Craig Dorey
Meet Craig Dorey
Hydraulic Service Engineer Hydraquip Hose & Hydraulics Bracknell
Whilst at school I was unsure about which career path I wanted to follow but always knew it would be practical work. I had always been very interested in mechanics and from the age of 14 enjoyed building and working on my own bikes, motorcycles are my passion. I feel like I was born for practical and mechanical work, I couldn’t image myself doing anything else!
When I left school I began looking for a hands on job and was offered a job as a welder fabricator working on interesting projects including filters for air crafts and F1 vehicles. This is when I joined the hydraulics industry as I worked on lots of hydraulics and pneumatics such as hydraulic actuators and automatic gates, I guess you could say I have always been involved in the industry. I worked on things as small as a 10p coin to as large as an office building! Unfortunately in 1998 after working as a welder fabricator for 11 years I injured my back which meant I was no longer able to do heavy work.
After seeing a job as an engineer for Hyphose Portsmouth advertised I applied and was offered the job. I happily accepted and worked as an on site engineer in the Surrey area. At this point I had no training or particular experience as an engineer, but the job was advertised with training so as a Parker Hose Doctor distributor, the company allowed me to attend training courses with Parker to increase my knowledge on the hydraulics industry. I worked here for 3 years until being offered my dream job in a motorcycle shop! Of course I jumped at the chance and loved working there, eventually I was managing my own shop and being able to work doing something I love every day was brilliant. Everything was going great for 7 years until the recession in 2008 hit and we had to close the shop and the business.
It was at this time that I reverted back to my metal work experience and got a job as an electrician at Lanpin Electrics working on electrical installations for the construction industry. I worked in very large buildings manufacturing and fitting metal conduit and pipework to hold electrical wires. However, after working here for 3 years I left due to the recession affecting the financial stability of the company which saw it close.
From here I worked at John Dennis Coachbuilders building fire engines. I had a friend who worked there and suggested that I applied for a job. It was a job that I found really interesting, I was responsible for the initial stage of the build which required me to work on the pneumatic and hydraulic systems in the air tanks. However, I began to feel less happy in my job so in 2011 decided it was time for a change.
I spent a short spell (6 months) working for Completely Hydraulics in Hayes. Completely Hydraulics was good to begin with however I knew early on that there was little hope for me to progress within the company.
My move to Hydraquip however is an interesting story! While in my van working for Completely Hydraulics I was parked at the side of the road writing when Jason King, Hydraquip’s Area Sales Manager for the Bracknell area, approached me and said that Hydraquip were looking to increase their number of engineers so said “Come and work for us!” I had heard of Hydraquip before I began working for them, mainly by seeing their vans out and about on the road. So three and a half years ago I decided to take Jason’s offer and after speaking to the Managing Director Duncan MacBain, began working as a on site hydraulic engineer for Hydraquip. Based in the Bracknell area I always have lots of jobs to do, working on site repairing faulty hydraulic machinery or burst hoses in the event of a breakdown. I have a brand new van with a modern drawer system which I really like that helps me with my day to day work, storing a wide variety of hose and fittings. These are replenished via our central warehouse which I think is something that is great about Hydraquip, we are our own supplier. Both Gavin Benn and Lenny Sams are excellent at their jobs, they are always very helpful and efficient. Gavin will always help you with anything if you ask and Lenny seems to know pretty much everything about the industry, even down to minute details such as part numbers! The warehouse works with the engineers to make sure that no van runs out of stock and we are always fully equipped for any job we may be called to do, a system which I think works very well and as well as it can, especially with the number of vans that Hydraquip have across the UK! I love my job and as an employee, I truly think that Hydraquip are one of the best I have worked for – that’s why I’m still here! Duncan is a brilliant businessman who employs excellent staff who work as a team to keep the company running. I am trusted to get on with my job and feel that my colleagues are there for me if I need them. It works both ways, I work hard for Hydraquip so the company show me respect and support in return. I am confident that if I continue to do a good job then my position will remain open for me, job security is very hard to find these days but I have found it at Hydraquip. I believe that the engineers and sales reps are an important part of the company as they are the person the customer deals with and who they will remember. This is then backed up by the quality of service provided by the rest of the company and its staff. During my time at Hydraquip I have been involved in exciting projects such as re-hosing supply systems in flight simulators and travelling in a boat 1 and a half miles down a river repairing a digger which clears riverbeds! Every day is different and every job is different which I love!
In terms of me as a person, my home life and family are very important to me. I have three sons who are 20, 25 and 28 years old. My youngest son is an electrician who fits bathrooms and kitchens, and my eldest son is a plumber so they are helping me rip out my bathroom as I’m in the process of having a new one installed, this takes up most of my spare time at the moment. My main hobby is motorcycles. I own 3 motorcycles, 2 are classics which are not ridden. I have a Yamaha RD350 which I have had since I was 17 years old and have kept for nostalgia and also a Yamaha RD200 as I wanted 2 classic bikes. My third bike is a Yamaha XJR1300 which I ride at the weekends as often as I can, although I don’t get to as much as I would like! I also enjoy spending time with my lovely partner Nicola, we have now been together for over two years.
Tuesday 4th August
Meet The Team