He’s a local legend who quietly without fuss makes a difference in his community, at work, and at his beloved sports club.
How long have you lived in East Auckland?
In Bucklands Beach from the age of seven till 21, then Pakuranga for about 10 years and Howick/Botany ever since.
What career or profession have you pursued?
Electrician by trade, now director of Trilect Services, Trilect Automation, and Trilect Solar. Now instead of pliers and screwdriver, my tools are a computer and team morale.
Trilect is an electrical-based company specialising in gate automation, access control, security, and solar. With solar, we range from domestic installations to commercial and grid scale systems. We have a team of more than 80; 60 vans on the road. No job is too small or big. We gravitate towards the larger, harder jobs most sparkies won’t touch. We have the manpower and civil ability to do grid-scale solar or oversized large commercial security gates. We don’t just wire them up, we do all the groundworks, concreting, civil, gate manufacturing, installation, commissioning and servicing.
Our team breaks the myth that sparkies don’t lift anything heavier than their wallets. We’re commissioning our first 4-megawatt solar project and hoping to have it live soon. To put this to scale, that’s six hectares of panels, or about 500 residential homes of solar.
Have there been any important mentors in your life?
Always. Mentors and coaches are critical for growth. You find when you start you go for the smaller and cheaper coaches, but soon outgrow them and go for bigger, better and more expensive coaches that assist in our business. Mainly in avenues of having our business to be scalable so processes and procedures are robust enough to expand when we’re ready. All coaches served their purpose and helped our company grow, critical to help understand the pitfalls you otherwise would not learn quickly.
What does the Howick Hornets Rugby League Club mean to you?
Rugby league and any sport is all about the community and relates very closely to business. You learn to deal with a wide variety of people. You practice on your weaknesses to become better, and always know there’s someone out there better than you. You may be the best tackler, but there’s always someone who can run faster or step you better. You learn to take defeat humbly, and importantly, you have to do it as a team to succeed.
The Howick Hornets is my home away from home. When you’re on the field you think about nothing but playing league. You don’t think about work or mowing lawns. You don’t worry about anything, except the person in front of you that must be tackled.
What are your roles with the club?
Club captain, bar manager, but my largest job is the kitchen. The dedicated committee cook and I feed about 90 people every weekend. We strive to be the best club in Auckland. The way we can do this is to be the best host, therefore putting on the best food. Over the years I’d describe my long-term role as GDB (general dog’s body) and do anything needing to be done.
Are there other sports you play or follow?
Many, including twilight cricket at Pakuranga, and golf at Howick Golf Club, but prefer rugby league because I like the physical side and it keeps me fit.
Have you favourite places in East Auckland?
That’s easy, Howick Hornets Rugby League Club, followed closely by Musick Point and Howick township nightlife.
What was the best day of your life?
Hard to say, but 2018 was the best year. We landed some large contracts for work, had some great holidays, and played for the Kiwis in Masters rugby league.
What’s on your bucket list?
I’m not really a petrolhead but I’d love a Holden Torana SLR5000 one day, or maybe a hole in one at golf before my father, just to drive him crazy.
Who do you see as needing help in our community?
Smaller clubs really struggle. Trilect does our best to support local clubs and schools and have for many years. We appreciate they just don’t get enough funds or resources. Clubs are full of volunteers and most have full-time jobs, family commitments and children’s sports.
These people give up a further 10 to 25 hours of their week for their clubs. It would be good to see more awareness for these people as they get taken for granted at times. We’re just one club, but the other 50 in Howick will be in the same position. Without better recognition, volunteers burn out. Their efforts make their clubs awesome and should be appreciated. If you’re part of a club and presently not helping, I challenge you to go in and assist, to reduce the load on someone else.
What makes Trilect great?
The people. Without the people we have nothing. We need a great team that understands the customers are paying our wages, so we need to look after them.
