Sammy Ridge of Methven is currently the only female bottled gas delivery driver for Genesis Energy in the whole of New Zealand.
It’s a physically demanding job, but it’s a job Ridge loves.
Working in a male-dominated industry is nothing new for the 31-year-old.
After leaving Mount Hutt College, she became a painter and decorator, and she is also a member of the Methven Volunteer Fire Brigade.
“It was an eye opener initially, but I grew to understand it all.
‘‘I like a challenge, and never have been one to shy away from hard work,’’ she said.
She found the job through Methven Motors about five years ago.
The garage is an agent for Genesis and had advertised the role.
“Methven Motors are a big family, everyone gets on and they are well looked after, nothing makes me want to leave the place”.
In the past two years she had been promoted to operations manager.
In that same period, business had grown in the Methven area, and Ridge now receives help in the form of another delivery driver and bottle filler.
She is the boss of a small team while continuing to do the deliveries five days a week, covering from Rangitata to Rakaia, mountains to the sea, across Mid Canterbury.
The gas cannisters can weigh up to 90kg eachand the large Genesis trucks have the capacity to deliver 42 bottles.
She said the only downside to the job was there was little interaction with people, and she actually ends up seeing more dogs than customers.
She said she filled in her time on the road between jobs singing along to music.
The driving was her favourite part, as she enjoyed seeing the beautiful scenery Mid Canterbury had to offer.
