West Fraser’s Class of 2024, George Beamish – Engineering Graduate

West Fraser, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of engineered wood-based panel products, is committed to “attracting and recruiting great people, and creating workplaces that are reflective of the communities we are a part of and where diversity in culture, experience and background are valued. The approach underpins our strategic objectives to attract, employ and retain engaged, talented and high-performing people, support better decision making, reach a broader pool of potential employees and maintain a more inclusive work environment.”  And here, in the first of a new series, we read the stories behind some of the young talent emerging today.

What first attracted you to the company?

Being born and living in Inverness most of my life, you grow up knowing West Fraser as one name. The Cloud Factory. So, when I was coming to the end of my university degree it was one of the first places that came to mind. It was a stone throw from where I lived, offered interesting graduate job opportunities, provided knowledge into several disciplines of manufacturing, promised training in order to gain a greater understanding, and a long list of other incentives that gave the Cloud Factory that silver lining.

What’s been your career path and how did it happen?

My career path has been very straight forward. Having worked in retail, for the past 10 years prior to West Fraser. As soon as I walked out of the graduation hall, I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to work in an industry and truly begin my career path. 

What’s the best thing about your current role? /What is the most interesting thing you have gotten to work on so far in your time here?

The freedom I have in being able to get involved with several differing jobs and projects around the site. I could be working with conveyors one moment, the next fitting magnets into a drop chute to collect metal fragments, to then assisting in changing out damaged machinery.

I was involved in helping to distinguish and resolve an issue persisting with robot arms that are used to load bearers beneath banded mats. Observing the machine in action and eventually understanding its operation after being put on a PLC course was fascinating.

What do you hope to achieve at West Fraser?

I hope to become well versed in multiple different aspects of a working industry. Developing my skills in mechanical operations, electrical operations, management, leading projects, usage of tools & equipment, amongst multiple others.

My main goal and what I am aiming for is progressing my skills enough to become Head of Engineering in West Fraser. 

Which of West Frasers core values do you identify with most?

All of West Frasers core values are just as important as each other. The three I identify most with are Safety, Trust and Teamwork.

Making sure everything and everyone is safe is always the first thing that appears in my mind when I am working. This can be achieved if we all work together as a team and are comfortable asking questions if not fully understanding the task. So, you are trusting that the person you are asking for help is knowledgeable enough to explain the task to you and help you complete it, effectively gifting you information for next time. If all of these are achieved, you be able to have fun while working.

For further information on the graduate opportunities on offer at West Fraser, please email Graduates.UK@westfraser.com