John Russell has worked in the fellmongery at Fletcher International Exports for 13 months.

His job involves working the sheepskins, after they’ve been removed from the sheep carcasses, and involves removing wool from the skin to prepare it for export where it will be converted into products such as leather.

He also treats the skins in salt to preserve them while in storage or during shipping, which is a large-scale operation at Fletchers where bulk quantities of skins are placed into a row of cement truck mixing bowls, salt is added and tumbled together until the skins are fully coated.

“There’s lots of different jobs to do, so we do quality assurance, trimming, classing, boxing, load up and load down. I’ve only just completed a 12-month traineeship which teaches you things like working with chemicals, and the classing, and trimming,” John said.

“Fletchers put you through it and you get a qualification at the end of it, you become an Abattoir Processor.”

The young dad grew up in Walgett and for the past three years has been working at the kangaroo abattoir there.

“I’ve been trying to get into Fletchers for years. I’ve been working at the ‘roo abattoir at Walgett for a while and ended up moving to Dubbo and then ended up getting a start out here, so it’s been really good,” he said.

“Compared to the work I was doing there; this is much different. It can be challenging to stay motivated, we start at 5.30 in the morning but it’s a great community here, it’s so multicultural and I hadn’t met anyone from elsewhere in the world, so it’s been really interesting, I’ve met heaps of people from loads of different places,” John said.

Moving to Dubbo has been a good challenge for his family of five kids with another on the way, but they’ve all settled in to support their dad in his new job.

“They love it here,” he said.

John proudly says he’s got two girls and four boys and laughs when he says he doesn’t clock off after finishing his shift at Fletchers.

“I’m saving for a house working here, so it’s been a real good move for our family, and I tell my family, if they want a good start, give Fletchers a go.”