Business Central December 2021

40 | South Taranaki: Monkeytoe Group REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Focus on providing sensible solutions Sue Russell Manufacturers & Stockist of: • Aluminium Extrusion • Aluminium Sheet • Scaffolding • Ladders • Power & Air tools • Sealants & Adhesives • Fences & Gates • Fastenings • Ultraclad The team at Ullrich Aluminium are proud to support Monkey Toe Group Ltd Ullrich Aluminium Co Ltd • 77 Hurlstone Drive, New Plymouth P. 06 759 9120 • M. 021 584 989 • www.ullrich.co.nz Coloursteel roofing screws. Coloursteel rivets. Profile washers. Sealants. Dektite EPDM. Stronghold Fasteners - For all your roofing products. Preferred suppl ier of fasteners to MonkeyToe. It's great working with such an innovative and dynamic company. Get in contact today for a FREE sample pack. 0800 474 636 T im Prestidge established Monkeytoe in 2006, with a clear vision to create a great company, built on solid business values. Based in an industrial site at Normanby, on the outskirts of Hawera, the company is today New Zealand’s leading engineered access solu- tions designer and manufacturer. The company’s name derives from the first mounting clip Tim designed and manufac- tured, snapping on to roof sheeting to enable access walkways to be built up from this mounting method. “This was during the era when weath- er-tightness problems began to emerge in NZ and builders needed to find a suitable solution for mounting equipment and structures over roofs. The Monkeytoe system was a game-changer,” says Tim. Now, 15 years later, Monkeytoe has grown in size and scope, offering far more than just access solutions for the commercial and in- dustrial sectors. It now engages in design and manufacture of large Aluminium structures of all kinds, from bridges to large platform structures and more. Monkey Toe’s over-arching policy is to ensure every aspect of their design and manufacturing process is done to the highest possible standards. “We are often up against a wide variety in the quality and capability of access solutions systems available to the building industry in New Zealand and Australia. Being recognised as a market leader has evolved from simply ensuring that the product is designed to the correct standards, manufac- tured with pride and installed correctly on site to our customers satisfaction.” While the Head Office and manufacturing facility is based in Hawera, the company has offices in Auckland and Christchurch, serving those areas which over the last decade or so have experienced massive growth in construc- tion. Establishing a branch in Australia in 2019 has had its fair share of challenges Tim ad- mits. “It’s just a hard market; extremely compet- itive where price, rather than quality often dictates the choice of system a developer or builder will choose.” Tim attributes Monkeytoe’s success directly to his staff, they are the business and form the culture. “We all have each other’s back and all team members have a voice and an ability to con- tribute and make a difference.” Tim has now stepped back from the helm and his son Budd has taken up the General Manager role. Given the strong management team, this has been a seamless and smooth transition, which has positioned the company for strong growth into the future. The company employs a team of 75 staff in NZ, with 60 based in Hawera and the balance in Auckland and Christchurch. A small team of 15 operate the Melbourne branch. Like many businesses, coming off the first dose of COVID in 2020, the company has never been busier. “We pivoted really quickly at that time and looking back realise that it did our company the world of good. It got us to move faster and get more people involved.” Innovation is massively important and continues to drive the company, with the development of XBeam, part of Monkeytoe’s XBeam platform system. Manufactured from carbon-fibre reinforced polymers and High Tensile Aluminium, the benefits that flow from melding these two technologies together are revolutionary. “The XBeam is 65% lighter than traditional structural steel, while giving equivalent (or higher) strength per meter. This enables the XBeam to be used in applications where weight is the driving force behind design. Due to the impressive weight savings, it allows for loads much greater to be applied without compromising the substructure. Being Marine Grade Aluminium is also far superior for cor- rosion resistance,” Tim explains. He is a staunch advocate of operating a business in the regions, rather than a large city situation. The benefits of operating a business in the regions are manifold; lower cost of doing business, loyal workforce, generally staff are more relaxed and satisfied, cheaper to get established with housing, just minutes to work and with the excellent freight network in NZ, freight is not a challenge. “I think there’s a real responsibility on Coun- cil’s in the regions to really create a space for industry and businesses to establish. “We bring so many benefits, in terms of con- tributing to the local economy and in employ- ment to areas that may otherwise struggle. “Making sure infrastructure is given a priority within Council’s strategic plans and resourcing it well is really essential.” South Taranaki Council has risen to the challenge of enabling this to happen in Haw- era with the establishing of a good industrial subdivision. Monkeytoe is based in an industrial site at Normanby, on the outskirts of Hawera.