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December/January 2016 Business North
CONTRACTING» Saul Maintenance/ Steve’s Welding
Based in Wanganui, Saul Maintenance and Construction works for a variety of clients.
Steve’s Welding has made its mark in engineering and welding work.
Saul Maintenance to the rescue Adpatability the key to success Karen Phelps When the floods hit Wanganui on June 21, 2015, local building company Saul Maintenance and Construction proved invaluable in helping to save people’s drenched homes. The company was quickly called in by insurance companies and initially assisted by stripping houses in the affected areas so they could dry out and to prevent further damage from occurring. The company is now in the process of completing the necessary remediation works on some of the homes. Saul Maintenance and Construction owner Warren Gillespie says the disaster was a good example of the company’s ability to rapidly respond when required. “It was an emergency situation and people needed help quickly,” he says. “We stripped out GIB board linings and removed furnishings and appliances from homes so they could dry out. We used dehumidifiers and air movers to assist the process. We also removed silt from underneath homes. Now we are installing new GIB linings, skirtings and trims, as well as repairing kitchens and bathrooms etc. We’re trying to get people back into their homes as quickly as possible.” Warren, a Licensed Building Practitioner, founded his company in 1999.
The company takes on projects from small repairs and maintenance jobs to new home builds. Saul Maintenance and Construction also operates a Quin Buildings franchise. Quin produces a range of kitset buildings and houses, which Warren says offer Saul Maintenance and Construction’s customers real value for money. A New Zealand owned company, Quin Buildings has been operating for over 60 years. The Quin Buildings range includes garages, roofing, garage doors, sleepouts, kitset homes and rural buildings. “The kitset is delivered to the site so our customers are cutting out the middle man, as they are essentially buying direct from the factory, and we take over from there,” says Warren. “Site works, plumbing and electrics and building consents are all taken care of by us and our team of sub-contractors.” Saul Maintenance and Construction also offers a dedicated commercial service. Warren says his team has experience in completing projects to a high standard with minimal disruption to the business. Commercial projects undertaken by Saul Maintenance and Construction include renovating or extending a current building and upgrading existing areas of a workplace such as wall protection, roller doors, disability ramps, floor covering/repairs and concrete/tar seal for car parks and courtyards. The company also offers a repair and on-going facility maintenance service.
Sue Russell Steve Lacey has been in the engineering business all his working life. His Lower-Hutt based welding and engineering firm ‘Steve’s Welding’ has existed for nine years, servicing the greater Wellington region with general engineering as well as mobile welding services, but his engineering background stretches back four decades. “I started off as a trainee fitter welder from school working on fuel tankers. The work taught me a wide range of welding skills as well as a good knowledge of hydraulic and pneumatic systems,” Steve says. Over the years he has evolved his services from general engineering jobs to general transport engineering to working on structural steel, seismic steel and architectural metal work projects. “Our work is a lot about problem-solving. Customers come to us often with an idea of what they want and we work out the best way to go about engineering it. “To be successful in this industry you have to be versatile and adaptable.” The team comprises three permanent staff and three contractors and currently about 70% of the work is centred around seismic strengthening. Steve is as hands-on as the boss of a busy medium size engineering company can be. He says the seismic work is often challenging.
“It is usually very difficult when you are retrofitting buildings. My guys get a lot of satisfaction out of producing the steel work to exact order for these jobs.” He says right-hand man Phil Knight has been with the company for 7-plus years and has the enthusiasm of a real ‘tinkerer’. The mobile welding service comprises a truck with attached crane, enabling on-site steel and aluminium welding to take place around the Greater Wellington areas north to Porirua and Paremata. Steve’s Welding has been involved in supplying the steel work on several significant buildings around Wellington, including the complete rebuild of Miramar’s Roxy Theatre, seismic upgrading of The Batts Theatre in Wellington and many awardwinning residential properties. Describing the business as small to medium Steve says he’s quite happy with its current size. “Through the years we have had more staff on board at times but with the permanent and contract team we have now all highly skilled operators we are in a good position. “Our workshop carries good basic engineering equipment able to manage a wide range of work.” That work includes structural steel, beams and posts, engineering earth-moving equipment, aluminium fabrication and repair, transport engineering, and truck and trailor repairs. “ We’re known for our problem-solving capabilities and we have the reputation that we’ll turn our hand to most things.”
Heavily experienced Wellington welders
For the biggest range of hire equipment in town • MARQUEES • MACHINERY HIRE • PARTY HIRE & SALES Proud Suppliers to Saul Maintenance & Construction Two 100% Wanganui Owned & Operated Companies
06 345 7017 | 26 CHURTON STREET www.hiremasterwanganui.co.nz
Thinking outside the square to ensure your problems are solved Structural Steel Beams and posts Earth moving equipment Aluminium fabrications Aluminium repairs Tank repairs Boat repairs Balustrade repairs
Seismic Strengthening Maintenance welding Transport engineering Stairways Trailer repairs Truck repairs Stainless steel fabrication Anything and everything!
PROUD TO SUPPORT A GREAT TEAM Bunnings are proud to support Saul Maintenance & Construction Ltd on all their projects. We like to think our Trade Promises contributed to making your jobs a success. For your nearest store visit bunnings.co.nz/stores or call 0508 BUNNINGS Trade Promises terms and conditions apply. See Trade Desk for details.
Proud to support Steves Welding