Defiance pays off for Chris
NIGHT shifts, endless study and long work hours have paid off for Defiance Maize Products employee Chris Chandler.
In a ceremony at the Gold Coast last weekend, Mr Chandler was declared the winner of the Australian Technical Millers' Association Young Achiever Award.
The prestigious award comes with a plane ticket that will take him to visit mills in the USA, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, UK, Thailand and New Zealand later this year.
Mr Chandler said the trip was designed to give the winner the chance to learn more about the industry.
"I am really looking forward seeing the other mills and getting more knowledge and experience for myself."
Mr Chandler said he was "rapt" to be rewarded for his work in a job he loved.
"In my third week I told them I'm in it for the long run and if they want to get rid of me, they will have to fire me," Mr Chandler said.
But that is the furthest thing from general manager Bob Fox's mind.
"This is a big job and a lot of responsibility, but Chris will go a long way in the company," he said.
Mr Fox said it is often hard to find young employees who are dedicated to building a long-lasting career in milling and he was pleased to see Mr Chandler do just that.
