Some careers are carefully planned. Others are shaped by opportunity, passion, and the courage to embrace change. For Cindy Kokkelkoren, her journey to becoming one of Dotmar Engineering Plastics Queensland's most respected and long-serving team members has been driven by all three.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, Cindy spent the first half of her life surrounded by a culture of innovation, engineering and exploration. As a child, she dreamed of joining Greenpeace and chasing whaling vessels across the oceans in inflatable boats. While that ambition eventually gave way to a different path, her passion for the environment remained strong.
During high school, Cindy discovered a talent for Physics and Chemistry, leading her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Engineering, graduating in 1997. What followed was the beginning of a career that would span continents and establish her as a highly regarded specialist within the engineering plastics industry.
Building a Career in Engineering Plastics
Cindy began her professional career with ERIKS BV in Alkmaar, one of the world's leading industrial suppliers. Over 19 years with the organisation, she progressed from a junior sales role to Product Specialist before ultimately becoming Internal Sales Leader for the Engineering Plastics Business Unit in 2008.
The ERIKS culture of innovation and technical problem-solving helped shape Cindy's professional philosophy. It was here that she developed a passion for machined plastic components, injection moulded products, supply chain optimisation and ERP systems—expertise that would later prove invaluable at Dotmar.
Reflecting on her time at ERIKS, Cindy credits the company with providing the foundation for her technical knowledge and business acumen, while also fostering a mindset centred on delivering practical solutions to industry challenges.
A Life-Changing Visit to Australia
Outside of work, Cindy has always been a passionate traveller.
Growing up in Europe provided endless opportunities for exploration, and over the years she ventured well beyond the continent, visiting destinations including Thailand, Costa Rica, Surinam, Canada, Morocco and Malaysia.
Australia, however, remained the ultimate destination.
In 2015, after years of dreaming about the journey, Cindy finally travelled to Australia for a six-week road trip from Melbourne to Cairns. During that adventure she fell in love with the country's vast landscapes, endless coastline, laid-back lifestyle and welcoming people.
It was a trip that changed everything.
As Cindy often says, travel has a way of revealing a life you didn't know was possible. By the end of those six weeks, she had made a life-changing decision: she wanted to spend the second half of her life in Australia.
Taking the Leap
Making an international move in your forties is not a decision made lightly.
But with determination and a clear vision for her future, Cindy set the wheels in motion. Through industry contacts at MCAM in Belgium, she was introduced to Dotmar Queensland's Neil Lavery in 2016, who offered her an opportunity to join the business.
To make the move possible, Cindy sold her house, resigned from her long-term position at ERIKS, said goodbye to family and friends, and packed her life into a single suitcase.
In October 2016, she arrived in Brisbane ready to start a new chapter.
At the time, Dotmar Queensland was entering an exciting period of growth. Under Neil's leadership, the business was rebuilding and expanding its team, with several key appointments made throughout the year.
Cindy joined the business in November 2016 as Internal Sales Team Leader. However, her extensive background in engineered and machined plastics quickly became apparent, and within a year she transitioned into the production side of the business.
Taking over estimating responsibilities, she also became heavily involved in quality control and workplace health and safety initiatives, laying the groundwork for her future leadership role.
Driving Growth Through Change
Few periods have tested businesses like the years that followed.
For Dotmar Queensland, 2020 was a transformative year. The business relocated from Acacia Ridge to its new facility at Willawong over the Christmas period, navigated the challenges of COVID-19, and implemented a major ERP transition.
Amidst these changes, Cindy stepped into the role of Production Manager in October 2020.
At the time, the machine shop team consisted of a small but highly capable group operating routers, mills and lathes, supported by production assistants. Under Cindy's leadership, the department began a period of significant expansion.
As markets recovered following COVID, production volumes increased rapidly. Investment in equipment, people and processes enabled the Queensland machine shop to significantly increase its output between 2021 and 2025.
Key milestones included:
- Expanding the production team with additional skilled personnel and apprentices.
- Commissioning two new lathes in 2024.
- Introducing advanced 3D scanning capabilities in 2025.
- Investing in new CAM software to improve manufacturing efficiency and capability.
- Continuing to grow Queensland's machining capacity to support increasingly complex customer requirements.
The growth journey continues today, with further additions to the production team and the anticipated arrival of Dotmar's first 5-axis router expected to further enhance the site's advanced manufacturing capabilities.
These investments position Dotmar Queensland as one of the most capable and technically advanced machine shops within the Dotmar ANZ network.
Life Beyond Dotmar
While Cindy's professional achievements are impressive, her enthusiasm for life outside work is equally remarkable.
Travel remains a major passion. Since moving to Australia, she has explored much of the country, from the Queensland Outback and Tasmania to Ningaloo Reef, where she has swum alongside whale sharks and humpback whales. She has experienced iconic Australian journeys including The Ghan, visited renowned wine regions such as the Hunter Valley and Limestone Coast, and continues to tick destinations off her ever-growing travel bucket list.
The Kimberley, Broome, the Perth-to-Ningaloo road trip and the Indian Pacific railway journey all remain firmly on the horizon.
Closer to home, Cindy enjoys spending time at the beach, which she describes as her happy place. She is also a passionate home cook, an enthusiastic supporter of wine events, and a dedicated follower of Australian sport. Whether it's cheering on the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Queensland Reds or the Brisbane Lions, Cindy has fully embraced the Australian lifestyle she once dreamed about from the other side of the world.
A Lasting Impact
Nearly a decade after arriving in Australia with a single suitcase, Cindy's contribution to Dotmar Queensland has been substantial.
Her technical expertise, leadership, commitment to continuous improvement and passion for engineering plastics have helped shape the growth and success of the Queensland operation.
More importantly, her story serves as a reminder that sometimes the biggest opportunities come from taking the biggest leaps.
For Cindy, a holiday became a new life, a new country became home, and a career built in Europe found its next chapter at Dotmar Engineering Plastics.