Check out what's been happening at Monkeytoe in May in our latest monthly news feature.
A note from Budd
Hi everyone,
This year is showing no signs of slowing down, and neither are we.
Since our last update, we’ve had a lot to celebrate: we finally launched our new condenser mounts that will supercharge loading capacities for your next project; Glen Thomas of our R&D department wrote an article on how we engineer to code – and why it’s so important; and we completed a uniquely challenging project with a cardboard silo that couldn’t be shut off while we replaced its structural housing.
This issue, we’re also introducing Logan Irvine – the ‘determined and deadly focused’ business development master who’s leading the charge in our sales team. We’re also celebrating Red Cross Day and doing our part to support refugee resettlement opportunities here in New Zealand, and we’re teasing our forthcoming ebook on the mistakes architects keep making.
There’s plenty to shout about. So you’d better dig in.
Cheers,
Budd
Introducing Monkeytoe stalwart Logan Irvine
Logan’s been a part of the Monkeytoe team since the beginning of 2019. While he joined as a customer service rep, his energy and knack for problem solving saw him quickly become the South Island sales rep overseeing the lower half of New Zealand.
When asked what gives him a kick, he reckons that hunting down people who don’t know about our full suite of capabilities and showcasing them our solutions that go beyond ladders and walkways does it. Naturally he’s excited about our expansion into new territories, and loves taking a proactive approach to client management and driving lifeblood to the sales side of the business.
An ex-Argentinian with 21 years in South America under his belt, Logan’s well and truly at home here running like a cheetah and playing drums on his wife’s pots and pans. Give him a bell if you want to know how we can go above and beyond with our solutions – or if you want to talk about the best non-fiction survival and WWII stories he’s been reading lately.
A unique project with OJI Packaging
No one wanted to do it; they said it was impossible.
As one of Australasia’s largest fibre-based packaging manufacturers, with 10 facilities throughout New Zealand and Australia, Oji Fibre Solutions Packaging is a serious player in the manufacturing space. We guarantee you’ll have encountered their paper and cardboard solutions, paper cups, and specialty boards in your home, work, or out and about.
Oji Packaging came to us hoping to replace the steel structure supporting a kind of recycling silo on their site where cardboard scraps and off-cuts would be shredded and reduced for re-use. As we discussed their challenge, a few key things became apparent.
Firstly, the structure was in desperate need of repair. Being a steel structure exposed to the elements, the signs of rust and wear showed that it had reached the end of its natural life and the risk of failure was increasing. Secondly, they’d approached a handful of structural steel companies to replace or repair the frame – but they’d all declined; the job was virtually impossible to do well, they said. Finally, the silo had to continue operation during any works – and with the volume of dry, fine cardboard and paper particles around the area, hot works were completely off the table for fear of fire.
Fortunately, we could provide a solution that would overcome all these challenges with modular aluminium designs.
We started our work on the Monday, installing legs through the roof to rest on the portal framing, then running some inside works to ensure we had a robust base to work with. With the silo still running, we relied on scaffolding to support the structure so that, on Tuesday, we could install the bottom parts of custom aluminium framing and run it as high as we possibly could.
On Wednesday, we coordinated a crane and HIABs, lifting the still-running silo by a matter of millimetres so that we could remove the steel and fix in our aluminium without the need for hot welding. This was a dawn-to-dusk operation, with a team of eight experts ensuring that we could undertake the most difficult part of the project quickly and safely. On Thursday, we returned to add in new Monkeytoe walkways and handrails, removing all the legacy steel hardware and taking a moment to reflect on this amazing project.
It took some serious coordination – lining up crane drivers and HIABs, a significant team of operators and a four-day window of good weather – but we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for Oji Packaging.
Smashing the standards: How Monkeytoe engineers to building codes
If you’re putting up a garage, a multi-storey business hub, a shopping centre, or something in between, then you’ll need to adhere to the vast and diverse rules of the Building Code.
There are, of course, standards and requirements for safety, loads (like wind and equipment), and durability that all buildings need to adhere to if we expect them to perform as promised and make sure we get home safely. Glen Thomas of our Research and Development division has written an easy-to-understand breakdown of the different codes we use across Australasia – and explains why the Monkeytoe development and engineering team invest a lot of time to ensure our products are fit for purpose and safe.
New condenser mounts launch
We’ve been teasing them for a couple of months – and now they’ve finally launched!
Our new condenser mounts have just dropped, with massively increased loading capabilities ready off the shelf – as well as anti-vibration pads with every new kit. Check out the video over on our LinkedIn (and make sure you’re following us for good measure) and see what we got up to kicking off this exciting product redevelopment.
Are you making the same basic mistakes – or are you a leader in the architecture space?
We get it. Sometimes it’s too easy to design something that’s going to get the job done without ruffling any feathers, to create a new building that serves its simplest functions and uses the same materials and practices that you’ve used your whole career. It’s simple, right?
This is the first mistake that architects and designers make: they plan for the simplest design solution to work – but don’t see that a custom-designed solution will deliver them and their clients better outcomes.
Our new ebook, due out next month, is all about the mistakes that architects make – and how you can get your edge by thinking outside the box. Watch this space for more.
Supporting Red Cross
Celebrated each year on the 8th May, Red Cross Day marks the birth of Jean-Henry Dunant, Founder of International Committee of the Red Cross and all-around good sort who was the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
Red Cross is the primary provider of community refugee settlement programmes in New Zealand, supporting and empowering new Kiwis as they rebuild their lives here. In support of this charity, Monkeytoe were excited to raise funds in donation of this cause on Red Cross Day this year.
Thanks to Monkeytoe Culture Committee’s Ange Thompson and her mother who kindly donated red velvet cupcakes (with delicious cream cheese icing!) the team were asked to provide a donation to purchase, raising $825 for the cause. The Monkeytoe team were extremely happy and proud to have been able to come together for the cause.
If you would like to make a donation direct to Red Cross, head to: https://www.redcross.org.nz/donate/where-the-need-greatest/