Business Central September 2021

| 77 ENGINEERING GSE Engineering Busy firm enjoys variety of projects T T Sue Russell GSE Engineering has been involved with structural strengthening work at Wellington’s historic St Mary of the Angels church. G SE Engineering is a well-known provid- er of structural engineering services to the greater Wellington region. Two decades ago, in a small workshop in George Street, Stokes Valley, George St Engi- neering was founded. Since then the business has expanded its portfolio of services significantly and moved premises to Gracefield, Lower Hutt. Now owned and operated by John and Anita Pothan, the company was renamed in 2017 as “GSE Engineering” to recognise both its grass roots beginnings and its revitalised approach to structural engineering. “Moving our business has been a great suc- cess for us as the majority of our work is now based in Wellington. Being on a main route means that our brand is now recognised by our red and black signage that is showcased on the front of our building. ” Growing up with a father who also estab- lished his own engineering workshop meant that John realised that construction was his passion from a very young age. While playing representative rugby, John completed a building apprenticeship, obtained hands on experience as a site foreman before moving into project management at the end of his playing career. The skills and experi- ence gained from both his on and off field endeavours gave him the impetus to take on GSE Engineering. John’s main responsibilities these days are to oversee the direction of the company, mak- ing sure strategic targets are met and taking care of the management team. Anita, is a chartered accountant and uses her skills to manage the financial, marketing and compliance side of the business. Gathering an experienced management team has set GSE Engineering on its successful course and today the business works with leading principle commercial contractors and construction companies. Wellington is a vibrant and engaging region to work in, with a blend of historically signifi - cant and creative, leading edge architecture. “We really enjoy working on historic proper- ties where modernising and seismic strength- ening the inside is coupled with retaining the original façade outside. It’s creative and stimulating work,” John says. GSE Engineering also works on a variety of new builds - doing everything from designing and manufacturing custom-built staircases to supplying structural steel beams and fixings. Engineering is a vibrant and interesting field where no one job is the same. Indeed, there’s plenty of variety in the work that crosses John’s desk, from shopping malls, warehouses, industrial projects such as ports and manufacturing plants through to public and private sector work including schools, hospitals and civic buildings. “We get to be involved in some really great projects that impact positively on our commu- nity. We also enjoy the challenge of smaller jobs as we offer a customised bespoke steel fabrication service as well. No job is too big or small for us.” In the wake of COVID, the already busy construction sector in Wellington has moved up a gear to meet demand and John says one of the stressors impacting on his company as well as the wider building sector, is finding skilled staff. “When I was an apprentice carpenter there were just two of us in the lower North Island gaining qualifications. “There was a stigma that tracked right back to when students were in school about going into the trades – and the impact of this is now being seen in the construction industry in New Zealand.” “We believe in developing the next genera- tion of tradesman and are proud that over a quarter of our staff are currently completing qualifications in the construction industry. We do such a broad range of work here, with plenty of challenges and variety. “his is an ideal environment for attaining work experience and industry qualifications.” And with two sons both keen on getting involved in construction, GSE Engineering has a great future ahead of them. Looking back on the journey to date John says he and Anita are proud of what they have achieved; working hard to create a company that has made significant contributions to the construction industry and is encouraging the next generation to do the same. “We really enjoy working on historic properties where modernising and seismic strengthening the inside is coupled with retaining the original façade outside. It’s creative and stimulating work.”