Engineering firm invests in the future

A glimmer of light is shining in the construction industry despite all the doom and gloom that’s been heard in recent months.

Cosgrove Major, a Christchurch owned engineering consultancy, sees plenty of opportunities in the current market and is still flat tack working on projects across the country. However they have also undertaken a number of quite radical steps - for their sector - to ensure that they can continue to prosper in the future.

“We’ve got plenty of work going forward, and are pleased with where we are currently placed in the market,” says managing director Brady Cosgrove. “We are naturally very aware of the global and local situation but it doesn’t mean that you stop planning for the future or stop striving to be the best that you can be.”

Cosgrove Major has been working for the last six months on its strategy for the future and has identified areas where they can add more emphasis to secure a healthy future. This has included bringing on independent director Barry Dacombe (Ex Managing Director Warren and Mahoney), and some planning guidance from Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce CEO, Peter Townsend.

“Staff empowerment is crucial to the success of any business and we have recently flattened our structure to a model similar to law firms – where the up and comers can acquire a share of the business. This brings about a greater sense of ownership and ‘can do’ attitude within the company,” says Cosgrove.

In addition to motivating the staff – the new structure is designed to ensure that talent stays in New Zealand.

Warren Poh is excited by the change in thinking. It would have been highly likely that he and his wife (both only two years out of the University of Canterbury) would have looked to overseas at some stage but will now consider staying in Christchurch if the opportunity to become a shareholder is on the cards.

“In a more traditional modelled engineering firm I would have to have waited a significant number of years for the opportunity to buy into the firm. The new structure that the directors have proposed potentially makes that a lot sooner,” says Poh.

As well as the change in structure the company has undertaken an extensive client and prospective client survey which has greatly assisted with identifying areas for development and strengths to build on.

The company has also announced a refresh in name, changing to Cosgroves, and has a completely new look to all of their promotional material which reflects the move to a more personal approach.

“The name change reflects that the company has come a long way since its launch in 1996. We have developed into a firm that provides quality electrical, mechanical, fire, hydraulic and environmentally sustainable design engineering in New Zealand. Most importantly we have won a list of loyal clients across the country and whom we are proud to say find it a pleasure to work with us,” says Cosgrove.

Whilst the company is busy, Brady and the team at Cosgroves have noticed that focus has shifted from the majority of projects being large scale speculative work to a broader range of project size and scales with a greater focus on infrastructure.

“We are working on a number of high profile projects such as the new building for The Press, the control tower at Christchurch Airport and on a new school in Frankton.”

“Sustainability is also a clear trend, with businesses looking to invest now to have significant future benefits. The enhancement of natural light and heat, as well as rainwater collection and grey water recycling are increasingly becoming common practice in buildings,” says Cosgrove. “More importantly there is a significant push towards thinking about the people that will be using the building when designing it – something that we think is essential.”

ENDS