealand with an IT Department, which helped them grow from 20 to 170 employees in three years.

What was the company's initial management style and how did it affect the staff turnover?

The company initially had a very aggressive and military-like management style, which led to a high staff turnover rate and a negative work environment.

What changes did the company undergo in terms of culture and management in the late 90s and early 2000s?

The company transitioned from a small family business to a large corporate entity with a more rigid and hierarchical management structure, which created a hard and intimidating environment.

How did the company address the issue of negative behavior and backstabbing within the company?

The company encouraged employees to confront or ignore gossip and negative talk, which led to a more positive environment where negative individuals no longer had anyone to feed their negativity to.

What significant changes did the company make to its management structure three years ago?

The company eliminated many of its managers and empowered the workers to do their jobs more autonomously, fostering a culture where everyone had a voice and could contribute to decision-making.

How does the company approach hiring and what values does it prioritize today?

The company now prioritizes the type of person an applicant is over their qualifications or experience, focusing on creating a positive and supportive work environment.

What initiatives has the company implemented to support employee well-being and work-life balance?

The company has introduced Wellness Leave, doubled the government entitlement for leave, provided financial support for dental care, and offered access to independent counselors and life coaches for mindfulness and meditation.

How does the company's focus on people and community impact its overall productivity and success?

By focusing on nurturing people and improving their lives, the company has seen a significant increase in productivity and positive metrics, transforming it into a place that not only produces results but also uplifts the community.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Forestry to Technology: A Journey of Growth and Transformation

The first paragraph narrates the evolution of a forestry company from its humble beginnings in the forests to the integration of advanced technology. The founder's personal journey includes a severe accident that spurred a drive for change and innovation. The company transitioned from traditional logging to utilizing heavy machinery and eventually incorporated IT, becoming the first forestry contractor in New Zealand with an IT department. This strategic move led to rapid growth and a significant increase in employee numbers. However, the aggressive approach to business took a toll on company culture, leading to high staff turnover and a realization of the need for a different management style.

05:00

🛠️ From Hierarchical to Holistic: Cultivating a Supportive Workplace

The second paragraph details a significant shift in company culture, moving from a top-down, hierarchical structure to a more egalitarian and supportive environment. The company underwent a transformation by eliminating middle management, empowering workers, and fostering a culture where every voice is heard. The focus shifted to nurturing talent and providing opportunities for personal growth, as seen through the stories of employees who have risen through the ranks. The company's approach to hiring also changed, prioritizing character over experience. The narrative emphasizes the importance of trust, family values, and a sense of belonging, creating a workplace that feels more like a close-knit family.

10:01

🌿 Investing in Well-being: Transforming a Company into a Community

The third paragraph discusses the company's commitment to employee well-being, which has become a cornerstone of its transformation. Initiatives such as dental care subsidies, access to independent counselors, and the introduction of Wellness Leave demonstrate a shift towards a more holistic approach to employee health. The company also provides resources like psychologists and life coaches to support mental health and mindfulness. These efforts have not only improved the work environment but also contributed to the company's overall productivity and success. The narrative concludes with reflections on the company's broader impact on the community and the pride in its people-centric approach to business.

Keywords

💡Forestry

Forestry refers to the management and conservation of forests and woodlands to ensure the sustainable yield of timber and other forest products. In the video's context, it is the core business of the company that started with planting trees and progressed to heavy logging. The script mentions the evolution from manual labor to using advanced machinery like 'Clark 664 log skitter' and 'Komatsu bulldozer,' illustrating the growth and modernization of the company's forestry operations.

💡Accident

An accident is an unforeseen and unplanned event that can result in injury or damage. In the video, a fatal accident occurs where a tree felling operation goes wrong, leading to a serious injury that changes the speaker's life. This event is pivotal as it triggers a shift in the speaker's attitude and motivation, driving him towards 'revenge' on the situation that took a lot from him and his loved ones.

💡Revenge

Revenge is a strong, often negative, emotion that drives one to retaliate against a perceived wrong. In the script, the speaker uses the term to describe his motivation post-accident, wanting to 'right the wrongs' and retaliate against the circumstances that led to the tragedy. This revenge fuels the company's aggressive growth and competitive edge in the market.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. The speaker mentions merging 'Computing and traditional forestry' to differentiate themselves in the market, which is an example of innovation. This integration of IT into forestry operations led to the creation of the first IT department in a forestry contract in New Zealand, demonstrating the company's innovative approach.

💡Corporate Culture

Corporate culture refers to the values, social interactions, and working environment within a company. The video describes a shift from a small family business to a 'massive beast of a company' with a corporate culture that was 'almost like a military way of managing.' This culture was characterized by a top-down approach with high staff turnover and a fear of speaking up, which the speaker later identifies as problematic.

💡Transformation

Transformation is a profound change in form, appearance, or character. The company undergoes a significant transformation in its culture and management style, moving away from a negative, hard-driving approach to a more positive and supportive environment. The speaker mentions 'thinning out the top of the company,' which implies a reduction in hierarchical layers and a shift towards empowering employees and fostering a sense of community.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights. In the script, the speaker talks about how the company's culture change involved empowering employees to confront negativity and backstabbing, and to take ownership of their work. This empowerment led to a more positive and productive work environment.

💡Inclusion

Inclusion is the act of including or involving people, especially in an organization or society, in a way that ensures equal treatment and opportunities. The video mentions working with organizations like MSD (Ministry of Social Development) and the Kawada community to provide opportunities for those who are 'really down' and may not have had a chance otherwise, highlighting the company's commitment to inclusion.

💡Trust

Trust is the assurance in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. The script emphasizes the importance of trust in the company's culture, where Jacob, presumably a leader, gives his employees '100% of his trust straight away.' This trust is said to make employees feel valued and motivated to work hard, contributing to a positive work environment.

💡Wellness

Wellness refers to the state of being in good health, in an active state of mind and body, especially as the result of deliberate effort. The company introduced 'Wellness Leave,' doubling the government entitlement, and providing resources like psychologists and life coaches, which shows a focus on the holistic well-being of employees. This emphasis on wellness is part of the company's transformation towards a more people-centric culture.

💡Community

Community refers to a group of people living in the same place or having particular characteristics in common. The script talks about the positive impact of the company's work on the local community, indicating that the company's mission has expanded beyond just business success to include uplifting and supporting the community. This reflects a broader vision of creating value for society.

Highlights

The company's founder began planting trees the same year the narrator was born, contributing to the establishment of the first crop of forests.

The narrator started working in the forestry industry in New Zealand at the age of 16, directly after moving there.

The company progressed from manual logging to utilizing heavy machinery such as log skidders and bulldozers with winches.

The narrator experienced a life-altering accident while felling trees, resulting in severe injuries and paralysis.

Post-accident, the narrator was driven by a desire for revenge and rectification, leading to significant changes in the company's operations.

The company became the first forestry contractor in New Zealand to integrate an IT department, leading to rapid growth.

The initial company culture was described as aggressive and destructive, with high staff turnover and a military-like management style.

The narrator felt a lack of pride and satisfaction in the company's negative and hard-driving culture, leading to a change in approach.

The company implemented a policy of addressing gossip and negativity directly, fostering a more positive and supportive environment.

A significant change in company structure involved reducing the number of managers and empowering workers to take ownership of their tasks.

The company culture evolved to one without traditional leaders, where everyone's voice is valued and decisions are made collectively.

The hiring process shifted focus from experience to character, emphasizing the importance of personal qualities over qualifications.

The company's founder, Jacob, is known for his personal connection with employees, inquiring about their well-being and families.

The company provides support for employees from marginalized communities, helping them gain skills and improve their self-esteem.

Employees feel valued and trusted, with the company offering flexibility and support for personal needs.

The company culture is described as family-oriented, with a strong sense of community and support among employees.

The company offers additional benefits such as dental care subsidies, access to counselors, and wellness initiatives to support employee health.

The focus on employee well-being has led to increased productivity and a positive transformation in the company's performance.

The company's mission is to improve not just the business, but also the lives of its people, fostering a sense of pride in its employees.

Transcripts

foreign

started this company the year I was born

he started in the forests right behind

us planting trees he helped plant the

first croppel forests we're now

harvesting the third one

my parents bought me to New Zealand as

uh just turned 16 so I went straight to

work in murupara back in 63. I was at

meat hunting on the weekends and that

saved a deposit for a Clark 664 log

skitter we got a loan that got us

started into heavy logging machines

we've progressed from there to a

full-size skittish big log haulers heavy

Komatsu bulldozer with winch and arches

we were some of the early contractors in

kangaroa Forest but for that we were the

first intervora Forest to pull logs

foreign

fatal accident for Jacob my main man at

the time he was felling trees and one of

them slid over over his body

hit me in the back I went down face

first and it just kept sliding over the

top of me picked up my legs and laid

them on my back so I'm laying face down

right blasted dislocated one hip and

just smashed one side to bits

I was paralyzed my pelvis was kind of

basically knackered

it was a very traumatic for his mother

and I we we didn't know which way to go

what what to think I do

[Music]

before the accident I was a very mild

manage Smiley sporty guy but after the

accident something seriously changed to

me I really was driven by utu I wanted

things put right I wanted a revenge on a

situation that um took a lot from the

people they cared for

[Music]

so I had a plan I said to my father

we're one of hundreds of contractors and

we're all going broke slowly but I'm

really good at Computing let's merge

Computing and traditional forestry and

differentiate ourselves in the market

the merge of Cutting Edge I.T and

Forestry really worked we became the

first Forest contract in New Zealand

with an I.T Department we went from 20

employees up to 170 over the space of

three years

I think it was about 18 of New Zealand's

total Forest output going through our

dad and Dave common Garden variety

company

revenge is a really powerful effective

driver but it's not a positive one

if you stood in our way we destroyed you

our staff turnover was horrendous but I

didn't give two craps I had a job to do

and no one and nothing was going to stop

me from pulling this off

[Music]

when it was a small family business that

moved into the late 90s early 2000s and

it grew into quite a massive Beast of

company went really corporate and really

quite almost like a military way of

managing a lot of egos involved and it's

quite a hard environment

back then I felt like there was always a

higher power and the workers were the

workers for myself was a bit shy I was

speaking my own opinion like freely

to treat us like we were in the Army

kind of you know swearing at us and

stand us all in a row up against the

wall and like you know we were ready to

be gunned down kind of thing

we've got a lot of really talented

people here with great ideas but always

too scared to say anything in case the

boss didn't like their answer

[Music]

foreign

I look back on what we had created and I

wasn't the least bit proud in fact I was

ashamed

I didn't want to be that negative hard

driving company anymore there was no

pleasure in that no satisfaction I

realized we had to try something else

[Music]

anyone that's worked on forestry will

know there's a lot of backstabbing

there's a lot of he said she said stuff

so Jacob was empowering us with okay if

you're going to hear someone talk about

someone you either call them out for it

or you just say I don't want to hear it

and walk off so people got braver and

started to say well no you're going to

tell that to that person I don't want to

hear it and the more people that did

that those negative people have no one

to feed their crap to so it then becomes

an environment they no longer fit in

they kind of stand out like a a sore

thumb when they're the only ones being

negative and I think we're in such a

positive environment now that it's not

appealing to people like that

[Music]

since I've come back the vibe's

different

or the weeds have been pulled out I

enjoy coming to work now

I had a fleet of managers driving

hiluxes and drinking cappuccinos I would

boss the bosses and the bosses would

boss the workers

but what do the bosses know about the

work

well they know a bit but the workers

know it better

three years ago is probably the biggest

changes was thinning out the top of the

company taking away our managers and

letting our people do what they do best

which is their job close to the job

no idea is a dumb idea we try it it

doesn't work we try something else

the culture is a little bit different

now there's no leaders so everybody's

got to see and everyone's got a voice

the people actually get to make big

decisions about the jobs no I feel like

everybody is the one you know we're all

seen as uh as equals

I canceled that copy

back in the day I like every other

employer would look for the most

experienced most qualified person I

could find

and we ended up inadvertently hiring

some real now we are entirely

different I really don't care what you

know or what you've done I care

absolutely about the type of person you

are less money more money and we're

gonna pull this off I don't know how we

do it but I know we're going to do it we

can outpace inflation

through the row

Jacob knows every person here he makes a

point of asking them how they are how's

your family and actually kids so that's

the big story that's the big plan I

started with KFL straight out of school

I was 16 years old

school's not for everyone so

[Music]

found out that KFL was looking for

workers if I come in the following day

and Jacob's Aces

looked after me ever since

two years into me being here I've become

team leader of the biggest team we had

here

Jacob likes to work with MSD and with

the kawada community I've seen quite a

few come through that are really down

they don't feel like they are much but

then you give them a chance and you

bring them into your whanau here and

they start realizing man I'm I'm pretty

alright

we upskill them and before you know it

we have this person who was so proud of

who they are because if we can change

anybody's life and give them a chance

they might not normally get you help the

whole family

this is my first job I like learning the

machines driving the loaders four and a

half months later and now I'm driving

one of the our biggest and finest

leaders on the yard

[Music]

when you come here

trust isn't earned with Jacob he will

give you 100 of his trust straight away

you naturally feel quite important

here's the head of the company telling

you I trust you

some people don't ever hear that from

any boss they work with so to get that

straight away wow I'm I'm valued here my

boss trusts me and I haven't even done

anything for him yet man I'm going to

work hard

what I've seen changed is

um how Jacob sees us now computer back

then it's like one of the lands now

a lot of Boss sort of thing yeah

I've you know needed time off for

personal reasons Jacob never asks he

just says as long as you're okay I'm

here and you get to go not many

Industries give a what goes on

behind your door especially when I had

my younger kids I was always able to be

with my kids when I needed to it's

family orientated I feel a part of this

place it's more like a family than

actually a workplace one big happy

family

and the people you know like the people

the French

[Music]

it's awesome

[Music]

that's why I'm still here good happy

place good thing

not just a team or work Partners but as

a family

so the whanau between all of us very

close we always have choirs and all that

together the me and the other brothers

are having a competition he's got the

best cheesecake

I gave my one last week

and it all hyped him up for cheesecake

competition

Jacob offers us all 500 a year to go to

the dentist we can get whatever's done

and he will cover it we also have an

independent um counselor her number is

on the bottom of our payslips and we

just get to ring

we got rid of sick leave and introduced

Wellness Leaf we doubled the government

entitlement

we have psychologists to meet with them

every Fortnight for those who needed

some help we have life coaches come and

talk about mindfulness some meditation

seeing and putting all that effort back

into the people has really transformed

KFL it's made it more productive it's

made it a better place to work actually

all parameters all metrics are through

the roof at the moment

the company itself has become more of a

place where to nurture people and to

bring people up and not so much of just

a place where you're just using people

and just getting results out of them

like all companies do

it's really cool seeing the community

here being uplifted by the work being

done here by KFL and I've never felt

that don't even be able to say that

before I've always sort of gone I will

go to places we'll do the work and

that's pretty much it but here we're

doing the work and we're helping people

too

foreign

the only thing that matters the only

thing that matters is the people we're

not just making a business better and

better and better we're making people's

lives better I'm making my own life

better

[Music]

we love what we do you know it's uh

forestry and Logistics we love it but

the thing I am most proud of is the way

we do it

[Music]