At Arbor Forest Products, development doesn’t always happen in a classroom. Sometimes the best learning comes from stepping outside your usual role and seeing how the wider business works.
That’s exactly the idea behind our GRO Together initiative, which encourages colleagues to spend time shadowing different departments across the company.
It’s all about learning, collaboration and building a deeper understanding of the business we’re part of.
Seeing Sales from the Customer’s Perspective
Internal Sales Representative Caitlin recently spent two days shadowing an External Sales colleague, visiting customers and experiencing the role first hand. For Caitlin, the experience highlighted just how important communication and proactive support are when working closely with customers.
Seeing customer sites in person helped bring the bigger picture into focus. From stock availability to changing customer requirements, the visit offered valuable insight into how strong relationships are built in the timber trade.
Although stepping outside her comfort zone at first, Caitlin found the experience incredibly rewarding and is already applying what she learned back in her role.
Understanding the Complexity of Transport
Dispatch Administrator Andrew Atkin also took part in the programme, spending time with the Transport team during their busy evening planning shifts.
Working alongside transport planner Aarran Helgeson, Andrew saw just how detailed and dynamic the planning process is behind every delivery.
From route planning software to managing costs, delivery windows and customer needs, transport planning involves constant problem solving and coordination.
The experience gave Andrew a new appreciation for the careful planning that keeps products moving smoothly from Arbor to customers across the country.
Stronger Teams Through Shared Understanding
The GRO Together scheme helps colleagues gain new perspectives, strengthen collaboration and share knowledge across the business.
When people understand how other departments operate, teamwork improves and opportunities for innovation grow.
At Arbor Forest Products, we believe investing in our people is just as important as investing in our products. Initiatives like this help ensure we keep learning, improving and growing together.
