John Mawson reflects on Mawsons journey and proud history

E. B Mawson and Sons Pty Ltd managing director John Mawson reflects on his career and being named a Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying Australia.

In many ways, John Mawson was likely destined to become the managing director of the family business.

He remembers visiting his family’s quarries during school holidays and watching as the many skilled operators worked their machines, which included cable shovels, jackhammers and old trucks with “crash box” transmissions. Back then, high-visibility clothing was something only people at airports wore. Most loaders had no cabins, and air conditioning was unheard of. No scales or reversing cameras, no seat belts or rollover protective structures; some machines had the luxury of rearview mirrors.

“My involvement with quarries goes back as far as I can remember, and you just grew into it from there,” John told Quarry.

“I can remember going to the quarries and watching the dropball work. I recall when we used to fire pops to reduce oversize rocks so they would fit into the 36×24-inch jaw crushers, which we thought were really big machines.

“Once the jackhammer crew drilled the holes, the oversize boulders would each be loaded with half a stick of gelly and a safety fuse inserted; then all the safety fuse was tied together so each ‘Pop’ would fire one at a time. Everyone would come out of the pit and stand what we thought was a safe distance away from the blasting and count each explosion to ensure there were no live explosives left. It was always a bit of relief when the last pop went off.”

Mawsons has been part of the quarrying industry since 1952. Today, the company employs more than 580 people and operates a network of hard rock and sand quarries and premixed concrete plants across regional Victoria and Southern NSW. The company’s name is well respected within the industry.

John’s pathway to running the family business, which was started by his grandfather, E.B (Barney) Mawson in 1912, was not direct. He completed a Commerce Degree at Melbourne University and then spent a few years working in corporate banking in the Melbourne CBD. Following his stint in the corporate sector, John returned to the family business and quarrying. He started work in 1989 at the Lake Cooper Quarry, near Rochester in Northern Victoria, as an operator.

“I don’t think many people had a CV that included a Heavy Articulated Truck Licence, a Shot Firer’s ticket and a Commerce Degree,” he said.

“Returning home to quarrying was quite a change, but it was something that has always been close to my heart, and I was keen to do it. I was fortunate to work with a great team at Lake Cooper; everyone was more than happy to share their knowledge and experience.

“I had a whole different set of skills from what those guys did. I had driven road tippers during university holidays, but the quarries are different. Most of our team had been at Lake Cooper for 10 or 20 years. It was nice to be working outside and helping create something real; be it a road, bridge or dam. I was very lucky and had great fun.”

Swapping a suit and tie for the quarry’s hard hats was always going to be a big change. Still, in some ways, his previous work in the Melbourne CBD supported his ambition to progress in quarrying.

John pursued a Quarry Manager’s Ticket, previously known as a Superintendent’s Ticket, via a four-year Certificate qualification, which meant spending a day a week at Box Hill TAFE. His background in corporate finance earned him two subject exemptions.

“When I started in quarrying, I was just an operator. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I got my Quarry Manager’s Certificate and moved to manage our Pyramid Hill Quarry that the financial experience kicked in,” he said.

“In university, I majored in economics and commercial law. In my role today, the practical know-how gained at the quarries remains critical, but the commercial law, economics and accounting knowledge probably apply more.”

In reflecting on his 36 years in the industry, John said, “There’s a lot more focus on compliance now. We were always safety conscious and aware of looking after each other and managing risks, but now it is done in a much more formalised manner.”

John has witnessed a time of significant change within the quarrying industry. The advent and increased adoption of technology has re-shaped the sector dramatically to the point where very little would be familiar to his grandfather.

“Almost every aspect of drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, crushing, and screening has changed in my 30-odd years in the industry. But we do still work with people,” he said.

“Today the mobile plant is more sophisticated, the fixed plant is more sophisticated, and all the equipment is more efficient. We monitor things more closely to optimise performance, and there are many more tools available through electronics and drone and satellite technology to make the work safer, reduce environmental impacts and optimise outputs.”

“The technology we employ now is so different from what it was 30 years ago. The rate of change has accelerated as technology has become more sophisticated and more readily available. I suspect the last 20 to 30 years has seen more changes than the 20 or 30 which preceded that.”

As the industry has changed, Mawsons has continued to be a key producer of construction materials. It operates more than 80 sites, including over 30 quarries and 40 concrete plants, as well as some landscaping centres. Its operations feature smart systems and advanced equipment, including mobile crushing and screening plants and a fleet of concrete, cement and tip trucks. According to John, the business has grown five-fold in the last 18 years.

In 2007, Adelaide Brighton Limited purchased ex-IQA Australia president, Ken Mawson’s 50 per cent of the family company. This made Mawsons a joint venture between the listed Adelaide entity and Mawson’s family. It was at this time that John became managing director.

“The business is much bigger and more complex than 18 years ago. We are lucky enough to have dedicated specialists in several critical areas, such as workplace health and safety, IT, human resources, quality assurance, engineering, maintenance and blasting. Moreover, we have these skilled people spread across our regional workshops, offices and labs. So that they can enjoy country living and better serve our customers,” John said.

“It has meant that we’re able to survive and flourish in an industry that is much more complex than 36 years ago. We’re still working with our people, for our customers, crushing rock, but there are so many more aspects to it now.”

For all its achievements, there is one thing that John is most proud of regarding the business which bears his family’s name. Despite the company’s growth, it has always stayed true to its roots.

“You understand that it’s not just the Mawson family legacy. There are many people I work with now whose grandparents, parents, aunties and uncles worked with us, so the Mawson legacy is a shared legacy between the multiple generations of staff,” he said.

“We have over 120 men and women in our 25-year club. We’ve all been in this together for a long while, and a lot of people, regardless of how long they have been part of our team, feel personal ownership and pride in what we have achieved and what the people that went before us built and what we’ve all achieved together.”

The latest in the line of achievements at Mawsons belongs to John himself after being designated as a Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying Australia (FIQ). Institute of Quarrying Australia chief executive officer Jane Schmitt attended the Victorian branch’s end-of-year meeting to present John with a certificate and the FIQ badge.   

The recognition was another step in his long association with the IQA, which began when he was an affiliate member.

“That was a nice moment,” he said.

“It was very nice to be recognised as a Fellow after a long period of time as part of the IQA. It is nice to have that recognition from your peers and acknowledgement of your achievements.” •