Meet the Team - Rob Kuiti

Meet Rob Kuiti

Slaughterfloor Supervisor at Manawatū

Rob is one of three supervisors responsible for keeping operations running smoothly at ANZCO Foods Manawatū.

Alongside production responsibilities, he coordinates staffing, oversees health and safety requirements, manages certs and timesheets, and helps resolve any issues that pop up. Arranging staffing is often one of the more challenging aspects of his role. He says you have to be on your game all the time, but he has a good team around him who help out when needed.

Rob's career began at Alliance in Levin. He worked on the floor for two years before training as a company meat inspector, and spent 14 years in that role. During the off-season, he also worked in Marlborough vineyards. Following the Kaikōura earthquakes, the Levin site was closed for an extended period, so Rob took the opportunity to study - one of his passions is sport and fitness, so he studied personal training. He went on to train clients from his home gym, running group fitness and box-fit sessions. Helping people achieve their goals was one of the aspects he enjoyed most.

He moved to Manawatū after being offered a supervisor role. When he first started at the site, the processing chain was manual, meaning supervisors had to constantly monitor workflow and read the team. If someone was a bit slower or faster than the rest of the team, it affected everyone else, so Rob spent a lot of time helping people work together, particularly after returning from the weekend. Recently, the chain at the site was upgraded and is now automated, so while it took the team a while to adjust, it's made processing easier to manage. He's been at the site for about eight years now, and says one of the things he values most about ANZCO is how supportive the company is.

Rob's claim to fame is winning the Central North Island boxing championships - he has a record of winning five fights in a row. One of the toughest parts of the tournament was the mental challenge of waiting all day to compete - he arrived at 7:30am and didn't fight until 10pm. After arriving early in the morning, he did not step into the ring until late that evening. He also represented Central in the Bartercard Cup for rugby league.

He still enjoys following rugby league and boxing, and also enjoys surfing. After a busy day at work, he'll often fit in a training session. If not, you'll find him at home with his family. His eldest daughter is studying nursing in Nelson, and his two younger daughters live at home with Rob, his partner, and the family's cats and German Shepherd dog. He unwinds by watching a good documentary, spending time with family, and fitting in exercise whenever possible.

Fun Facts

• Sweet or savoury?
  Savoury
• Beach or mountains?
  Beach
• What are you currently working towards?
  Doing the house up, making sure the kids have everything they need, and bettering myself in my role
• What was your first concert?
  Blindspott in Cooks Gardens at Whanganui
• What's your perfect day off?
  Hanging out at the beach - it's my happy place
• If you could eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  I could probably live on beef burgers and chips!