Business North October 2021

66 | CONTRACTING Dalton Electrical Training and culture drive growth Sue Russell Dalton Electrical has forged a top reputation in the Auckland electrical services industry . “Managing the whole process in-house allows us to control the quality and the timeframe, so our customers get what they want, when they want it.” B ased in Auckland, Dalton Electrical Ltd has been in the electrical contracting business for over 50 years, since its founding by Dave Dalton in 1966, with son Bruce joining the company in 1991. The company has always focused on service to industry, including automation, design, installations, industrial service and breakdown work, along with preventative maintenance and compliance. Not only has the company set its sights on delivering high quality electrical solutions to its clients, but just as much, it has invested inwardly in providing opportunities for those in apprenticeships to really excel. It has helped to produce industrial apprentices of the highest calibre, measured against others around the globe in WorldSkills competitions in 2011, 2013 and 2017. Daniel Berry was one of those who thrived on the opportunities to become qualified through an apprenticeship 14 years ago. To- day, he is General Manager, Operations. “Our growth has come really from the focus on training we put around our staff. “We’ve got just over 100 staff now and I know that the opportunities for growth and learning while working for Dalton Electrical is a key factor in us attracting new staff,” says Daniel. The company is a member of Master Electricians NZ and has been recognised with multiple excellence awards for industrial Automation. Of the total employee base approximately 40 staff cover urgent service work. “The core work of this team is support to manufacturing – urgent breakdowns. We have a projects team who are dedicated to larger installs and also an Engineering team who specialise in Automation, Machine safety and hazardous area work.” Asked what the key strengths of the com- pany are, Daniel says that offering a turn-key solution is critical. “Our customers know that we can take care of all the elements of work needing to be done, so they’re not having to juggle multiple stakeholders. “Managing the whole process in-house allows us to control the quality and the time- frame, so our customers get what they want, when they want it.” One of the benefits Daniel says that comes with engaging long-term with clients is that as their engineers become more familiar with the site and the people, the engagement becomes more conversational. This enables Dalton Electrical staff to have input into prob - lem solving, and improvement discussions. “We also enjoy excellent relationships with our suppliers. We are always kept up to date on latest developments in technology.” While the company has the capability to teach and develop skills in new staff, Daniel says the most important attributes for those considering working in the company are atti- tude and passion for the industry. “Because we cover a wide range of indus- tries and disciplines, our staff get the oppor - tunity to experience a lot and learn different skills. We’re big on internal training, cross- team working and providing opportunities for growth. Our regular one-on-one coaching process helps to foster this development.” Cloud-based systems allow Dalton Electrical to stay on top of everything. “We understand that downtime is very cost- ly. Having oversight of the status of everyone’s current work means we always have the right information to come up with the most effec - tive and timely solution for the customer.” The advantages of these systems were especially evident during recent lockdowns, enabling people to work remotely where needed. Although with many clients providing critical products and services, on-site work was still required. “During the pandemic both our manage- ment team and health and safety committee were quick to develop and implement the pro- cedures we needed to ensure we continued to perform at peak in challenging times.” The decision recently to open a new branch in Albany and another one soon in Wiri has meant that staff are able to reduce their commute, and more customers can experi- ence small company familiarity, backed by big company support. Dalton Electrical has produced industrial apprentices of the highest calibre.