40 | REGIONAL Lakeside Stainless Supporting NZ businesses with industry provenwheels, castors andmaterials handling products since 1994. Proud to support the team at Lakeside Stainless. 050 894 3357 sales@wheelco.co.nz wheelco.co.nz Designing & manufacturing quality fittings since 1989 ‘METALLICO’ COLOUR RANGE - WALL & GLAZING BRACKETS Our Guarantee Handrail Fittings Ltd guarantee the best trade prices, the best quality and the best service in New Zealand. All fittings are manufactured to the highest quality specifications and comply with all relevant NZ Building Codes. • Handrail Brackets • End Caps • Bends • Base Posts & Cover Plates • Tactile Buttons • Glazing Fittings 0800 426 372 | www.handrailfittings.co.nz NewWānaka workshop keeps up with demand Recent projects include the brass wall panelling at the entrance and in the restaurant of Coronet Ridge Hotel. T T Kim Bowden Five-year-old Queenstown metal fabrication business, Lakeside Stainless, has opened a second workshop in Wānaka, expanding to keep pace with demand across the wider Queenstown Lakes district. The business was founded by friends, Scott Lilly and Dominic Yardley, after Scott, then working at another Queenstown engineering firm, identified a gap in the market for specialist stainless steel fabrication. What began as a two-person operation has grown to 12 staff at the Queenstown workshop, which has recently upgraded its machinery with a four-metre press brake and a four-metre guillotine. The Wānaka workshop, which opened last year, is staffed by three people, with Dominic relocating to run it. “Wānaka has been a natural progression for us. We already had a strong client base there, so opening a local workshop allows us to provide a faster service, while still being backed by the larger Queenstown workshop,” office manager Mel Halil says. Wānaka can handle the majority of projects independently, though the largest projects still go through Queenstown, where the bigger machinery is based, with the two workshops working closely together to support each other. Lakeside Stainless fabricates in stainless steel, aluminium, brass, copper, and mild steel, delivering commercial and residential projects throughout Central Otago in partnership with builders, architects, designers and homeowners. Some projects arrive with detailed architectural drawings, while others begin with little more than a client’s idea. “In those cases, the team works closely with the client to design and build their dream project,” Mel says. The business focuses on architectural and bespoke metal fabrication, rather than heavy engineering. Work includes custom kitchens, feature fireplaces, balustrades, handrails and architectural metalwork – projects where quality finishes and attention to detail are key. “Working with stainless steel is a specialised skill, and not everyone can simply pick up a welder and produce a quality finish. We’ve worked hard to build a skilled team and are always pushing for the highest standard of workmanship,” Mel says. The pace of building across Queenstown Lakes has created opportunities for specialist fabricators, with tourism, hospitality and higher-end residential development all increasingly demanding custom-made metal features, rather than off-the-shelf products. Lakeside Stainless’s work now appears in a string of high-profile and in some cases award‑winning developments across the district, something Mel says the team takes pride in. “It’s been really rewarding to be involved in some of the larger projects, especially those that have gone on to receive industry recognition,” she says. Recent projects include the handrails at Skyline Queenstown, brass wall panelling at the entrance and in the restaurant of Coronet Ridge Hotel, and a copper fireplace at the newly opened Gibbston Valley Clubhouse. The company also fabricated corten steel fencing at Bathe by Aluume, the hot pools at the base of the gondola, and completed galvanised architectural panels for the Mt Cardrona Station clubhouse.
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