Remodelled, innovative and evolving with the times; respected West Coast firm Liddell Contracting is busier than ever, enjoying a diverse range of projects around the Coast and throughout the South Island.
Established in 1992 by Graham Liddell, the company cut its teeth working on projects like the Otira Viaduct doing civil and general engineering throughout that project. Over the last 26 years Graham and his team have built a reputation for thinking outside the square.
“We are well known for coming up with a unique fix for problems that get thrown at us,” says Anna Liddell, the company’s operations manager.
“When it goes into the ‘too hard basket’ we come up with a way to make it work – and that’s very much what the business has got its name for – that innovative ‘design and build’ work.”
Employing a team of 21, including certified welders, fabricators, crane operators, civil crew and apprentices, Liddell Contracting provides general engineering fabrication work of any scale, civil construction, crane hire along with a blast and paint service.
An in-house drafting and design team completes the company’s one-stop-shop from design to fabrication to coating to installation.
“We have an incredible crew that’s well known for getting stuck in and getting the job done, resulting in a lot of return work. On average most staff have been with us for 8 years or more.”
Last year the business relocated to new premises behind the new Kaiata Industrial Park, just five minutes from Greymouth and more suited to their current operation.
Anna says that being a highly diverse business the company is constantly evolving and adapting to the range and type of work available – evolving to match the changing fortunes of the Coast.
“You have to keep your business fresh for what ever is happening. We made a commitment to stay on the Coast, remodeling and restructuring our operation for the different types of business opportunities now available, to create a sustainable business model going forward.”
Now predominantly sub-contracting, Anna says the huge variety of work includes bridges, new commercial buildings and plant, guardrails and repairs, farm bridges, cycle lane bridges and building extensions.
“A while ago we designed and built a processing plant for hazardous goods that cannot come into human contact.
“Currently we are working on a large extension for Bidfood NZ and as part of that we’ve designed a new racking system. The scale of what we do is very diverse.”
With experience repairing and strengthening old rail bridges around the Coast, Liddell Contracting is also working on the historic Mahinapua Rail Bridge, just south of Hokitika. “We’re repairing the structure but then we are going on to add a walkway bridge on to it.
“Over the last three years we have repaired, reconditioned and strengthened a lot of these old bridges for the West Coast Wilderness Trail, ensuring they still look original.”
On a more contemporary note, the busy company recently completed the structural steel work for the NPD Fuel Station in Hokitika and is just finishing up the BP2Go Service Station in Greymouth.
“There is still life on the Coast and it’s busy and booming,” says Anna. “And we’re a big part of it.”
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The range of work undertaken by Liddell Contracting includes bridges, new commercial buildings and plant, guardrails and
repairs, farm bridges, cycle lane bridges and building extensions.
