Fifteen years of MAXIpickers
What makes a woman start a business in one of Australia’s toughest and riskiest industries?
For Ruth McWilliam, the answer was simple -she fell in love with the industry.
In 1999, Ruth was a single mother of three when she started working for MINI PICKERS as a cleaner. What began with a mop and bucket quickly became a fascination with everything from Western Power and Australian-built insulated EWPs to hydraulics and the technical challenges of working at height.
After unsuccessfully applying for numerous positions with Western Power, Ruth decided that if nobody was going to give her the opportunity, she would create one herself.
And from that, MAXIpickers was born.
When Ruth purchased her first insulated truck-mounted EWP, EWP001 — affectionately named Maxine – she had just $6000 in the bank. Fifteen years later, that single machine has become a fleet of more than 30 truck-mounted EWPs, ranging from 9 – 24m,operating from a purpose-built premises in Forrestdale, WA.
Yet, Ruth will tell you the trucks aren’t her greatest achievement — it is still being here.
Still growing. Still investing. Still maintaining an excellent safety record. Still paying every bill and tax obligation in full and on time.Still earning the trust of clients. And, most importantly, still loving what she does.
That matters in an industry where there is no room for complacency.
MAXIpickers equipment lifts people high above the ground and, in some circumstances, operates around live electrical infrastructure carrying up to 132kV. Customers aren’t simply hiring a truck, they are placing their trust in the equipment,the operators and the people behind the business.
For Ruth and business partner Richo, safety is more than a slogan, it is fundamental to the entire business. Regular inspections, preventative maintenance, documentation, operator requirements and a relentless focus on equipment being reliable and fit for purpose underpin their operations.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the MAXIpickers story is that growth hasn’t diluted the original philosophy.
Do the job properly. Look after the equipment.
Look after the customer. Look after yourself. Never stop learning.
Ruth entered a traditionally male-dominated industry with very little practical experience and built her knowledge from the ground up. She has always believed that owning the business means so much more than sitting behind a desk and calling the shots. She wants to understand the machines, solve the problems and understand what customers genuinely need.
Fifteen years on, MAXIpickers represents resilience, independence and integrity.Through Ruth’s determination to build some-thing honestly, without shortcuts, favours or inducements, one truck became 30.
And Ruth isn’t finished yet.
