Nick Friend - Sales Manager – Locksmiths/Resellers | MKS/EAC NSW/ACT

I’m currently the Engineering Manager for dormakaba Australia, after initially being a Product & Production Engineer focusing on our IGS range. My role is a mix of providing technical support to different parts of our business – helping sales with special applications or technical queries from customers, helping the factory solve find ways to improve their processes & our being available to assist our product managers with technical challenges related to current or future planned products.

What is it like working for dormakaba?

Thinking about the day-to-day side of the roles I’ve had; “exciting” is not the right word but if I take a step back and think about the bigger events I’ve seen take place over 8 years, “exciting” starts to be a better fit. The Dorma+KABA merger, relocating our head office, new product launches, rebuilding our ERP system & most of all a renewed focus on continuous improvement across the business - Those things add up to a lot of interesting projects and positive changes that have kept me satisfied while working here.

What motivates you most in your work?

The challenge of turning todays problems into solutions – whether it be solving an application issue to support a sale, or helping the production team implement process improvements, there’s always a challenge to be found. A current project in Australia is the development of a Product Testing Centre which will greatly increase the ways in which the small team I manage can support the business.

What makes dormakaba special?

The people I work with and the attitudes that the company fosters are the main thing to mention here. Working together and pushing for the right solutions for our customers where there is both support and high expectations makes it a great environment to work in. Whether it’s finding a way to meet a special one-off demand or planning for big changes, the people here are always ready to help, share their experiences and look for new ways to improve. It’s a good work environment and having had a little to do with people that work for dormakaba in many different parts of the world from what I’ve seen there is a similar sentiment everywhere and knowing that helps make it feel like we are part of the same team.

What is it like working for dormakaba?

It is great. We have a lovely team and I must say, that I am very happy here.

What motivates you most in your work?

The brand itself, the team and the values that dormakaba have. They take care of their staff and that is amazing.

What makes dormakaba special?

Their values, the brand, their goals and the way they are concerned about the environment. And of course the team.

What is it like working for dormakaba?

I feel like a family member and an essential part of dormakaba

What motivates you most in your work?

The culture, people and learning new things every day motivates me to work in dormakaba.

What makes dormakaba special?

Culture, Multi diversity, the loving and caring environment. I enjoy the flexibility to work from home when required.

As a service sales consultant for dormakaba I reach out to businesses and people all around Perth and WA to grow our contracted customers and the preventative maintenance side of the business. My role allows me to get out and about and meet current and prospective clients and share with them, the wide array of services we offer as a global corporation. Secretly, I like to tell those who ask what I do for a living that I get paid to take people out for coffee 😉

What is it like working for dormakaba?

Working for dormakaba today is very different to when I first started with the company four years ago, we are ever evolving and that’s the exciting part about working for this company, we are progressive. We’re a busy company and you’ll hit the ground running, But we have an incredible network of support to help you reach your full potential.

What motivates you most in your work?

It would most definitely be the people I work with; we are all about supporting each other.

What makes dormakaba special?

What is really special about dormakaba is the positive working relationships you can build with people all across the country. There are people on the other side of the country that I've never met in person but yet I feel very comfortable having a friendly conversation and a laugh with, as if I've known them forever. You learn about each other’s families and histories and if it wasn’t for this company, they are people I would have never even knew existed, so I think that’s pretty special.

What is it like working for dormakaba?

dormakaba is a great company to work for because it always looks after its staff and always puts it people first, safety is a priority and not an afterthought. It always has opportunities to progress in the company with lots of variety of roles.

What motivates you most in your work?

My motivation is to try to get the most out of myself and lead by example and get the best out of my team so we all can enjoy coming to work.

What makes dormakaba special?

dormakaba is a special place to work as there is an incredible team culture where management really care about team members and all staff support each other. We are not afraid to suggest new ideas to make things better and it brings satisfaction when they are implemented.