32 | Structural steel solutions, big and small Virginia Wright Structural Steel is ‘durable, strong, with a good strength to size ratio,” says Global Engineering Development Manager Mark Duxfield. Global Engineering ENGINEERING Delivering products you can trust. Please contact our specialists on 0800 800 649 or visit the website unitedsteel.co.nz Established over 25 years ago by Managing Director Andrew Jackson, Global Engineering Limited is a privately owned company working in the steel fabrication and engineering sector. Whether the project involves craning pre-assembled steel frames up seven levels for a glazed atrium as part of TVNZ’s massive refurbishment; and manufacturing expansion joint hinges to allow a curved glass addition to Grafton Bridge to move as the bridge expands and contracts; or building and installing architecturally designed balustrades and handrails along with the structural steel elements needed for the Waitakere Civic Centre, their decades of expertise working in structural steel and metalwork means they can meet the challenges big or small that come with the territory. Still doing some project management but with his new business cards as Business Development Manager due any day, Mark Duxfield has been with Global Engineering for close to five years. He worked with Andrew Jackson back in the days when Andrew was a toolmaker, Mark was a fitter & welder, and both of them knew they wanted to be their own bosses. “We’ve come up through the trade, I went into manufacturing and he went into structural steel which is the sector that has prevailed over time,” says Mark. “I’d had thirteen years of owning my own business as well, so when he called me saying his General Manager was leaving and he needed someone to step in and hit the ground running I was happy to take the opportunity it presented.” Five years later, as the company continues to grow, a new General Manager, Will Mahon, has been appointed; a new Project Manager, Michael Loudon, has started; and Mark’s role has morphed into that of developing the business from the commercial end. “Structural steel is experiencing a growth pattern partly due to its suitability for seismic environments, partly due to the speed it brings to the construction process. “It’s durable, strong, with a good strength to size ratio, and many of New Zealand’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings are largely constructed with steel and concrete,” explains Mark. When architects or engineers choose to work with structural steel it’s to a company such as Global Engineering that they come, especially if it’s a project with the size and “Structural steel is experiencing a growth pattern partly due to its suitability for seismic environments, partly due to the speed it brings to the construction process.” complexity of the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints currently under construction in Manukau. It’s a stone over steel construction requiring a lot of collaboration between different building techniques and involving over 620 tons of steel. “Once the spire goes up it’s going to be an outstanding construction in Auckland,” says Mark. Global Engineering has around 40 employees working from a purpose-built factory in Kumeu. With current clients mostly scattered throughout greater Auckland, Global Engineering is looking to extend their reach around the country and to significantly grow their business. “We have a culturally diverse staff, and a lot of them have been with us for over ten years, plus we have three apprentices currently. “We’re family-owned and we pride ourselves on being quite a tight ship considering the scale of the business. “We have a great emphasis on the quality of our workmanship which allows us to compete with some of the bigger players, solving any issues as they arise, as we fabricate, supply and install structural steel and ancillary metalwork to order.” The in-house skills at Global Engineering range from detailers and estimators to rigging crews and they have all the equipment and machinery needed to manage large structural contracts: cranes, lifts, trucks and a mobile welding plant. Nevertheless they still enjoy meeting the challenge of smaller, fast-turnaround jobs when needed. They’re not afraid to take on difficult or unusual tasks either, confident in the depth of skills and experience they bring to complete any job.
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