What it does: OneFortyOne is a world-class sustainable forest grower and timber products company with a multi-regional approach to investing in and growing its business in Australia and New Zealand.
Mission: Redefining the value of wood fiber.
Size and presence: They have their presence in New Zealand and Australia with around 1000 employees.
Best known for: Their operational management team and board has extensive experience in and are strongly committed to the stewardship and long-term sustainability of their assets, associated businesses, and surrounding communities.
The good bits: Good work culture and work-life balance.
The not-so-good bits: Upper management is a big turn-off.
The OneFortyOne story
OneFortyOne was formed in 2012 following the acquisition of a 105-year lease of 80,000 hectares of plantation assets from the South Australian Government. The name OneFortyOne comes from the 141st meridian east line running between the South Australian and Victorian border. OneFortyOne is one of the largest private employers in the Green Triangle, currently employing more than 400 people directly and approximately 1,000 people indirectly through their contractor workforce. They are a major forest grower in the area and are part of a thriving regional forestry and timber industry.
They purchased Mount Gambier’s Jubilee Sawmill in 2018. In the short period under OneFortyOne’s ownership, the company has invested or committed to invest just under $40 million in the sawmill to ensure it remains one of the largest and most efficient mills in Australia, securing future employment in the region. They are truly committed to the region.
Later in 2018 OneFortyOne acquired Nelson Forests Limited and Kaituna Mill in New Zealand, with approval from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office. The Nelson forest estate has a rich history, first planted in 1927 and now in its fourth rotation.
Innovation has been a hallmark of Nelson operations. In recent history, Nelson Forests contractors developed the Falcon Forestry Claw, a motorized grapple carriage that has improved health and safety in hauler operations around the world. In 1996, Nelson Forests was also the first New Zealand forestry company to be certified under the international environmental standard accreditation.
OneFortyOne began with just five employees and has expanded rapidly across multiple locations, each bringing its legacy, history, and culture into the company. Now, with a team of 500+ strong across two countries, they're committed to being the best that they can be which means operating responsibly and sustainably, caring for their people, the environment, and the regions in which they work.
Culture & vibe
They are committed to nurturing and protecting well-being through equal consideration of their physical, mental, and emotional health. They recognize that mental and emotional health can be a significant contributor to increasing the risk of workplace incidents. Therefore, caring for them is as important as protecting their physical health. Together with their employees, contractors, and partners they are building a better quality of life and reducing the risk of harm for all. They are committed to developing and maintaining business systems that enable them to share, learn and improve their performance in a consistent, efficient, and effective manner. Their behaviours at OneFortyOne they will:
Social Contributions
Rejuvenating the natural environment.
Through this objective, they will support initiatives that repair, care for, and protect the natural environment. Examples of projects include environmental citizen science, environmental restoration, and community rubbish clean-ups.
Raising funds for community projects, learning opportunities, the arts, sports programs, and environmental activities, can be difficult. Especially in regional communities.
Yet despite these challenges, many community groups are incredibly resourceful and have a lot of community support. Often, a small funding boost can kick start a project, fill a gap after local fundraising options are exhausted, and support the work of volunteers.
Through the community grants program OneFortyOne aims to support the communities in which the people live and work acknowledging that community activities are what give life and enjoyment in any vibrant community.
Career prospects
The Ultimate Renewable Forest Learning Pathway aims to equip secondary students with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to join the forest and timber industry with Certificate III and SACE credit points.
Paul Hartung from OneFortyOne said “this program will give students in the Limestone Coast a unique experience of theory and practice in the forestry industry.
“Forestry is a critical industry for the Limestone Coast region, but there is currently an industry skills shortage,” he said.
OneFortyOne has invested in the forest learning pathway because they want to develop the skills they need locally as they plan for their future workforce
By completing this program, students will be well-positioned for future career pathways including apprenticeships, traineeships, and tertiary qualifications in the forestry industry.
It means those students will have a head start over others looking for work and career opportunities.
The inaugural year of the program has seen 14 students sign up, coming from Mount Gambier High School, Grant High School, St Martin’s Lutheran College, Tenison Woods College, and the Independent Learning Centre.
The pathway program incorporates a range of classroom and field-based experiences. Students will also undertake several competencies from the forest growing and management, harvesting and haulage, and sawmilling and processing training packages which have been nominated by the industry to support relevancy and access to future pathways.
As a result of the program, they hope to educate students about the career options available in forestry, build momentum and interest among a wider range of students, grow talent within the community, and offer professional options for their development.
The green triangle is home to Australia’s largest collective plantation and timber processing industry, contributing significantly to the economies of Victoria and South Australia and generating more than $778 million in gross regional product annually.
Over 355,000 hectares of softwood and hardwood plantations produce timber for local manufacturing, national and export markets.
Benefits
Leave & holidays
Finance & contract
Flexible work
Family & health
Insurance
Perks