CERTAIN people can thrive when being thrown into the deep end and when Steele Hathway started his job at Elders, combined with being “a make things happen sort of person”, he soon found he was one of those people.
About seven months ago he stepped out of his comfort zone by accepting a position with Elders as territory sales manager at Corrigin.
As well as learning the new role, the 25-year-old had to move to a new town, make new contacts and form new friendships.
For most people this would be quite daunting but for Mr Hathway, as a young man new to the corporate world of agriculture, it was one of the biggest yet exciting challenges he has had to face.
Mr Hathway was always an agriculture kid at heart, growing up on his family’s property, Overpark, Kalannie.
The Hathways had a 6000 hectare mixed-farming enterprise of cropping and sheep with a Prime SAMM stud and later a feedlot.
Prior to 2016 they also owned Hathway Farm Equipment, Kalannie and Cadoux Traders, Cadoux which both had alliances with Elders for about 10 years.
Following the completion of his electrical apprenticeship in 2014, Mr Hathway worked between the farm and as an electrician for three years, which he said gave him a great skill base and helped when applying for the Elders job.
“I really liked the hands-on work as an electrician and it also taught me how to talk with people and interact with the big wide world,” Mr Hathway said.
He moved back to the farm full-time in the early part of 2017 to work with his dad Stan and to take on a leading role with the livestock side of the farm which he said re-kindled his passion for agriculture.
In 2009 the family decided to sell the farm, with the last portion of the property selling earlier this year.
Although letting go of the family farm and businesses was tough, it meant Mr Hathway could pursue his new and exciting options.
During his time working on the farm in its final years, he became close mates with the family’s livestock agent, Rhys Fleay.
Mr Fleay suggested he keep an eye out for job openings with Elders as he had had a great experience with the company which had a strong reputation in the industry.
Mr Hathway applied for a traineeship with Elders and although he was unsuccessful, he kept in contact with the Elders WA livestock manager Geoff Shipp and eventually he secured his current position.
This young gun said although his role had been a challenge, it has given him a good platform to build his career on.
“Going out to Corrigin, I was the only territory sales manager at the time so I had the opportunity to have my own patch of dirt to work with and build my name,” he said.
“I’m definitely happy with how much I have been able to achieve in such a short time.
“It is a challenge but that drives me and I look forward to the challenges ahead.
“I do have to give credit to the agents who have helped me in my first six months – Elders has some fantastic people who have a wealth of knowledge and if you turn the tap on the right amount, the information and support comes on like a flood.”
By choosing a different path Mr Hathway said he has had to learn new skills, particularly to do with communication and marketing.
“I enjoy the day-to-day work of interacting with farmers, they are all so welcoming and it makes my work really pleasant,” he said.
Mr Hathway said that while the job and the responsibility could be daunting at times, “it is early days and I find it satisfying seeing the industry do well for farmers”.
Like many children who grew up on a farm, Mr Hathway said he loved the freedom of the outdoors and always being around nature.
“It was a fantastic environment to grow up in and when I have kids one day, I would certainly like to raise them in the country to have the same great experiences as I did,” he said.
“I loved helping my parents on the farm and in the rural shops as many country kids do, I think having that experience growing up has given me a good backgrounding in my new career – they taught me a lot.”
Goals to aspire too and new opportunities on the horizon make Mr Hathway’s future promising.
In the short-term, at Elders he hopes to build his rapport with farmers, expand his client base and try his hand at some new challenges such as auctioneering and working with stud stock.
He said working for a major company such as Elders had been a great start for his career and there could be many opportunities for him in the future.
“Seeing that Elders is a nationwide company, I could potentially go anywhere in Australia, it would be great to see different farming situations around the country,” Mr Hathway said
With the general age of people in the industry being much older he expected there to be a lot of prospects for young people in the near future, particularly with some of the latest advancements in technology.
“I think there is going to be huge opportunities for young people, especially with technology having a huge influence in the way we make decisions,” he said.
“EID (electronic identification) tagging and new apps for livestock are going to become more popular and are fundamental to improving efficiency and productivity across the industry.
“As a territory sales manager for livestock, I think the incorporation of technology will make a big difference in the way we market our livestock in the future and see the on-going support for farmers.”
