| 59 CONTRACTING Dalton Electrical Respected firm all set to turn 60 Dalton Electrical covers all aspects of a project, from concept, design and drawings through to installation, automation, commissioning and long-term servicing. T T Sue Russell “People and culture are a very big driver for us, and our point of difference. We invest considerable time and effort into supporting the journey of each team member…” Auckland’s leading commercial and industrial electrical contracting company, Dalton Electrical, will be blowing 60 candles out on the birthday cake later this year — a milestone Managing Director, Daniel Berry, says that speaks volumes as to how the company has evolved and what makes it tick. Like many in the business, Daniel began work with Dalton Electrical as an aspiring apprentice. That theme of promoting internally, and encouraging and developing staff to reach their full potential is a core element to the company’s longevity and success. “As a service organisation our people are critical to our success. We’ve built a culture around care and engagement with each employee that runs deep,” Daniel says. The Dalton Electrical team extends to 160 across several bases in Auckland. This devolving away from one central headquarters has meant staff are able to work closer to home, with projects and clients all over the city. “We opened a branch on the North Shore and then in South Auckland. We see these as local family-feel businesses focussing on client relationships, backed by the skillsets and resourcing from headquarters. It’s worked well in terms of that an identity within a community.” As a leading provider of turn-key electrical solutions, Dalton Electrical covers all aspects of a project, from concept, design and drawings through to installation, automation, commissioning and long-term servicing. Daniel says this scope of capability is a core reason the company has enjoyed an extensive service history with so many clients. The world of electrical engineering is constantly evolving and Dalton Electrical have structured the business to cope well with this reality. “We’ve established our own Automation and Engineering division to service the projects we get involved with. It’s in-house and a very efficient, effective way to operate because we have control over quality and time-frames on projects requiring specialised technologies.” The quality of engagement with employees at every layer of the business was recognised last year when Dalton Electrical was named Employer of the Year at the 2Degrees Auckland Business Awards — an achievement Daniel and the team are immensely proud of. Entering that award gave the company the opportunity to really analyse what it did well and how it added value to each team member, right from the day a new person joined the business. “People and culture are are a very big driver for us, and our point of difference. We invest considerable time and effort into supporting the journey of each team member and we deliver this in a number of ways.” These include one-on-one mentoring, regularly scheduled employee feedback forums, opportunities to upskill and broaden capability funded by the company and supporting a vibrant social club and outreach to families. “Judges acknowledged our progressive team environment and the culture of care, supported by our strong financial position and clear leadership. “We’re all on the same page and want to see everyone achieve their potential.” Feedback from employees backs this up with some impressive figures: 90% of apprentices are offered positions as tradespeople once they complete, a 95% retention rate in the last 5 years and a staggering 98% of employees would recommend working at Daltons. “We’re very proud of our structured coaching process and the fact that we’ve had 9 apprentices take out the NZ Master Electricians Industrial Apprentice Award over the years is a track record second-to-none.” Looking ahead, Daniel says a key business focus is in Instrumentation and Automation. It’s long been a key discipline of the business and to acknowledge this, the team has just released a new brand focussing on this capability — Dalton Automation. These teams are focussed on working together to provide leading industrial service and solutions for another 60 years.
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