Challenge NZ Newsletter. Summer 2010

Challenge NZ one year on - Nevil Basalaj, CEO reflects...
An editorial comment from the business owner. Nevil considers what we have achieved and where we are going next, our 3 areas of focus, 'Green' as a business reality, and Nelson's advantages for marine engineering.

Phoenix launching
A mussel farm maintenance vessel built for Greenshell NZ Ltd, this 22m alloy boat was built by Challenge Marine and launched in November 2009. With wheelhouse and galley above, and accomodation for four below, she is compact but comfortable.

Fluid Power's new face
We have repainted all our vehicles, our shop, smartened up our gear. We have established a new agency for WAM hoses and fittings...

McBride Design
A commitment to environmental awareness is logical, comments Richard McBride. An internationally experienced marine draughtsman, Manju Bodiyabadu, has recently joined McBride Design, developing computer generated working drawings and specifications for Richard's designs.

Reliance Engineering
Reliance has been working on all the systems to be ready for future growth...

Island Passage back at Challenge Marine
We have had the Island Passage back for maintenance and service work, and we detail some personnel changes.

Green Port for Black Boats
Big plans are underway in Port Nelson to develop an environmentally sustainable approach to maintaining and servicing New Zealand's workboat fleet. The initiative to create a 'green' marine precinct inside the port is being driven by a consortium of companies...

Challenge NZ one year on - Nevil reflects

An editorial comment from the business owner encourages quiet reflection on what we have achieved and where we are going next.

Challenge NZ was established over a year ago, with the member companies being

The Phoenix - a 22m Mussel Farm Service Vessel

Challenge Marine proudly launched the Phoenix in early November 2009. Designed by Richard McBride, she is a 22m alloy vessel destined for general maintenance work on a Coromandel Mussel Farm, built for Greenshell NZ Ltd.

The Phoenix has some similarities to the Northern Quest, a product of the same design and build team, completed in 2008.

McBride Design

Richard McBride has been designing boats in Nelson for 14 years. But when Challenge NZ was established in 2008, he was keen to get involved.

"A commitment to environmental awareness is logical", he comments. "I have always preferred to create boats that are economical and have minimal environmental impact. Connection with the Challenge NZ group makes my business much bigger than just me - I can broaden my horizons and look at bigger stuff - it has a lot of potential."

Fluid Power's new face

Fluid Power Solutions (FPS) has undergone something of a makeover in the last few months. "It's great," says an enthusiastic Rob Hutton, GM. "All our vehicles have been smartened up, the whole shop has been painted and refitted, I've got the guys wearing flash new gear, and we've even resealed our ruggedy old car park with nice smooth black-top!".

Reliance is ready

When Andrew Gray joined Reliance Engineering in March 2009 as General Manager, he joined an intensely practical, well-established business, with a strong emphasis on good quality local engineering.

"As a relative new-comer, it struck me that Reliance is one of those businesses you want in your corner - practical, totally commited to quality, and run by real people with good, long-term business ethics".

Over the last six months Reliance has been working on it's long term strategy to focus the business for the next 10-15 years. "Reliance has some great strengths - a family cutlure, good behavioural safety, a strong focus on quality and innovative solutions, great relationships with customers and some very skilled tradesmen. As a manager, I see these as the hard characteristics to get into a business, but Reliance already has them. That gives us a tremendous launching pad to develop the business further.

Green Port for Black Boats

Big plans are underway in Port Nelson to develop an environmentally sustainable approach to maintaining and servicing New Zealand's work boat fleet. This new initiative, to create a "green" marine precinct inside the port, is being driven by a consortium of companies, including Port Nelson Ltd, Challenge NZ Ltd, Kernohan Engineering Ltd and Unimar Ltd.