Growth major theme for firm
EXPANSION has been an overriding theme since Dunedin engineers Dirk Tuinman and Steve Hurring started METALworks Otago in a home garage less than two years ago.
METALworks has grown to nine employees, including two apprentices, with a client list of more than 200 companies or organisations.
The pair have just taken over 1000sq m of industrial space in Cresswell St, which was last leased to international engineering company Esco, and have jobs under way for the University of Otago, restaurants, cafes and for the Cadbury World redevelopment.
Mr Tuinman, a plumber and project manager, and Mr Hurring, a sheet metal engineer, said the engineering and fabrication shop undertook ‘‘all metals’’ work, from copper and brass, to stainless steel, aluminium and galvanised steel.
Rather than specialise in one area of engineering, the pair are catering to more than 200 clients, ranging from residential and commercial to the University of Otago, hotels, supermarkets, Speight’s, Emerson’s Brewery, Cadbury and Dunedin International Airport.
‘‘The business has grown a lot faster than anticipated,’’ Mr Tuinman said.
Also of importance in the company’s growth has been the earthquake strengthening of city buildings, which Mr Tuinman laments is ‘‘mostly covered up’’.
‘‘[However] because of the combination of our backgrounds we know how a building works, and how to achieve earthquake strengthening,’’ he said.
Both men are proud to be in the position of employing two apprentices.
‘‘In this job we have a need for staff to have a diverse skill base,’’ Mr Tuinman said.
Governments of decades ago ‘‘did no favours’’ in disestablishing the former apprenticeship schemes, resulting in the present shortage of tradesmen in construction and manufacturing.
Mr Hurring said while the company had plenty of space at present, some of the area was shared with other engineering companies and was available if they needed to expand.
Former tenant Esco, which supplied truck bodies and other equipment for the mining industry, closed its doors at the end of 2015, with the loss of 34 jobs.
The decadesold foundry was previously owned by Farra Engineering, which sold it to AustCast in mid 2007. The foundry was then run by AustCast’s Dunedin subsidiary, Newlcast, until both were bought in 2010 by Esco.