80 | CONTRACTING Taranaki Powdercoating SERVICES General Engineering • Stainless Steel Fabrication Structural Steel Fabrication • Sheet Metal Fabrication Conveyor Systems • Site installs and maintenance PRECISION STAINLESS & MILD STEEL FABRICATION TOUGH ON QUALITY, STRONG ON SERVICE. Tel: 027 277 3173 Email: ian@elca.co.nz www.elcastainless.co.nz Your outdoor living space, a place to put your feet up and unwind, a place to re ect on the day, a place to give you that sense of being outside while still being comfortable, a place to entertain. Bowranda™ allows you to do all of the above in one space! Everyone deserves to enhance their daily living – it's really about you choosing to do just that, by turning your outdoor living area into your own little piece of paradise. Turn your outdoor living area into your own little piece of paradise. 0800 26 2620 021 146 1442 bowrandataranaki@gmail.com www.bowranda.co.nz TM Resilience and capability The company works across a wide range of applications, from new manufactured products to restoration work, such as vehicle parts, gates, and outdoor structures. T T Kelly Deeks Taranaki’s evolving economy is creating both pressure and opportunity for local businesses, and for Taranaki Powder Coating owner Belinda Clark, resilience has become as important as capability. Operating in a region long shaped by the oil and gas sector, the shift towards a more diversified economic base is being felt across trades and manufacturing. For finishing businesses like Taranaki Powder Coating, its position at the end of the production chain gives it a unique perspective on the wider market. Belinda and her husband Simon purchased Taranaki Powder Coating in 2016, though the history stretches back further. Belinda’s connection to the business began as a teenager, when she had her BMX finished in hot pink at the same workshop she now owns. Years later, an opportunity to buy the business arose after Simon was let go from his job in the oil industry. At the time, Belinda was working in real estate. “One of the agents told me it was coming on the market and I said let’s go and have a look. He was a very practical, very capable guy, and it gave him somewhere to focus his talents.” The couple took over with a team of five, with Belinda handling administration while Simon worked on the floor. That changed dramatically in 2019 when Simon passed away following a car accident, leaving Belinda to lead the business while raising two young sons. “I loved real estate, that was my passion, but we made the decision as a family to focus on the workshop,” she says. “We just kept going.” Today, Belinda splits her time between Taranaki Powder Coating and her Bell Block restaurant, Pekaren, balancing two very different businesses in a challenging economic climate. “The restaurant is definitely the hardest at the moment,” she says. “Eating out becomes a luxury when times are tough, but both businesses are still going and we just keep adapting.” Belinda has taken a hands-on approach to bringing in work, including direct marketing in the community. Internally, the business has also undergone significant change, with a new team in place since late last year. Belinda says the addition of a strong manager has made a noticeable difference. “We have got a really good crew now. Liam, our manager, is very organised, and takes a lot of pride in a clean and tidy workshop It is a great environment to walk into.” Looking ahead, Taranaki Powder Coating is investing to bring more processes in- house, including expanding into abrasive blasting. The move will allow the company to handle larger and more complex jobs, while maintaining quality control. “We want to be a one-stop-shop. If we can control that whole process, we can make sure the finish is exactly right.” The company works across a wide range of applications, from new manufactured products to restoration work, such as vehicle parts, gates, and outdoor structures. With durability, environmental performance, and finish quality all key advantages, powder coating continues to play an important role across industries. “A lot of people are unaware that powder coating stands as a more economical alternative, and over the long term, tends to be more durable than painting, particularly in coastal and industrial environments.” For Belinda, the focus remains on consistency, service, and supporting the local economy through uncertain times. “We want to put our name out there as the best in the industry in Taranaki, and keep supporting the people who support us.”
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