Inline Engineering Services, Port Hedland, Western Australia
James Taylor was born in Middlesborough, UK in 1971 to George and Pauline. Living in Redcar, British Steel employed George as an operations supervisor and Pauline a secretary. The difficult economics of the UK in the late 1970s prompted George and Pauline to migrate to Australia in 1980, in the hope of providing better education and employment opportunities for their three children.
The family settled in Willeton in Perth, Western Australia and James soon discovered Australian Rules, martial arts and an Australian accent. During his schooling years James threw himself into sport, part-time work and family activities.
James began his career working in several different occupations from brickie’s labourer to selling suits in Myer. Two things were immediately apparent; James understood the importance of providing excellent service and how to work very hard.
On a two-week holiday to visit his parents, who had moved to Port Hedland WA, working in the mining industry, James picked-up some well-paid labouring work on the BHP worksite. During this work, a BHP supervisor observed his work ethic and encouraged James to apply for an adult apprenticeship in 1991. Seeing this as a second chance at a career, James seized the opportunity and strove to be the best in his class.
After two years with BHP James Taylor had the opportunity to transfer his apprenticeship to David Brown Gear Industries (DBGI) in NSW, allowing James more technical experience. His time there included a variety of work sites, trouble-shooting highly critical operational equipment under the supervision of some of the best technicians in Australia.
Accepting a promotion within DBGI saw James move back to Port Hedland in 1997 and brought him close to daily business operations. In 2001, DBGI closed its Port Hedland workshop, making the entire staff redundant. James saw an opportunity to run the operations as a profitable business. With a remnant of two tradesmen, an apprentice and part-time office worker, Inline Engineering Services began.
With his wife Penny and their children Nathanael, George and Elizabeth, James also enjoys the fishing and sun in Port Hedland, WA.
