Queensland General Manager Barry McCarthy oversees our day-to-day operations at Class Plastics Queensland, including manufacturing, purchasing, sales, and customer service.
We asked Barry what his typical day as the General Manager looks like.
Can you give us a summary of your role?
As the General Manager, I manage our daily business activities in Class Plastics Queensland. I oversee our manufacturing process, purchasing requirements, maintaining relationships with our vendors and clients, as well as managing our staff. I work hand in hand with our National Sales Manager in Victoria with regards to any new and existing sales and ensure that all operational aspects meet the overall delivery and quality required by our customers.
How does your typical day look like?
I usually arrive in the office before 7:30 in the morning. I start my day by going around the factory to check our production for the previous day. I work with our Production Supervisor to discuss any issues that may have occurred during the past 24 hours and look at the forward production schedule, make any changes that may be needed as well as looking at the schedule for planned maintenance moving forward. I also assist in sorting, loading, and dispatching our deliveries for the day.
When I’m not going around the factory, I am usually in my office sending and answering emails, taking phone calls, and planning sales appointments.
I coordinate and manage all areas of our business operations here in Queensland, as well as develop strategies to improve our sales, productivity, quality, deliverability, and serviceability.
How do you stay on top of your job?
I make sure that I have good people. Having the right people on the right job keeps us always on track, and I always do my best to maintain good rapport with all staff.
Being in a satellite branch, I try to be very much involved in all aspects of the business to make sure that everything is done in the right order.
How do you keep yourself on top of the latest developments in the industry?
All industries evolve with new technology and ours is no different.
I think one of the advantages of Class Plastics, having offices in Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland, is our accessibility to our customers and suppliers. We’re able to spend time with them on a regular basis. For us, there’s no better source of information than our own customers.
We get a wide variety of new ideas from our customers that we then bring to the table for discussion and to develop new products. Our suppliers have also been very helpful to us in terms of the latest machinery and raw materials that are out or soon to be available in the market.
What do you like most about your role?
I like that I am able to make decisions on the best ways to run our branch and that I have the full support of our directors.
Like in any business, there are ups and downs. I enjoy the challenges it brings because, at the end of the day, I find satisfaction knowing that my decisions and directions have made a difference. I may not always make the right decision but the truth is that the only bad decision we could ever make is to not do anything one way or the other and learn by their outcomes of the decisions we do make.
What’s the best thing about working with Class Plastics?
The best thing about working with Class Plastics is the people I work with. Whether it be a sales inquiry, a machine issue, or delivery issue, everyone is always happy to help where they can and put in that extra work when needed. It makes my job so much easier knowing that the people I work with are always willing to go the extra mile if needed. All in all, it’s a great network of people to work with.
To talk to Barry about your packaging needs, Contact Us today.
