Mildura local showing her mettle

Meet Alison Bateman – our newest InfraBuild Steel Centre branch manager.

Born and raised in the Mildura region, Alison is the first local to take the reins at our Mildura business in more than 25 years.

Alison first entered the steel industry nearly 20 years ago as a trainee customer service officer before joining InfraBuild as an account manager in 2015.

She was recently appointed manager at our Mildura Steel Centre having completed further training and development over the past two years. She now manages a team who support customers in the construction and agricultural sectors, supplying a range of structural, reinforcing, and tubular steel products for regional construction and agricultural projects.

Reflecting on her career thus far, Alison said she found working in the steel industry was rewarding and enjoyed connecting with people.

“In the early days, it was challenging to demonstrate my capability and knowledge in the industry but that has now changed,” she said.

“Over the past few years, I have been encouraged to pursue my professional development and I have received a lot of support from my fellow colleagues based in other regional Steel Centres.

“I see us as partnering with our customers and communities, so building their trust and respect is very important.”

Alison also said that initiatives like InfraBuild’ s Women’s Network were promoting a more inclusive workforce through development opportunities, mentoring, open discussions, and valuable insights from guest speakers.

Barry Kelly, InfraBuild Steel Centre State Manager, said that Alison brings deep local knowledge and relationships to the role which has fostered mutual respect with the market.

“As a local, Alison has a strong connection to the region and a keen understanding of the local challenges and opportunities,” he said.

“Alison has great experience in the steel industry and since joining InfraBuild in 2015, has been a key contributor to our growth and success in the region.”