Make or break for ex-Army electronics whiz
Wednesday, 13 September, 2023
In his 15 years with Gallagher, Electronics Technician Allan McKie has gone full circle, from deliberately trying to break products to fixing and troubleshooting issues for farmers.
Allan is a former Electronics, Instruments and Radar Technician in the New Zealand Army. He started working at Gallagher in 2008 as a technical investigator in the Product Reliability Team where, amongst other things, he was paid to spend his days breaking some of Gallagher’s most valuable products.
His job was to identify any weak spots in new products, so they could be remedied to make sure Gallagher customers were getting solutions they could rely on.
“I remember taking the then largest energizer in the world, worth about $3,000 at the time, and dropping it from a height multiple times to find the weak spots and see what would break,” says Allan. “I certainly put it through its paces!
“It was done for by the time I’d finished with it, but farmers then had a quality product that could withstand even the harshest treatment and on-farm conditions,” says Allan.
Allan has a natural curiosity for the way things work and for helping people. It was these traits that drove him to complete a Diploma in Electrical Engineering at Wintec after leaving the Army.
He was working at an environmental monitoring company before joining the Gallagher team. He says Gallagher ticked every box for him when it came to creating a varied and interesting career surrounded by smart people.
“Everyone I talk to wants to work at Gallagher. The company is driven by innovation, research, development, and just plain clever people, so if that’s what spins your wheels then this is definitely the place to be” says Allan.
“We get to work on so many different product lines. No day is ever the same and there are some hugely talented and smart people here you can learn from. We all pool our knowledge and expertise to make lives easier for farmers every day.”
Equally, Allan says there is a culture of understanding at Gallagher.
“No one has the answers to every question, but when Gallagher teams work together, they can solve almost any problem.”
About five years ago, Allan took on his current role as an electronics technician. He loves the fact that he still gets to make a difference, just in a different way.
“The work I do now is far more direct. If a farmer has a broken energizer, which doesn’t happen often, I fix it for them. I can also help them troubleshoot electric fencing or stock weighing gear,” says Allan.
“I have visibility of, and involvement in, all the different areas and product lines I have worked in at Gallagher, which means I can troubleshoot almost any issue.
“Ultimately, I am a people person and I want to make a difference,” says Allan. “Whether it’s my colleagues or farmer customers, I want people to be better off for having known me.”
Allan is a former Electronics, Instruments and Radar Technician in the New Zealand Army. He started working at Gallagher in 2008 as a technical investigator in the Product Reliability Team where, amongst other things, he was paid to spend his days breaking some of Gallagher’s most valuable products.
His job was to identify any weak spots in new products, so they could be remedied to make sure Gallagher customers were getting solutions they could rely on.
“I remember taking the then largest energizer in the world, worth about $3,000 at the time, and dropping it from a height multiple times to find the weak spots and see what would break,” says Allan. “I certainly put it through its paces!
“It was done for by the time I’d finished with it, but farmers then had a quality product that could withstand even the harshest treatment and on-farm conditions,” says Allan.
Allan has a natural curiosity for the way things work and for helping people. It was these traits that drove him to complete a Diploma in Electrical Engineering at Wintec after leaving the Army.
He was working at an environmental monitoring company before joining the Gallagher team. He says Gallagher ticked every box for him when it came to creating a varied and interesting career surrounded by smart people.
“Everyone I talk to wants to work at Gallagher. The company is driven by innovation, research, development, and just plain clever people, so if that’s what spins your wheels then this is definitely the place to be” says Allan.
“We get to work on so many different product lines. No day is ever the same and there are some hugely talented and smart people here you can learn from. We all pool our knowledge and expertise to make lives easier for farmers every day.”
Equally, Allan says there is a culture of understanding at Gallagher.
“No one has the answers to every question, but when Gallagher teams work together, they can solve almost any problem.”
About five years ago, Allan took on his current role as an electronics technician. He loves the fact that he still gets to make a difference, just in a different way.
“The work I do now is far more direct. If a farmer has a broken energizer, which doesn’t happen often, I fix it for them. I can also help them troubleshoot electric fencing or stock weighing gear,” says Allan.
“I have visibility of, and involvement in, all the different areas and product lines I have worked in at Gallagher, which means I can troubleshoot almost any issue.
“Ultimately, I am a people person and I want to make a difference,” says Allan. “Whether it’s my colleagues or farmer customers, I want people to be better off for having known me.”