There have been a lot of changes to the Altanks business over the last decade, and Office Manager Libby Sanderson has been at the pointy end of all of them.
With over 11 years at Altanks, she continues to grow and adapt – never sitting still and embracing new challenges in front of her.
Initially joining as a part-time bookkeeper, Libby’s responsibilities have increased significantly.
Now as Office Manager, she is pivotal in ensuring the smooth running of daily operations, handling incoming orders, coordinating projects and managing debtors.
Ahrens’ acquisition of Altanks in February 2021 saw the biggest change in Libby’s role, as her scope expanded to learning estimating and having to oversee the progression of projects.
During this transition, she leveraged the experience of the Southern Cross Water team, who Altanks work closely with.
“Those guys have been around a long time and having been thrown in the deep end, I really lent on their wealth of knowledge.”
The merger also brought on new opportunities to improve other aspects of the business, which Libby has relished.
“One of the best things that Ahrens has brought [to Altanks] is new software,” Libby explains.
“Our scheduling tools and processes weren’t terribly efficient, but being able to digitise and automate these has made coordinating jobs easier and improved our efficiency.”
Her dedication, keen eye for detail, and strong relationships with both staff and clients make her indispensable.
“I really enjoy building long lasting relationships with our customers and suppliers – some have been with us for longer than I have,” she says.
“We get all sorts of requests from clients, and we work hard to keep everyone happy; it keeps them coming back.”
Some of the more unique projects she is proud to have worked on are a fire tank in brand colours for MotorEx Oils, a custom drinking water solution for the Cunnamulla Hot Springs tourist destination in Western Qld, and a tank for the “Gastown” set of Hollywood blockbuster Mad Max: Furiosa.
Outside of work, Libby enjoys an active lifestyle in the beautiful Northern Rivers district near Tweed Heads.
Whether it’s kayaking, hiking or enjoying fresh oysters and cold beer by the river, she finds peace in nature.
With three children, including one daughter in Canada and another in Tasmania, Libby’s love for travel has taken her across the world.
She’s visited Canada six times and looks forward to her son’s future adventures as he looks to move to Bali.
With her hands always full at work and her heart in the great outdoors, Libby is dynamic and dedicated, and the true embodiment of the values that define Ahrens as a business.
