Eddie Duffy – Training from the Ground Up

I started my career with Luddon in 1994 when I was 20 years old.

My uncle, Brian Duffy, who was Plant and Transport Manager at the time, offered me a job as a Labourer. My first job was at Kwik Save in Dunfermline, where I worked on slabbing, deep drainage, and concrete preparation, pouring and finishing. I learned a lot from my Foreman, Joe Doherty, who was an old-school Foreman who made sure you did things right. Those early lessons were invaluable.

Not long after, I was offered the opportunity to train as a bulldozer operator and then went on to spend 15 years at the company’s Bedlay landfill sight, near Glasgow. Over the years, I was trained on a variety of mobile plant. My background as a Groundworker helped me understand levels, profiles, and lasers, particularly through my experience in excavation and deep drainage work.

When the Bedlay site closed, I moved to the new Summerston Farm recycling site, near the Glasgow head office, where I worked in a supervisory capacity crushing and screening material for reuse on site.

Later, Adrian (Aikman) asked me if I would be interested in a role in the Luddon Training Centre as an instructor and Assessor. At first, I wasn’t sure, as it was a big change from my previous roles, but I decided to take the opportunity. With the company’s support, I have achieved my instructor, assessor and most recently, internal verifier qualifications.

Looking back, I’ve been fortunate to benefit from Luddon’s approach of promoting from within and investing in people. The training and support I’ve received have allowed me to build a career that I’m proud of, and I would encourage others to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way.