Meet James McLennan

from the war and started an engineering business. They were doing crushing and general engineering,

then moved into quarry work, crushing plants, conveyor systems, road compactors, all the sort of

work happening at the time. Then there was a meeting in the early 70s between my grandfather and a

fellow from America who built air bridges.

if it is entirely true, but it is a good story. The two of them were chatting and the American said, “We

are down here looking for someone to partner with and build airport bridges,” and my grandfather

said, “We have a place we can use and we can build steel things.” The first job we got was to build a

bridge in Auckland, and that was the kickoff of our partnership with an American company.

or something like that. We are getting up there. We have always been general engineers and enjoy

finding work that is interesting and different. We helped Wellington Airport put the Eagles up on the

roof and Golem.

an interest in engineering and had been coming to the workshop on weekends after school, cleaning

the floors and sorting out the nuts and bolts. It was dirty, it was noisy, and I loved it. What caught my

eye most was the team in the workshop. You could design something and watch it go right through to

the end of its life cycle and be installed. You could see something being dreamed up, turned into a

technical drawing, made on the shop floor, installed, and then used by other people. Seeing that full

journey was amazing.

years. After that I moved to Canterbury to study Mechanical Engineering for another two years, in

between playing rugby and drinking beer. It should have been longer, but I had had enough. I realised I

did not want my role to be in an office. I wanted to be involved with what was happening in the

workshop, from design right through to the product leaving.

then went to work for Industrial Mouldings down in Seaview. I helped set up their new plant and

stayed with them for a year. Julie and I then moved to the UK for two years and did the obligatory OE.

Workshop Manager.

and that all the supervisors are fully supported as well. I liaise between the designers, check that

drawings are reviewed properly, and make sure anything going out the door has passed quality

assurance. I also focus on the team on the ground, ensuring they are supported, looked after, and

happy with the work they are doing.

much more, and I still make a point of getting out and talking with everyone whenever I can. I still know

everyone’s name, which is important to me.

and if something has not been done, I copy it over to the next day. There is so much information

coming through now that if you miss one thing, the knock on effect for the team further down the line

can be significant. I would rather have everything sitting in front of me in the morning so I can look at

it and think, I need to get that done today, and then start prioritising my list.

reach an international stage, like an airport, and then spotting it on TV or in the media, it is a great

feeling to be able to say, “That’s done. We’ve done it.”

develop their careers. We try to make sure that if we take on an apprentice, it is not just to train them

as a welder or a machinist. We give them as much exposure as possible across the workshop, because

that is the kind of person I want to employ. Hopefully, after ten years of experience in mines or other

industries, they come back and say, “I want to live in Upper Hutt and work for J & D McLennan.”

would rule a margin across five pages, and that would be his record for the week. You would write

what you wanted to do in one color, usually blue or black, and keep the margin for red to note any

comments or updates. As soon as something was completed, you would mark it as done. It allowed

you to see exactly what had happened throughout the day and week.

always evolving. You also have to want to get up in the morning and go to work, it needs to be

something you are excited about.

mechanical engineering, business, CAD drafting, mechatronics, electronics, electrical, welding, CMC

work fitting, or in roles like stores and administration. There is a wide range of paths to explore.

continuing on to university, if that is your goal, is also important, as it requires years of study and

commitment.

impact on my career.

good start, followed by watching local footy on the weekend. I also value family time, even though the

kids are older now and are busy doing their own things.

see that we are still growing, which is exciting, and that makes me want to stick around and see what’s

next for us.

Beccy