Kyle Gallacher An Apprentice Role Model!

Site Sunday with Neve Hudson (ENJOY THE READ)

I’m hoping by now, that those reading my “Site Sunday” articles are gaining a positive impression as to why I am motivated to conduct these valuable Customer site visits. Some may still ask “Why Site Sunday?”… a valued and purposeful question. When I joined Holt JCB in August 2022, it was made apparent to me that Customers and their passion for the industry, is a story that needs to be told. These Customer profiles are so interesting and respected by everyone I work with. Customer journeys also represent how the construction industry has so much opportunity in terms of varied careers coupled with stability for those who take pride in their work. It is well documented that currently the construction industry is at a critical time with skills shortage forecasted for the very near future. We all feel that there is a joint responsibility to raise the profile of the skilled work that is done by so many within this industry. Our Customers are the ultimate role models for pupils, students and apprentices. Their approachability would also entice people to consider the opportunities to up skill and cross skill from other industry sectors. Every Site “Sunday Article” I have the pleasure of writing, motivates me to meet more and more of our Customers. To share their expertise and insight is a privilege. In today’s “Site Sunday”, I will be sharing the time I spent with Plant Operative (we would refer to as an “Owner Operator”), Kyle Gallacher. He is an apprentice success story and a true gentleman.

Kyle Gallacher of Kyle Gallacher Plant Hire is based in St Austell, Cornwall. Kyle has recently renewed his JCB 220X Series Excavator, so I am naturally keen to meet him. From the many Social Media images he posts, I already knew (that rightly) he was very proud of the projects he works on. I was looking forward to an honest and open chat about his work and what attracted him to the role of an Owner Operator. We had been discussing for many weeks the ideal time for me to visit him on site. Therefore, it was a pleasure to take him up, on the invitation to meet him at the vast housing site project in Tavistock, Devon, where new properties were being developed. Site visits never fail to impress me in terms of enormity and their intrinsic project management requirements. An essential part of this project management is choosing who is invited to fulfil the criteria of the work required. It was no surprise for me to learn, that this particular contract is one of many that Kyle has completed for Steve Hoskins. Steve Hoskins has a vast portfolio of incredibly impressive projects and is certainly well respected within the industry, so Kyles association is a true endorsement to Kyles operative skills. Kyle was proud to explain that the majority of his work is sub contracted by Steve. I am learning these relationships of mutual respect and trust are a massive part of the construction culture.

Kyle did not disappoint. It was so interesting to hear him speak about his experience in the construction industry and what his day to day work consists of. He explained much of his work is on housing sites. I know very little about what is required when building a house, let alone many, but what I do know is that each and everyone of these will become someone’s home, a sentiment not lost on Kyle. Therefore it is humbling to spend time with someone as enthusiastic as Kyle. He is non patronising and happy to discuss the multiple responsibilities a Plant Operative will have when working on a site of this scale. He respects his audience, so kindly dumbs down how he positions his tasks. I come to learn they are mainly on infrastructure work such as putting road drainage and road foundations in on site. Kyle explained his typical day, beginning with an early start and getting the site ready for work, stripping the soil, marking the drainage, starting to dig the drainage out, pull the spurs and the gulleys. Completing the drainage and moving the road out to stone ready for tarmac. Kyle explained he works with the same two fellow skilled operators on most of his infrastructure jobs, a partnership he values.

Kyle has worked as an operator for over 10 years. He knew from a very young age that he wanted to work within the construction industry. This early desire is a statement that has become so familiar to me, a common theme with every “Site Sunday” visit I have made. Kyle took the traditional journey, starting out by going through schooling, to becoming a labourer, to an operator and now being a self employed Plant Operative and Plant Owner. No one could have ever prepared me for the admiration I would feel for a skilled Plant Operative. Watching Kyle manoeuvre his JCB 220X Series is a huge reminder of the responsibility I feel within my role, to communicate the pride Holt JCB also feel in supporting our Customers and protecting their investments. Owning any form of plant is emotive, its is an Operators office, livelihood and a huge part of their identity. It is reassuring then to hear that Kyle is very impressed with the JCB X Series, saying “he can’t fault it”; it seems a number of Operators felt the same as Kyle implied he has spoken to them about the JCB X Series Excavators. He has even let other Operators try out his JCB 220X and they loved it, to the point of getting the company they are subtracted to, to buy one.

Ever since he was a little boy Kyle loved diggers and mud! He has always known what he wanted to do. His mind was set on construction and machines. Kyle explained he has always loved JCB since he was a young boy, remembering his parents selling a building plot next door and watching the JCB at work. Kyle reminisced about this first memory of JCB, of the classic JCB 3CX, which is when he first fell in love with the brand and the iconic yellow digger! It is not lost on me that here we are, stood on an impressive site that is managed by Steve Hoskins a local Cornish success story with Kyle who now owns his very own JCB. How can this not be regarded as inspiring?

I probe Kyle a little further to share the details of his career journey. He explains that he went on to become a young apprentices doing masonry, he explained there wasn’t much offered for building skills within the construction industry for operators. Part of that course was a day release placement on a site, he loved it even more, seeing the diggers at work. He then went on to study at Duchy College based in Cornwall. I was naturally delighted to hear that Construction and Plant Operations at Duchy College was a part of his journey. Not only are Duchy College a Customer of ours running a JCB fleet at their training College but Holt JCB also share their passion for future proofing the Construction industry by inspiring apprentices. I had the privilege of joining 45 Duchy College Apprentices this summer on a visit JCB HQ in Rochester. I cannot explain in a manner to do justice, as to how it felt now speaking with Kyle about his apprentice success story. He is the very ingredients needed for a guest speaker at College Open Days. Kyle mentioned Glen Miller from Duchy College who we work closely with and we know to be passionate about the opportunities that can be forged within the construction industry. Kyle referenced this was the point in time where his journey in construction really started. He was able to get his tickets, Kyle holds a number of Tickets including rear tipping, articulated NPORS card, 360 above and below ten tonne with lifting ops and forward tipping dumper. He also shared his view on the training that is provided for those wanting to receive their Tickets to become a skilled Operator. We spoke about the importance of Operator training and promoting to those wanting to complete their Tickets. This drive for Operator skill endorsement is one that JCB are currently championing through JCB Franchise Dealers like Holt JCB as we work with local training centres like Duchy College across our South Wales and South West England Territory.

Kyle is determined, he worked up from labourer to then getting into a machine. His on hand site experience cannot be underestimated as contributing to his skill as a Plant Operative. Starting in the smaller machines, working up to 13T. Kyle then became self-employed through buying his own second hand machine and being sub contracted out by companies to complete Operator jobs. After 18 months of being self-employed, he was able to buy his own new JCB machine. I talked through how it must be amazing to look back on this the journey and what it took to get to where he is today. He spoke about how he “enjoys the job and operating, you have to in order to live the Operator lifestyle. Its a long day to be in the machine, in all winds and weathers so it has to be the right choice.”

It was great to see the housing estate, half it being new builds and understanding what was yet to be created. Kyle explained the plans of what was going to be developed, with a potential of five to ten more years of work on these developments. Kyle explained he is always on a number of projects in new places all the time, operating for over 10 years. Saying the most important factor is keeping the client happy, making sure they are happy with the work and how much is getting done to ensure they are on schedule for the programme.

When asked about the best part of his job Kyle said he finds it “rewarding, especially being able to see his name on his machine. Working up through the construction industry to develop to this point.” His first memory of the JCB X Series was at Duchy College at an open day. He was impressed by the machine, Paul Butcher organised a demo for him and Kyle really liked the machine. Kyle has had two JCB 220X excavators, the first being a Tier 4, this one is the new Tier 5. “Both were brilliant machines. Both machines producing more than I had hoped they would!” Paul Butcher, many will know, is our Holt JCB Construction Territory Sales Manager for Cornwall and South Devon. Paul is supported by James Hayes and the fabulous team at Bodmin and also the amazing teams at Exeter, all experts in their fields. It seems a wonderful way to summarise my visit with Kyle as he discusses the multiple elements he enjoys about his career. It was Paul who instigated the visit for the Duchy College Apprentices and Paul who supported Kyle with the specification choices of the JCB XSeries, I truly believe that Paul will be advising many apprentices he, like Kyle, Glen, the team at Duchy College are inspiring to become Plant Operatives. I am truly proud of the partnerships that Holt JCB and all of our Territory Sales Managers and Depot Teams have across our territory. Duchy College in Cornwall, ACOP in Wales and AccXel in Cinderford. All passionately driven to raise the profile of success stories which Kyle represents. All with a common goal to entice apprentices and Plant Operatives to develop new skills within a construction community that is looking to embrace new family members and cherish the ones they have.

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