Our journey
1986
In late 1986 Steve Blackman and Wayne Gyde launched as Plant and Platform focusing on Mechanical and Civil Structural Engineering. Their early work involved large heat exchangers (the size of buses) and a stainless-steel clad wastewater surge drum.
Their first major project was the Urea Formaldehyde Resin Plant, now known as AICA. We also developed a mechanism for extracting tube bundles from Belleli heat exchangers in the MTG section of the NZ Synthetic Fuels Plant.
1987
In 1987 Plant and Platform Consultants Ltd was registered, starting out of Wayne’s basement, affectionately called “the suitcase”.
Soon after, they subleased the 4th floor of the Atkinson building from the Ministry of Works, growing the team to 10-15 staff. The company worked on various projects, including the pipelines from Waihapa to New Plymouth, and even entered the Birdman competition at New Plymouth Wharf with a polystyrene biplane!
1990s
In the 1990s Plant and Platform Consultants expanded rapidly, securing contracts with STOS and Petrocorp, growing to 39 full-time staff. Notable projects included the pre-assembly of the Tasman digester vessel for Fitzroy Engineering at Murupara, which was transported to the Kawerau Mill; an integrated deck study for Maui B; free-fall lifeboat installation for Maui A; and the Challenge tank farm in New Plymouth.
The team also worked on a coal handling plant for Glencoal and reclaimed conveyors for Tasman Pulp & Paper.
2000s
In the 2000s Plant and Platform Consultants grew to around 100 staff and expanded to occupy two floors in the Atkinson Building. Coming off the successful Rimu Development with Swift Energy, the company also had a small team in Brisbane working on coal seam gas projects with Westside in North Queensland.
Notable projects included a joint venture in Qatar with Doha Petroleum, where they had an office of 8 staff with design capabilities; the Origin tank farm in New Plymouth for the Kupe project; and both a temporary and permanent fix for a pipeline washed off the Pohangina Bridge during floods.
After 33 years
in the same office Plant & Platform Consultants relocated to a new location across town (Gill St) and rebranded as P&P Engineering Consultants.
