Pre-Fabrication, Changing Construction and Career Paths

For a small island nation of 4.5 million, New Zealand punches above its weight in many ways. We pride ourselves on our international sporting accomplishments, our “no8 wire” Kiwi ingenuity and knack for cracking tough global markets. One tough market is the construction sector where change is accelerating more than ever and local NZ business are right at the front-end, driving the revolution.

“Construction isn’t what it used to be” 

When’s the last time you heard of a builder who still makes their own frames?  Why are pre-cast tilt panels so common these days? Is Health and Safety making site work too difficult? We know for a fact Pre-fab is a game changer and the list of benefits gets longer. It’s safer, quicker, cheaper and quality is consistently impressing the toughest critics.

For more information on Techlam and a recent showcase of successful projects, go to their sharp website.

6 questions, 6 answers

Brett Hamilton, General Manager at Techlam has kindly given us the inside scoop on how the business has grown from a small joinery in Levin to become an awarding winning supplier and charismatic employer. Here’s what he had to say:

TRS) How did Techlam get started?

Brett) Techlam started back in 1992 manufacturing curved laminated reveals for the aluminium window industry, and has constantly grown year on year since then. We are now NZ’s largest Structural Glulam Manufacturing Facility, and we distribute products throughout NZ and into the South Pacific as well as Asia.

TRS) How does Techlam stay “fresh” in such a tough industry?

Brett) We are constantly evolving, new markets, new plant and equipment. The whole reason we have stayed in the industry for so long is because we have diversified as the markets have changed. We often refer to the old quote, “if you don’t like change, you’ll like extinction even less”

TRS) What do see as the future for timber structures and pre-fab in general?

Brett)  You only need to pay attention to the industry news to see that pre-fab low to mid rise structures are growing rapidly in popularity globally, particularly across Europe and the USA. New Zealand is lagging somewhat behind in this space and needs to play catch up. Given we have the world’s most renewable resource right at our back door, this is a responsibility for us as a country to ensure we utilize if efficiently.

TRS) What can some expect from a career in Prefabrication?

Brett) A dynamic, ever changing career, with opportunity to grow alongside the industry.

TRS) What makes the Horowhenua a great place to live?

Brett) The weather, and the views of the Tararuas covered in snow is hard to beat. We affectionately refer to Levin as the “Queenstown of the North Island”

TRS) So what’s next for Techlam?

Brett) We are always looking for ways to do things differently. Currently we are going through the design phases of a pretty major reshuffle in our plant. This will further enable us to offer a first-class client experience.

TRS) Thanks Brett!

GETTING ON BOARD