Whether supplying standard parts to major construction projects, or adding a specialist order, Steel & Tube’s export team runs a busy ‘one-stop shop’, supplying a flexible range of product to customers across the Pacific Island region.
A high regional demand for quality steel products means that the export team plays a vital role in Steel & Tube’s business. ‘We market mainly to the Pacific Islands,’ says Export Sales Manager Stephen Arnet, who has spent 30 years exporting goods from New Zealand, five of them with Steel & Tube. His teammate, Customer Experience Consultant Pesi Malaeimi, has eight years’ experience at Steel & Tube. Together, Stephen and Pesi offer unbeatable experience in export trading.
Photo: Stephen Arnet & Pesi Malaeimi
Exporting for projects and stockists
Their top export products include steel reinforcing, fasteners, stainless steel and structural steel, as well as project-specific items – for example, Shell-approved pipe for energy projects.
Many of the islands recovered well from the previous years of Covid, with an uptick to tourism also, and there are big infrastructure projects under way, often with overseas funding.
‘We manufacture the ComFlor® decking system under licence in New Zealand, and have supplied it for use in, for instance, the 18-storey MHCC shopping centre tower in downtown Suva, and we have supplied ComFlor to the Hilton Garden Inn, that is due to be completed in May 2025. We have recently supplied a number of Latter-Day Saints Temples in the Pacific.’
Other key clients include heating, ventilation and air-conditioning fabricators, as well as steel stockists. ‘Since the start of export, some of the largest building hardware companies have been buying through us.’ More recently, adds Stephen, Steel & Tube has begun stocking aluminium plate, ‘so we’re building awareness around that product’.
Photo: Vanuatu Building
Best range of valued products
Our growing range is part of our approach to make it easy for clients to procure their key steel products through one provider. ‘We often deliver specialist product – which might be, for instance, a container-load of gabion baskets,’ says Stephen. As an additional service, Stephen and Pesi may also coordinate specialist requirements, such as getting steel hot-dip galvanised. And with Steel & Tube’s IANZ-accredited testing lab up and running in Auckland, they can be sure of meeting international quality standards and regulations.
Logistics part of the key to success
With product being sent from New Zealand every week, a large portion of the export work is managing the logistics, ensuring customer shipments are received on time and as expected. Shipping schedules dictate lead times, with some markets having only one vessel sailing every two to three months. If a vessel is missed it can cause critical delays in projects.
We mitigate any delays by helping our customers plan well ahead: they tell us what they need, and we strive to achieve their expectations.
Air freight has grown over the last five years into markets where a service is available, offering quicker delivery times for time critical projects; in some cases, it’s now more cost-effective than sea freight especially for smaller volumes (up to 100 kilograms, for instance).
Photo: Vanuatu Building
Building relationships
With the need for such close partnerships with clients, the export team regularly visits the islands to build relationships. ‘I’ll meet with construction engineers, fabricators, and other clients. After that, of course, we stay in touch with email and phone – but that personal contact is vital. You feel like you’re really making a difference in these markets, and it’s rewarding seeing how our steel ends up being used.’