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A Family Legacy at Tradelink
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be responsible for millions of dollars? Aaron Storvik doesn’t have to wonder. He knows. As a Key Account Manager, he manages customer accounts, along with project pricing and customer service issues from his office in Port of Melbourne and he says there are always a few nerves dealing with such large sums of money. But Aaron says he’s had the confidence to do so, thanks in large part to the backing of the Tradelink team.
The team here at Tradelink have always given me the confidence to back myself. I know they’ll stand behind me. We can be dealing with accounts and projects worth hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. But I know if I make a decision and I’ve got the evidence to back it up, I'll always be supported.
Aaron’s the second generation of his family to work at Tradelink. His father, a Tradelink veteran of 46 years, is the former Branch Manager of the South Geelong store where Aaron first started his Tradelink journey in 2012. It was Aaron’s dad who suggested he apply with us, despite Aaron having no experience in the plumbing industry.
What he did know was hospitality, and how to lead teams, the result of spending most of his 20s managing bars and restaurants across Australia. But Aaron was due for a change from the punishing hospitality hours and he initially accepted a position with us as a driver. He didn’t realise at that stage just how far he’d progress at Tradelink, and how quickly.
Building a career: It’s the opportunity.
Within a year of starting as a driver, Aaron transitioned to working in the warehouse at South Geelong, and soon after, he was promoted to Warehouse Manager. It wasn’t long after that that he became Assistant Manager. Then, when we opened up a new store in North Geelong, Aaron was the perfect fit for the Branch Manager position. He proudly built the North Geelong store up to the successful business it is today before returning to manage the bigger South Geelong store for two years. Some may find this accelerated growth daunting, but not Aaron. He’s thrived on the challenge.
What I’ve really enjoyed at Tradelink is that all the way through, I’ve had opportunities to progress into different roles and learn new things. Now, ten years in, I’m looked at as one of the most knowledgeable people in Victoria. I’ve come a long way from day one when I didn’t know the difference between this fitting and that toilet!
Aaron’s a driven and passionate guy who’s always prepared to put his hand up for new opportunities. He says the learning courses he’s completed - courses that are available to all team members - have helped fast-track his growth in the business. And he doesn’t see his rise at Tradelink as luck.
In my time at Tradelink, I’ve seen many people progress through the business. Tradelink’s always very keen to promote internally and to encourage that growth in their own people. In my past small business roles, I might be the manager or the boss but I couldn’t go further. Whereas, here, I’ve had that opportunity to go far.
Learning and growing
Because most of Aaron's former experience was in leading teams, making sales and helping customers, he’s had to learn different skills to make a name for himself as a Key Account Manager. But building knowledge in this new area is something he’s found very satisfying.
I’ve enjoyed learning a different side of the business. I’ve never really understood the ins and outs of financials in big business before. And, in this role, I get opportunities to speak out and influence what we do across the business to make it better for everybody.
Aaron says it’s a good time to be at Tradelink with so many opportunities coming through to learn and grow into new areas.
We're on a journey with our digital transformation, this has included a new retail website and business portal for customers. We’re putting more people into branches - supporting the ground roots where it all happens. It’s really encouraging and for me, it means I get to go out and sell the Tradelink brand with confidence. |
