62 | Atlantic Engineering ENGINEERING T T Hugh de Lacy Strong team delivering standout projects The AUT Akoranga Campus A1 Building wad a technically demanding hybrid structure combining structural steel and timber elements. Tightness in the Auckland market has left a few construction companies staring at the wall, but long-established firm Atlantic Engineering is ticking over nicely with steady work from the region’s big contractors. Atlantic Engineering celebrated its 50th anniversary three years ago, after starting out in 1973 building a range of products from silos, concrete moulds and conveyors to even, steel boats. Today, it is focused on structural steel, supplying components for large-scale commercial structures, schools, apartment developments, bridges, and complex modular construction packages. “The market hasn’t been too flash lately, and we’ve downsized a little to having 47 staff where we once had 55, but our longstanding relationships with some of the biggest construction companies in the region have ensured that we continue to thrive,” says Nathan Valdez, Atlantic Engineering’s general manager. A recent milestone for the Atlantic team is the Fisher & Paykel Garage in Penrose, a five-storey car park structure comprising approximately 600 tonnes of structural steel. Atlantic fabricated and installed the entire steel package, including the solar roof support coated with intumescent and top coats, while managing the demanding logistics on a tight site with the precision required for a project of that scale. Other projects highlighting the team’s versatility include the Sylvia Park pedestrian link to Ikea, where bridges and covered walkways were fabricated off-site as modular units fully painted and successfully delivered in a tight time frame. The company also completed the steel and steel mesh structure of the TMA Maungawhau Tihi Boardwalk, an award-winning structure at one of Auckland’s most significant cultural and tourism landmarks, requiring precision workmanship, careful detailing and sensitivity to the cultural importance of the site. Another standout project was the AUT Akoranga Campus A1 Building, a technically demanding hybrid structure combining structural steel and timber elements that demonstrated the company’s capability across increasingly sophisticated construction methodologies. Atlantic Engineering is currently involved in a broad mix of work, including structural steel packages for schools, modular steel pods for a high-end hotel development and healthcare- related projects, including secondary steel packages at the Auckland Airport. The diversity of the workload reflects both the adaptability of the business and the confidence clients continue to place in the team. The company’s workforce is equally diverse, bringing together skilled tradespeople and technical staff from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. According to Nathan, that diversity has helped shape a strong, solutions-focused culture within the business. “Our team is built around loyalty, commitment and finding practical solutions,” he says. “Clients recognise that in both the quality of our work and in the way we approach challenges.” Supporting the fabrication workshop in Drury with its dedicated workshop and site team is a full complement of estimators, quantity surveyors, project managers and experienced structural steel professionals, enabling Atlantic to manage projects from tender through to fabrication and installation. Nathan says global uncertainty continues to create pressure around supply chains and construction costs, but the business remains focused on long-term relationships with clients and suppliers, while continuing to deliver consistently high-quality structural steel solutions. “Global uncertainty is a real challenge at the moment, affecting supplies and costs, but we’ll come through it as we always have,” Nathan says. Nathan joined Atlantic Engineering in 2016, bringing extensive structural steel experience gained overseas. Over the past decade, Atlantic Engineering has grown significantly, doubling in size as the business expanded its capability, capacity, and client base across Auckland and the Waikato. This growth has been driven by a management team that operates with a solutions-focused approach, working closely with clients to deliver practical, efficient, and high-quality outcomes on every project.
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