APAC Insider Award Article 2021

Far from the image of a large industrial complex, today’s best fabricators tend to be much smaller in scale, catering to the bespoke needs of its clientele. Legacy Steel, despite its relatively short tenure on the landscape, has certainly made its mark through a dedication to exceeding all expectations – a notoriously difficult task in the metalworking sector. 

Here, Daryl takes the opportunity to talk through the values of Legacy Steel and how it has established its reputation. “We are a small fabrication business operating from Auckland’s industrial hub of Onehunga/Penrose. We have been established for 2 years and in that time we’ve grown from a staff of 1 to 11 people. Our goals have remained the same, to help a variety of clients from small residential builders to large commercial construction companies. We pride ourselves on treating everyone’s project equally importantly as we believe we’re not just doing a job but building someone’s legacy. We maintain this perspective is the key element to our success and will remain one of the key pillars of our philosophy moving forward into the future.” 

All in all, Daryl sees client centricity as the cornerstone of Legacy Steel’s toolkit. Partnering this with a high standard of work and a commitment to always meetings its own high standards as swiftly allowed Legacy Steel to nurture its client base. More than anything, the company’s clients trust Legacy Steel to simply produce what it needs. Daryl continues, “another key element that allows us to provide such a high level of service to our clients is our staff. We have a team of tradespeople that are not only proficient at what they do, but they also care about the quality of the work that they produce. This caring comes from focus on a company culture of caring about each other and looking after the staff as best we can. In the words of Richard Branson “If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.” 

This attitude has allowed Legacy Steel to navigate much of the challenges it has encountered, including the substantial and ongoing impact of COVID-19. “Since starting in November 2019 we have had to navigate the pandemic which has bought about numerous, unprecedented issues. From complete lockdowns, new health & safety requirements and supply chains disruptions, I would have to say these have been some of the most challenging times in my 25-year career. Despite this, due to our philosophy of looking after our clients and focusing on service, we have managed to sustain a 12-13% growth month on month.” Calling the pandemic a baptism of fire would almost seem an understatement, but it has served to reinforce – in Daryl’s mind at least- that the company is doing things right, and it has a firm foundation to grow further on the back of it. 

Ultimately, this is where the future of Legacy Steel lies: in growth, maintaining quality and finding a balance between accelerating growth and keeping the team satisfied, allowing them to do the best work they are capable of. In his closing comments, Daryl remarks on the importance of the culture moving into the future. “We don’t aim to be the biggest steel fabricator in New Zealand, but we do aim to be one of the best. What we have been doing has been working, so we want to keep this up. We’re close to operating our facility at full capacity so I see that our growth will now be steady and we’ll focus on further quality and safety systems. We’ll also be implementing some changes around the management structure to improve communication and delegating responsibilities to lessen the workload on some of the staff. We’re not solely focussed on work life but ensuring we can maintain a healthy work life balance that works for the whole team".