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.

"These last few months have been about priming ourselves for future growth. We've been busy with a great list of management tasks:

• ensuring systems and resources are in place
• ensuring our health and safety system is robust
• implementing a skills matrix
• developing career paths for our people
• undertaking leadership training for our future supervisors
• enhancing quality systems
• introducing a new accounting system
• forming strategic alliances
• recruiting key management positions

"Our plan to grow Reliance is simple. We intend to build further on our strengths, focus on growth industries, invest in plant and equipment, and partner with companies that will give us a competetive advantage."

"I am really excited to be here. There is huge potential for this businesss, and I have great confidence in the skills of the team and the quality of our work. Things are looking good for the years ahead."

Projects:

• We have been working on pipe work for the Stockton mines on the West Coast
• We've recently won the contract for the mechanical upgrade of the waste-water treatment plant at Bell's Island, Richmond.