Meet Robbie Annetts
What led you to a career at Duratec?
“I started my career with an apprenticeship in automotive body refinishing, which gave me a strong foundation in surface preparation, coatings and finishing. I then moved into the industrial coatings sector, working across a range of construction sites and building extensive experience in industrial and protective coatings.
From there, I moved into the mining sector and spent 16 years with Hunter Coatings, progressing from coatings worker to Leading Hand and ultimately Operations Manager. That progression helped me develop strong technical, operational, leadership and project management skills while gaining extensive experience in the demanding mining environment.
In March 2026, Hunter Coatings was acquired by Duratec. Following the acquisition, I transitioned into the Operations Manager role with Duratec, continuing to oversee operations and build on my experience within the industrial coatings and mining sectors.”
How does your role future proof infrastructure?
“My work contributes to the mining and construction sectors by helping ensure critical infrastructure is properly protected, maintained and repaired through specialist industrial coatings. By protecting steel and other key assets from corrosion and deterioration, we help extend their service life, support safer operations and reduce the risk of unplanned maintenance or asset failure.”
What’s your biggest professional achievement and why?
“My biggest professional achievements have been securing my current role as Operations Manager and completing my NACE Level 1 qualification. I take pride in continually developing my knowledge and expertise within the industrial coatings industry and applying that knowledge in my day-to-day work.
Being able to use my experience and technical knowledge to support clients, provide practical solutions and deliver quality outcomes is something I value greatly. I believe that knowledge helps build strong, long-term working relationships with our clients and gives them confidence in our team, our processes and the quality of work we deliver.”
What do you enjoy most about working at Duratec?
“I enjoy working closely with clients to understand what they need on site and finding practical ways to deliver safe, high-quality outcomes. The variety of projects also keeps the role interesting, with each one bringing different challenges and opportunities to apply my experience.”
What have you learned during your time at Duratec / what has inspired you?
“Since joining Duratec, I’ve broadened my knowledge beyond industrial coatings and learned from people with different technical and operational experience. The team’s professionalism, commitment to safety and focus on doing the right thing for clients has motivated me to keep developing my own skills and knowledge.”
What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?
“Work hard, be willing to learn and take every opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from the people around you. The more experience you gain and the more open you are to learning, the more you will grow in your career.”
