Brooklyn Quarry is a family-owned and operated quarrying business in NSW. Image: Brooklyn Quarry
Michelle Knott and Scott Blake have been on an incredible rise since they launched Brooklyn Quarry two years ago.
“I rang them up and said, ‘Hi, I want to start a quarry … how do I do it?’”
When Michelle Knott and her partner Scott Blake decided to go all in on their hard rock quarrying operation, Brooklyn Quarry, they never imagined how successful it could be.
Located in the New England region on Walcha Road, Brooklyn Quarry is a family operation that employs family and local contractors from the community.
Scott had a civil construction and earthmoving background, and Michelle had a business management background in other sectors, but neither had a quarrying background.
But despite the lack of quarrying experience, the opportunity to lease the land from Scott’s uncle proved too good to turn down.
“Scott’s uncle had always said it was a really rocky out-crop, so we went to have a look and sent the rock away for sampling, and it came back that it was viable to make a product from it,” she told Quarry.
“We don’t come from a quarry background, but we combined our forces in a sense to work together on this.
“It was just a case of right place, right time, right conversations, right combination of skillsets and sheer determination.”
But, as many in the quarrying sector would know all too well, starting a quarry is no overnight achievement.
Michelle and Scott laboured through approvals, community consultation, paperwork, administration, and planning meetings for nearly three years to get their business off the ground.
Given Michelle and Scott were utterly new to the industry, they started at square one. The pair spoke to the Institute of Quarrying Australia, conducted hours of research, and trawled Google for information and YouTube for tutorials so they could enhance their industry knowledge and build the fundamentals of the business.
Over the planning period, they also welcomed their two youngest children and then relocated the family from Coffs Harbour to the area once the business was operational.
However, their hard work and in-depth research paid off when Brooklyn Quarry received the green light to start producing material as a commercially registered hard rock quarry.
“We always used those moments to learn more because you only know what you know,” Michelle said.
“There’s been so many rollercoasters like getting an EPA licence, community consultation, marketing and advertising, and all these things you have to do to have a viable business.
“And keeping it a viable business as well because it is not just your job on the line, it is your whole livelihood on the line.
“I thrive in that environment of working for yourself, setting goals and benchmarks to meet and going for it.
“Scott and I are very persistent. We’ve been here for almost two years now, and the business has been open and running for two and a half years.”
The company uses its hard rock basalt to make a wide range of specifications across New England and surrounding areas. It specialises in roadbase and aggregate but also makes landscaping and decorative rock, focusing on providing a premium product.
Initially, the company was focused on opportunities related to the renewable energy projects proposed in the New England region. Along the way, it has also found other opportunities, like supplying rock to a winery in the Hunter Valley that is tailored to the exact specifications of the vineyard.
When Quarry sat down with Michelle to discuss the story behind the family operations, she received national recognition as a finalist in the Women In Industry Awards 2024.
On a regular afternoon, Michelle was kicking the soccer ball around with her kids when her phone buzzed with the email confirming her as a finalist—the confirmation and realisation of her achievement left her in tears.
Michelle Knott was a finalist in the business development category at the Women In Industry Awards. Image: Brooklyn Quarry
Partner Scott nominated Michelle for the Business Development award. The pair flew to Sydney for the significant industry night, where they mixed with people from various industries.
On the night, Michelle found herself flicking through the booklet to see their humble operation named alongside some of the biggest companies in Australia and internationally.
“You never think you’ll get to that stage when it’s an Australia-wide award. I would’ve been just chuffed that Scott nominated me, let alone a finalist,” Michelle said. “I remember reaching out to all the other women who were nominated in the category to congratulate them because it just didn’t seem real.
“It was so humbling but then exciting to be recognised for all the work that I’ve done for our business to get it where it is.
“It really was an incredible night, to be honest, especially looking around the room and seeing all the women who were there for different awards and their speeches. It was really moving and motivating.”
Beyond the award recognition, Michelle hopes her nomination empowers her three daughters in their future ambitions.
“I do hope it pivots people’s thoughts a little bit that a girl or woman, anybody, can join any profession that they want,” she said.
“They shouldn’t feel like it is a man’s world that they can’t work in.” •
For more information, visit brooklynquarry.com.au
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