If you are talking trucks especially those that require a waste tank or a hydro excavator then you should be talking with Dan of Danz Engineering. He knows his stuff and is passionate about designing and manufacturing in New Zealand for New Zealand (that said he can deliver trucks overseas!)
Growing up in a family owned liquid waste trucking business, Tankman, Dan has pretty much been in the business of trucks his whole life. Gaining a trade in engineering just made him an expert in how build these specialty vehicles that do the hard yards around the country.
“From the chassis up” as Dan says, Danz Engineering produce specialised tanks, hydraulic, pumping, flushing and excavation systems for these hard working vehicles.
Beginning back in 2008 from a shed at home Dan began his business with maintenance contracting for waste trucks and then began building them - Taking the step from the home shed operation to the large site in Greerton Dan had the attitude “Goldfish - grow as big as their bowl”….and of course applied this analogy to his business and the operation grew.
Fast forward to 2024 and you will find two sites in Greerton. One housing the engineering operation where they manufacture purpose built tanks for waste and excavation trucks, maintain and service fleet needs for clients, and a second site where they solely focus on the assembly of the trucks meaning the larger workshop can focus on production and maintenance.
Dan moved to Grace team about 2/12 years ago after chatting with a friend from Supacrete who referred him. “I was tired of hearing from my accountant once a year and always a year too late. I wanted to have my finger on the pulse and you can’t do that after the fact. Moving to Grace Team was a game changer”, says Dan.
Dan and his trusty admin extraordinaire, Lynne attend regular quarterly coaching with Grace Team. “It’s accountability but not in that “teacher” kind of way…more of a sounding board - you turn up knowing you have a list you need to respond to and it works for us. We stay motivated and it gives energy and sets timeframes to the business improvements”.
“The progress and prioritising is key - and the affirmation we’re on the right track. It’s keeping focus where it counts and also knowing that if you are thinking of doing something it has the numbers behind it”.
“We’ve made some significant changes from adding the second site which helps improve our capacity for work to back costing jobs so we are working with the real figures. I’m a perfectionist so nothing goes out the door without scrutiny and knowing the extra time this takes, makes me think about how to improve efficiencies without compromising on the result. Smarter not harder” says Dan.
“Another notable change is having our taxes in order. We’re ahead of the game not behind it and trying to crystal ball gaze”.
“Looking ahead to the future - we’re expanding the operation with our own in house CAD design ability now as a resource and a truck rental and leasing service - we are now renting trucks out so when a fleet has an issue we can provide an interim measure that works in this specialised field”.
We’ve implemented ongoing maintenance programs “we don’t just hand over a vehicle these days. We also ensure it has a full maintenance schedule and a “how to” for day to day use.
“We’re investing in our team too. I’m a firm believer in designing and building in New Zealand for New Zealand and that starts with the team right through from apprenticeships to performance standards”.
If you are looking for support with business planning and strategy then talk with us at Grace Team Accounting on 07 578 5416.
Comments