Introduction

Daniel Wiegold is a Project Manager with Kennards Major Projects (KMP), based in the Penrith area in Western Sydney. With over two decades at Kennards Hire, Daniel has grown from working across every role or opportunity at the Windsor branch to managing complex infrastructure projects across the region. He is one of Kennards Hire’s most experienced major project specialists, with broad capability across pumps, power, traffic management, site facilities and project solutions.

Career Journey

Daniel’s connection to Kennards Hire goes back to 1997, when he approached the Windsor branch looking for work. He knocked on the door and was offered a position. He says, “The opportunity to work hard and be given more responsibility was what attracted me to the role and the business.”

After working at the Windsor branch and developing a deep understanding of the extensive range of equipment offered, Daniel wanted to expand his scope of responsibility and moved into more specialised work, travelling across Canberra and Wagga Wagga as his role expanded. He built his experience working on traffic management projects, continuing to expand his knowledge on pumps and power projects before moving into the KMP team, where he has been ever since, relishing the opportunity to work on a variety of events, productions and major projects.

Areas of Expertise

Daniel’s strength is being able to use his broad experience across Kennards Hire equipment portfolios to make sure all the components of the major projects are effectively implemented and adapted to suit customer requirements. Within the KMP role, his clients get insights from experience and specialist solutions that integrate seamlessly with the wider project. His areas of capability include:

• Traffic management projects, including barriers, signage and traffic control for large urban and regional road projects.
• Pumps and water management across civil and infrastructure sites.
• Power solutions including diesel generators, HVO fuel alternatives and solar battery systems.
• Site facilities including site offices, amenities, lighting and fencing.
• Heavy lifting and transport for complex project logistics.

Standout Projects

Aside from the wide-ranging challenges of film and television productions, Daniel has been involved in major events like Vivid, for which Daniel said, “We organised delivery of 60 loads of equipment to the CBD and set everything up over three weeks for the Vivid event. The direct, single point of contact suited the organisers for all their equipment needs.”

A standout project in Daniel’s career was his involvement in the light rail construction works, managing extensive traffic control and barrier deployment across major road corridors. Each night presented a different challenge, with roads needing to be safely closed, reconfigured and reopened within strict timeframes. Operating in a live traffic environment required meticulous planning, strong teamwork and flawless execution, making it one of the most complex and rewarding projects he has delivered.

Customer Impact

Daniel is passionate about finding innovative ways to apply leading-edge sustainable energy solutions to customer projects. He has supported the local film production industry with low-emission power alternatives, including solar and battery storage systems that reduce environmental impact without compromising performance.

He has also delivered innovative power solutions using generators fuelled by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) – a renewable fuel produced from waste cooking oils. One example was supporting the production of The Great Australian Bake Off, where HVO was used as an alternative to conventional diesel. Daniel enjoys combining his customers’ objectives with emerging technologies and his broad industry experience to develop practical, forward-thinking equipment solutions.

The Person Behind the Pro

Daniel values the strong sense of camaraderie at Kennards Hire and enjoys reconnecting with team members and customers he has worked alongside throughout the industry over the years. He particularly appreciates the company’s One Family and Fair Dinkum values, saying, “The support structures at Kennards Hire make it easy to work together and solve challenges as a team. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy coming to work every day.”

Outside of work, Daniel enjoys getting away with his family in their caravan and making the most of weekends on the road. A highlight of the year is attending the Mundi Mundi Bash Festival near Broken Hill. It’s a well-earned break from his latest personal challenge—his mission to be “Fittest at 50.”

Advice for Those Starting Out

For those beginning their career, Daniel’s message is straightforward: “You get out what you put in. There’s no limit to what you can achieve at Kennards Hire if you’re willing to learn, work hard and put customers first.”

After more than 20 years with the business, he still enjoys the challenge of finding solutions for customers and working with a team dedicated to making a difference every day.