Teamwork has no borders

Sharing knowledge, experience and resources is nothing new for Liebherr Mining. As a global business with sales and service companies all over the world, having a strong culture of mutual support and cooperation is vital. With Liebherr-Australia ramping up its assembly capabilities so it can deliver the growing fleet in Western Australia, Liebherr Panama was more than happy to lend a hand.

‘With resources available here in Panama, we saw an exciting opportunity to collaborate with our colleagues at Liebherr-Australia,’ explains Wendel Petersen, operations manager, Liebherr Panama. ‘Recognising their need for qualified personnel, I reached out to them to develop a plan. This initiative was driven by our commitment to providing our technicians here in Panama with new opportunities and supporting our colleagues in Australia.’

Arriving in Australia

Within a matter of weeks, experienced Liebherr Panama technicians arrived in Australia to contribute their skills to the enormous project at hand.

‘Having the highly experienced and capable team from Liebherr Panama assist our local team in Perth during a period of significant growth has been invaluable. It has been fantastic to see two teams come together in such a collaborative way, building working relationships and achieving a great outcome,’ says Paul Hyham, regional manager of customer support, Western Australia. ‘We would welcome the opportunity to work with our colleagues from Liebherr Panama in the future.’

A meeting of different cultures

As a way to celebrate the camaraderie between these two sales and service companies, the Liebherr Panama team presented Liebherr-Australia with a mola. Molas, known for their vivid colours and intricate, nature-inspired designs, form part of the traditional dress of The Guna people – an indigenous group that lives in both Panama and Colombia. The mola presented to Liebherr-Australia was embroidered with a message of appreciation for Liebherr Panama's Australian colleagues.

Piterson Caballero, a technical service advisor from Liebherr Panama who travelled to Australia for this project, says that the experience was a unique opportunity for the team.

‘The experience of going to Liebherr-Australia was challenging in every way, but very rewarding. It was a unique opportunity for us, not only for learning, but for endless cultural exchange. Getting to know one of the strongest structures in Liebherr Mining and being able to contribute means a professional achievement for those of us who were also able to contribute our knowledge.’