The Growth Issue.

October 2024 Newsletter

October: The Growth Issue

We’re an optimistic bunch here at Monkeytoe. If we get a flat on the road, then someone’s bound to come past and offer a hand as we fit the spare. If a process is proving stickier than expected, then we find ways to improve it for next time.

So while the economy isn’t exactly booming right now, there’s still a lot to do and a lot to keep busy with that sees us all moving forward. The tools are still hot, and we’re putting in the groundwork – improving processes, bolstering our offerings, and making some exciting changes so we can work on even bigger projects.

So we’ve been busy – and there’s plenty to come, too. Take the bridge conference happening this month on the Gold Coast, for example. Running since 2005, the Australian Small Bridges Conference and Exhibition has provided a fantastic venue for engineers, asset owners, managers, contractors and suppliers from around the world to learn more about progress in the industry and continue to innovate (and we’re big fans of innovation). You might even be driving across a Monkeytoe bridge in years to come.

Any good gardener uses the cold months to prepare the soil for spring. In the same way, we’ve been very busy here, engaging with lots of projects early on in each journey so that we can have the biggest benefit. Absolutely we can come in late, but when we talk with architects and designers about the power and promise of Monkeytoe solutions early – well, that’s where we see some exciting changes.

So read on to see what we’ve been up to, where we’re striving for excellence, and what makes a Monkeytoe different.

 

Supporting Good Sorts

Giving back to our community is part of what we do here at Monkeytoe. And winter can be tough in this country – not least of all if you don’t have a secure job or a well-insulated home. So we rolled up our sleeves for the Waitara Initiatives Supporting Employment (WISE) Charity Trust, who create employment and training opportunities in the wider Taranaki community, including home insulation and land care services.

Our internal Culture Committee braced the cold and held a car wash day at our Head Office, raising $400 from our team members (and seeing them drive home with sparkling cars). But we didn’t stop there: we also held a charity hot breakfast at our Head Office, raising an additional $720 from our team. A total of $1120 went to WISE to help them continue their good work. If you’re interested in supporting WISE and getting involved, then get in touch with their team and see how we can support and grow the good people of Taranaki.

We also supported Stratford Daffodil Day recently, helping raise money to change lives affected by cancer. The Monkeytoe team were out in a supporting role, setting up the hall for lunch, selling Daffodil Day merchandise on the main street, and lots of general jobs to keep the day running smoothly. In total, an impressive $15,000 was raised on the day – a huge amount going to a very deserving cause that you can support with everything from a donation to simply wearing a daffodil. Thanks again to the Stratford Daffodil Day team for the chance to help out.

 

 

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Superior Roof Protection: Little clip, big fix

At Monkeytoe, we leave no stone unturned when it comes to leading the industry in aluminium design and manufacture, and to create products that meet the highest standards. And sometimes, the smallest innovations make the biggest difference – like our RC-01 roofing clip.

The Monkeytoe RC-01 clip, designed for top-fix and trapezoidal roofing profiles, fixes directly to the building structure, not the roof sheeting. It’s a little clip that solves a lot of problems.

A long time ago, a consultant came to us with a problem. They had a brand-new roof, and needed safe, secure access for cleaning and maintenance. More importantly, they wanted a solution that wouldn’t compromise the integrity of their roof, or void any warranties.

Back in 2006, there were no solutions to the problem. So we got to work.

The result was the first ever roofing clip and walkway system of its kind, developed with roofing consultants and with specialists in mind, ensuring it adhered to best practices while also protecting roofing warranties. The Monkeytoe clip was born.

The name? It started as a bit of a joke, since that first clip resembled a monkey’s foot gripping a tree. But it stuck – and so did we.

We quickly realised that many buildings across New Zealand and Australia faced similar challenges, often leading to significant damage, such as the infamous leaky building syndrome that’s plagued NZ for the last three decades. And if we wanted to avoid a repeat of that, then we needed to see a new solution like this used across the country.

If you’ve built it, you want it to last. And if big capital projects (like a whole new factory) aren’t on the cards right now, then taking care of what you’ve already got – like ensuring the longevity of your roof – can deliver huge returns. A well-maintained roof not only protects your building but also maximises your investment, keeping operations smooth for years to come.

Ready to find out more about how we can support your next project with a Monkeytoe clip? Reach out to us today.

 

 

Getting to Know Briana Watson

You’ve seen her work. In fact, it’s all over our website, our social media channels, and your inboxes. But you might not know the person behind it: Briana Waston.

New Plymouth born and bred, Briana played a lot of soccer growing up, and even represented New Zealand for a few years in her early teens. She would have gone on to the big leagues, no doubt – but an ankle break put an end to that. But sport’s loss is art’s gain: when on her big EO back in 2014, Briana found her passion for content creation.

It’s the classic Kiwi move: live in London and work as a teacher, travel Europe (and further), and practice her art. In particular, visual storytelling, and creating engaging content that emotionally connects with the audience. Photography was soon followed by videography, then drone work. She was bitten by the visual bug. While working a stint running the Adidas store next to Wembley Stadium, she had a conversation with her flatmate about goals for when they returned to Aotearoa. “I said I wanted to go to Uni and get into marketing. Six months later, I did exactly that.”

Soon Briana was joining the Monkeytoe team as a videographer with a Bachelor of Design, working out of our New Plymouth office. But her big-picture thinking showed how invaluable she was, and she quickly became our Marketing Manager, collaborating with all divisions, developing strategies, and overall making sure that we look good for both our Australia and New Zealand operations. She’s busy – and doing great work, we think you’ll agree.

“I’ve always been someone who’s been able to get along with all types of people,” says Briana. “Respectful challenging of the status quo to find better ways of doing things and staying ahead of the curve is something that I’ve added to my belt and brought with me into my career. Plus I’ve really aligned with the Monkeytoe values, so it’s great to be working with a company where you’re given the opportunity to grow within your role, create solid foundations, and advance together.”

When Briana’s not deadlifting twice her bodyweight at the gym or collecting vinyl records, you’ll probably catch her walking her sausage dogs. “I can’t take them for a walk without a kid saying ‘Look, Mum it’s a sausage dog!’”

 

 

      

Mānawa Bay, Auckland Airport

Promising to be a premium outlet shopping destination, Mānawa Bay has opened just five minutes from Auckland Airport, providing savvy shoppers plenty of choices to spoil themselves with international and local brands.

Savoury Construction has led the delivery of this project, and they’re just the right people for it, having completed projects like the Ormiston Town Centre too.

We were fortunate to be involved with this project early on when it was still in the design stage over a year ago, meaning we could work with the consultants and engineers, and Auckland Airport representatives, even before the builders were assigned. Here we could provide the most value: showcasing what Monkeytoe can do with aluminium and our innovative XBEAM, all while working with their representatives to ensure it would be a tightly run project.

Rather than making a variety of different platform sizes, we were able to standardize the platforms – making for both a simpler manufacture, and a lower cost to the Airport. We produced a total of 16 fan support structures (each around 36sqm), as well as seven purlin-mount platforms, 400m or so of walkways, and four XBEAM platforms.

The largest XBEAM platform was a formidable ~275 sqm, designed to take a dead load of 13,000kg. If the platform were made of steel, it would have required all that weight – and not left a lot for any HVAC or equipment. Our total aluminium weight was just a fraction of that – around 7,200kg – this meant less loading on the roof, so less structural support requirements, and a better capacity for safely holding hardware.

Fans of big numbers will appreciate that it took 1,950 Tek screws to hold down the mesh for this platform, and a total of 4,500 across the whole project – all put in manually by our team.

And an extra bonus: virtually every bit of the 35,000 sqm roofing that’s not in shadow has been fitted out with solar panels, around 2.3MW worth, to generate the equivalent of 80 percent of the center’s power usage. In another first, Mānawa Bay has also introduced a zero natural or LPG gas policy, which is expected to eliminate up to 57 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions from its kitchens.

Bertus Smit has been across this project, one of his last in the role of Project Manager (now a Senior Project Consultant – congrats Bertus!). Bertus says this is one of the best planned and scheduled projects he’s been on. All but one of the 29 platforms have been fitted within a two-week window that was forecast a year ago – a remarkable achievement and a testament to the discipline and teamwork of everyone involved.

Mānawa Bay opened on the 19th of September to a fair bit of noise – and rightly so! Next time you’re hitting the air via Auckland Airport, make sure you check out Mānawa Bay and see what grabs your eye.

 

 

And one more thing

We love feedback. Not least of all because we hear what we’re doing well, and where we can be better.

So you can imagine our delight to get some 10/10 Net Promoter Scores (NPS) delivered to our inboxes lately. Check out some of this amazing feedback from our clients who have enjoyed the Monkeytoe difference.

 

 

“Very happy, pretty good, no problems, last few jobs have gone well. Previously the lead times were long but that is much improved – will use Monkeytoe again.” –  Haydn Rollett Construction PM

“Very happy with all dealings, quality products, strong admin – financials well presented – easy to follow, Keep up the good work!” – Cook Brothers Dunedin QS

“Communication was quick and efficient with installation done promptly as well. Please specifically pass on thanks to Christo – he was exceptional in all areas.” – LT McGuinness, Wellington QS

“Professional team, very knowledgeable and was left with an excellent impression. A perfect 10.” – Livefirm Construction (N.I) Ltd QS

And from some of our Monkeytoe resellers:

“Every time that he has enquired about a build or a design he requires Monkeytoe are very responsive, within a day – very helpful, very informative and they are nice people. Levi, Shinda, and Hunter get a double thumbs up.” – Chillex Services PM

“Good service, actually works with Dan, he is pretty good and responds fast – Always gets feedback quickly from Dan and he is always available to the installers, that makes a big difference to them.” – AU Height Safety Customer

“Staff are fantastic, products is really good and the attention to detail is amazing, all the good things he expects.” – Kaylan Constructions Pty Ltd PM

Want to get that 10/10 Monkeytoe experience? Drop us a line. We’d love to talk about your next project!

 

Te Kaha Christchurch

 

Te Kaha is one of the newest features of central Christchurch, and promises to be the city’s premier venue – and one of the most accessible, inclusive, sustainable and flexible venues in the region. Whether hosting rugby union, football, rugby league, Esports, concerts, motorsports, tennis, boxing, exhibitions or business events, Te Kaha will inject life into this re-emerging city.

We had a great opportunity to be involved in this exciting project – and found ourselves able to deliver an exceptional solution for this new stadium space that’s replacing Lancaster Park, which was damaged in the 2011 earthquake.

A consortium of businesses came together to tender this project, including Australia’s BESIX Watpac, Christchurch-based construction companies Southbase Construction and Fulton Hogan, local seismic engineering specialists Lewis Bradford, Christchurch architects Warren and Mahoney, and global stadium design experts Populous and Mott MacDonald. We were able to speak to the local contingents, catching the attention of the construction manager, who wanted a lightweight gantry system. 

Of course, a steel solution was considered, but the weight of this would have been prohibitive and meant additional structural work would be required. But aluminium can match the performance of steel at a third of the weight – opening up the door for different solutions.

Together we developed a lot of early stage concept engineering ideas, delivering some images of what we could provide. It developed from there, and we could give them exactly what they wanted: 32x truss bridges forming a ~400m service route and lighting support structure for the stadium. 

In our conversations, we also got to talking about the scoreboard system, and the construction team asked if this was something we could help with. So we spoke with our R&D and engineering team, and they came back with a resounding ‘yes’. 

When you’re watching a big event at Te Kaha Stadium, and look up to see the score of the big game, then know that we provided the two frames, each 18m wide, 9m high, and 2m deep, hanging from the trusses.

It’s a little different from the accessways, ladders and platforms we normally offer, yet Te Kaha Christchurch has been a great chance to showcase how we can help when brought in early to the design process.