Work

Food Scientist

Jeff Schulthiess - Darling Downs Fresh

"Everyone loves good food and I love helping people develop and deliver it: there’s nothing like the smile on someone’s face just after they’ve eaten what you do for a living! Or walking through the shop and seeing the product you helped develop, or getting that Audit result after the bumps of implementing the Quality system.”

Some examples of Jeff’s work include: Upples, GF Oats Choc Chip Cookies, Nature Nates Raw and Unfiltered Honey, Birch & Waite Dressings, Woolworths Macro Brewers Yeast cookies, and once at Pixie Ice-Cream we developed Star Wars light-saber ice blocks complete with handles in the box!

Entomologist

Juultje Van Der Loo - Bugs for Bugs

Juultje came to Toowoomba from the Netherlands a few years ago to pursue a career as an entomologist.

“I love that I get to work with beneficial insects. As a kid I was always in the garden collecting insects and now I get paid for rearing them,” she said.

“The insects we breed here at Bugs for Bugs include spotted ladybirds, lacewings, Trichogramma wasps and various predatory mites. They are used in agriculture, horticulture and even back gardens. Our customer base keeps growing every year as more and more people are interested in biocontrol, organic or more sustainable growing of their plants.“It is very rewarding when you hear stories of our happy customers and it’s also great to work with such a terrific team at Bugs for Bugs. Go Team Bugs!”

Regional Arts Officer

Michelle Blair - South West QLD

“I support and mentor councils and community organisations as they develop and implement creative arts programs. No two days are the same in this job! I love that I get to meet people from all walks of life and that my work is very diverse. Projects I’ve collaborated on include; an art trail, regional arts conferences, live stream arts dinners, public art festivals, touring performances, museum displays, artist in residences, gallery exhibitions, networking and professional development. My time spent in this role has been amazing and I definitely see it as a worthwhile step in my career.”

Graduate Civil Engineer

Luke Fitch - Proterra Group

Luke’s workday is all about solving real world issues with rural road networks. It’s a huge task and vital to many regional and rural communities. To achieve the best outcomes, he gets to use the latest cutting edge technology in the field. To secure this job, Luke completed a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at USQ and is happy to live in Toowoomba.

“Working for a smaller company I am exposed to a wide variety of engineering processes,” he said.

“This variety is unbelievably valuable for getting a better understanding of the whole field of civil engineering and it’s a great step in my career.“

Living and working in Toowoomba offers country town benefits with city comforts.

“We are close to Brisbane and the Coast but also a gateway to the west – which is where a lot of my work takes place. I enjoy the city cafes and other facilities but also the friendliness of rural communities.”

Food Photographer

Kat Lynn - Foodie Shots

(Australian Ausmumpreneur Winner)

“The Mumpreneur Group is fantastic for any woman wanting to connect and it’s also great for side hustles and businesses to find their audience. It is a fantastic sounding board too if you want to try something out. When you are authentic and collaborative the possibilities are endless.

When Foodie Shots became a finalist at the Mumpreneur Awards I was over the moon. I was happy with that. Then to win our category it was nearly unbelievable. To be among other beautiful business women and in such a high calibre it was a true honour. Foodie Shots got there because of the support we have in our networks and the collaborations we create from Toowoomba.”

GIS Officer

Sophie  Geldenhuis - Proterra Group

“I moved to Toowoomba specifically because of the work and study opportunities available. The GIS industry is ever-evolving so I am always learning. The work I do is specialised so people are impressed with our capabilities and deliverables.

Every day at work brings something new but I mostly take data with spatial information attached, manipulate it, analyse it, turn it into graphs, stats, charts and most importantly, put it into maps to enable other people to do the same.

Proterra Group is a fantastic employer that offers lots of room for career growth. They are flexible, friendly and provide a supportive workplace.

I can work for international clients from the comfort of my desk in Toowoomba. I like living and working here because we have all the necessary amenities with a great community feel. I live on one acre, 30kms from work but my commute time is still less than it would be in most cities.”

Exercise Professional & Sports Psychologist

Tess Aisthorpe & Cara Bricknell - Fighting Fit

“Nothing soft comes from Fighting Fit. We build strong minds and strong bodies.

Once you find your niche in Toowoomba and remain committed to providing your services without compromise, Toowoomba is very rewarding.

It’s a beautiful city. We have everything here, and it’s all at our fingertips. It has maintained a ‘small country town’ feel, with all the city perks. We love being able to support all our favourite local businesses, with most being family owned and run. It’s been a great place for us in raising our boys – a range of exceptional schools and facilities, parks and bike paths galore, the sporting and extracurricular activities are endless, and we have all made lifelong friends.”

E-Commerce

Wayne Shelly - Tentworld

Wayne was looking for a new lease on life and he found it here in Toowoomba.

When a job came up at Tentworld HQ in 2020, Wayne packed up his old life on the Gold Coast and headed west.

“I had been working on a much smaller E-commerce business and so the job offer at Tentworld was the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.

“Covid has been very good to the camping industry and I am lucky to be part of a great business that has grown well above estimates in the past 12 months.

Being part of a friendly hardworking team of people is also awesome, and being able to manage the team through the hectic times has been amazing. I’ve also come to really understand peoples love of the outdoors, and all of the great gear they buy from us to enjoy it. The Burrell family are all great people too, and I really cherish how easy they are to get along with in the business.”