Check out what's been happening at Monkeytoe in September in our latest monthly news feature.
A note from Budd
Hi everyone,
Hi everyone. It’s good news to see the restrictions get lifted across Australia – a sign that we’re all doing our parts to reduce the risk of Covid transmission, and a reminder that we can’t be complacent. As usual, all our additional safety precautions stay in place, and we’ll be closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds.
The drop in restrictions, combined with daylight savings at the beginning of October in some states, means we’ve got a better chance to get out there and make the most of the lengthening days. The summer looks to be another humdinger, with good forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology suggesting a much-needed wet end to 2020.
In this month’s newsletter, we’re chatting with Heinrich Pretorius about his work project managing a major XBEAM project in Auckland. We also heard from Darwin Parkes about our operations on this side of the Tasman and how the Aussies are coming around to the benefits of the XBEAM.
All the best,
Budd Prestidge, General Manager
Darwin Parkes, Australia’s Monkeytoe across the Tasman
Darwin Parkes is Australia’s Business Development Manager. We chatted to him about initiating, growing and developing the Aussie contingent of Monkeytoe.
I’d previously been a Business Development Manager in New Zealand, working closely with Breanna to tap into customers and the new product lines in NZ. Here in Australia, it’s a similar role, working with a great team on this side of the Tasman to get us onto as many roofs and into as many spaces as possible.
Anywhere there’s a combination of people and refrigeration, we’re keen to be involved. We’re often talking to key construction agents doing commercial work and who need mechanical platforms and screening. We get to chat to some great people including estimators compiling tenders, builders, key architects and anyone who might think that steel solutions are the right way to go but don’t know about the possibilities of aluminium and the XBEAM.
We were really fortunate to work with Coles and Woolworths supermarkets in the early days here. They’re a big part of the communities here, and as blue chip companies they’re also giving us a great chance to shine and show what we can do with our innovative solutions.
Things have admittedly been a bit of a challenge since COVID hit (though it’s getting a bit repetitive to say so!) and the mix of jobs is going in some interesting directions. One thing that we’re getting asked about more and more is the XBEAM, since there’s nothing quite like it here, so we can go places that others can’t or won’t with a lighter, stronger and more stable product.
One recent example that comes to mind was our work with the Victoria Police Command Centre. Their designs originally specified big structural steel beams over 12 metres long that would have had to have been around 900mm deep just to work. That’s serious tonnage on a facility. We had a great opportunity to talk to the architects about the possibilities of XBEAM and designed a solution for them that’s about half the thickness and a fraction of the weight. They were pretty happy to save around $80,000 switching from steel to the XBEAM too!
We’ve also been able to explore some options for a large facility in Sydney. Details have to be kept private, so I can’t say too much, but we’re looking at a massive custom mezzanine made possible with XBEAM and that’ll blow steel out of the water.
We’ll continue to show the Australian market what’s possible beyond structural steel. I say that if you want a lighter turnkey option that’s less corrosive, easier to install and more efficient, then aluminium and the XBEAM are the way of the future. Start thinking about better with Monkeytoe!
Heinrich Pretorius on the Target Road XBEAM project
As Project Manager, I’m handling anywhere between 50 and 60 sites in Auckland at any one time. That means that I’m overseeing projects from approval to final hand-over.
As soon as our clients ‘green light’ a project, I’m arranging the site measures and drawing up of plans. From there, me and my team are liaising with site manager, architects and designers to ensure that we all understand what solutions work and are compliant for the client. Then we sort out the manufacture, and finally the install and all the site requirements like health and safety. We take care of it all!
Our Target Road project in Glenfield started off with the plan to supply perhaps six or seven small platforms. And this would have been an okay solution for our client – we could make it happen, but ‘okay’ doesn’t really cut it. Once we started discussing the situation with the client, the architects and the designers, and our engineers, we realised that one larger platform would achieve a better result. That’s where the XBEAM came in.
Our engineers designed a new XBEAM platform for the client that would allow us to clamp the legs to the portal frame on the building structure, sort the waterproofing and flashing structures, and secure the platform.
Rather than lifting a half-dozen units onto the roof, our engineers designed an XBEAM platform that could be lifted in one piece, and secured and completed within two days. Once we’d clamped the legs to the portal frame of the building structure, and sorted the waterproofing and flashing structures, our job was nearly done.
We had a few guys on site who were new to XBEAM, so I took some time to chat with Steve from our South Island division to get everyone up to speed. Once they knew how easy it was to fit, and to adjust to slight variations on site, they actually found the install fun!
The real proof of a successful project was when our client passed on some glowing feedback. At first they were a bit unsure about the XBEAM’s capabilities and how quickly we could get the job done, but after seeing how much faster, tidier and more effective it is than a half-dozen units, they were chuffed.
Learn more about XBEAM
Since we began Monkeytoe almost 20 years ago, we’ve always been looking to the future and new possibilities in design and construction. That’s why we’re so passionate about our latest innovation: the XBEAM.
By combining marine-grade, high-tensile T6 aluminium with the unparalleled directional strength of carbon fibre reinforcement, we’ve produced a beam that’s faster to install, 3X stronger and up to 65% lighter than structural steel alternatives.
Head over to our website, or get in touch with one of our specialists today to find out more about the beam that’s raising the bar.
XBEAM from the experts’ mouths
We sat down with experts in design, architecture and building – and our own GM Budd – to talk about how the XBEAM system is a game changer.
Head down to the bottom of the Xbeam page and find out what Tane Pratt of Pacific Environments Architects thinks about the potential of XBEAM’s longevity and versatility, or the potential of faster, more efficient on-site fitouts for Josh Laurenson, Director of Laurenson Building Co. in Auckland.
Better Under One Roof
Get our latest ebook Better Together: Keeping it under one roof with Monkeytoe from our website.
We’re big believers in better. From initial consult to scoping, design, manufacture and install, we reckon that if you’re going to do it, then you’d better do it well. And if you’re going to do it all, well, you’d better be sure that you’re in safe hands.
That’s why architects, engineers, builders and building owners trust us for our total consultation-to-installation services and design specialists, and our ability to provide comprehensive solutions for a huge range of situations. The reason is simple enough: we do it all under one roof – and we do it well.
Head over to the resources page and see how – and why – we’re working together and better under one roof.
