Colin and Lesley Van Staveren
certainly are busy.
Not only do they run a
business together - the
local success story of FNQ
Plastics, which in 2007 was
a small backstreet business,
and is now one of the largest
plastics fabrication outfits in
Far North Queensland.
They are also in planning mode of
ReGEN Plastics, a new venture set to
expand the local recycling industry. It is
when the pair are asked about the concept
that you see their synergies ignite.
‘Every day, waste products are going to landfill and creating
emissions. That is worrying. We as a society aren’t not doing
enough to look after this place. We need to take action,’ Colin
enthuses.
Through family connections, the Van Staveren’s were
exposed to patented technology that can essentially close
the loop on what is usually a long, complex journey for
plastics recyclables. Once sorted, plastic recyclables
from Cairns are trucked down to Brisbane for processing.
“They are chopped down, washed, drained and processed
into extrudable beads and then transported elsewhere to
be melted down and moulded into finished product,” Lesley
explains.
‘Right now, there’s no recycled goods produced up here. It
doesn’t make sense, it can really be done a lot better!’ says
Lesley.
In addition to these two arms of their business, Colin and
Lesley are founding members of an organization created to
reduce waste.
And they have three young children, aged 3, 4 and 5.
It’s enough to make the most organised person exhausted.
And from the outside, it seems as though the couple have life
completely figured out.
However, Col and Lesley are the first to admit it requires a
lot of effort every single day to keep all these balls in the air.
The couple met in 2007, and were casual acquaintances for
a couple of years.
However, after their first date in 2010, things started moving
very quickly. Both known for their strong personalities, and
‘All or Nothing’ attitude, they recognized quickly that there
was something special about their connection.
Lesley’s Australian work visa was set to expire, meaning she
was on the verge of returning to her native Britain, but Colin
wasn’t willing to see their relationship end.
“She was ‘The One’”, Col says with certainty.
Four months after their first date, the pair were engaged,
and a mere six weeks after that, they were husband and wife.
The wedding was a well-planned but low-key affair. Lesley’s
choice of venue, the stunning chapel at Angsana Palm Cove
was known for being heavily booked months in advance, and
with just six weeks preparation time for the wedding, Lesley
thought there was no chance.
AS MOST OF US WITH
YOUNG CHILDREN WOULD
KNOW, JUST THE HOME
LIFE WITH 3 BABIES IS
CHALLENGING LET ALONE
BEING IN LEADERSHIP
POSITIONS.
As fate would have it, staff at the Palm Cove
resort received a cancellation for the exact day
they were hoping for just moments before her enquiry, and
Lesley took that as a sign.
They went on to have three kids in under three years – no
mean feat – and they often remark the first six months after
their third baby was born, was a total blur.
As most parents recall, wrangling young children is an
enormous challenge. However, the pair also enjoy giving
back to the local community, and regularly volunteer for
community leadership positions.
Always analysing efficiencies of their systems, the power
couple regularly review their home life in the same way as
they do their businesses. What systems can be put in place
to create more structure and so even the kids at their young
age know what’s expected and feel secure in their daily
routine.
Lesley explains, “We are always reminding each other to not
to see challenges as barriers, rather as opportunities.”
“Don’t get me wrong - there are without question days that
feel like they are never going to end!” Yet, her passion and
enthusiasm for her family, her business and her community
is infectious.
“Family is my everything. At the end of the day, everything
we do, it’s all for them,” Col says, embracing his young son.
Lesley furthers that she regularly reminds herself to never
become complacent. “I’ve learned that if your focus is
too heavy on one aspect of your life, then you can almost
guarantee that another aspect will slip.”
“It’s all about balance.”
Issue 22 |
23