5AM: My cycle trip from my home in the Christchurch hillside suburb of Westmoreland isn’t a patch on the 50 kilometres I clock up on the weekend. It’s chilly in the morning, and there’s a point where I drop down the hill and the temperature plummets. I’m training for the Blue Dog Mountain Bike Race, an annual event for Terra’s Christchurch team. I’m also entering the Hawea Epic race in 2023 as a solo competitor. We’ll circumnavigate Lake Hawea, near Wanaka, climbing 2500 vertical meters over 125 kilometres. 7AM: It’s convenient that work provides showers, so I’m at my desk fresh and ready by 7am. Lyttleton Port Company called me last night about an alert on a generator, and I fired off a few emails there and then. I was hoping we’d get a jump on the day to fix the issue and by 6.50am, our Christchurch service team had already phoned the port company and had a technician lined up to head over and take a look. 7.30AM: We’re working on the Scott Base Redevelopment project in Antarctica, designing their new generator set-up. There’s a lot to fit into the generator room, and that’s just one of the challenges to overcome. It’s remote and cold, and if I get it wrong, it’s a long way to go to fix it! We’re looking at the engine’s cooling system and exploring the best solution to redirect the engine-generated heat into their hot water system. While my title says sales, that’s only a tiny part of the job. I started as a diesel mechanic, and I love the design and technical considerations each project provides. Clients come to us for project guidance, which isn’t limited to the generator itself. We need to understand all the associated systems so that when the generator goes in, it works well. I need to understand electrical and mechanical engineering, Council and hazardous substance regulations, and fuel systems to do my job. I’ve been with Terra for eight years now, and the challenge is what keeps me here. 10AM: I’ve got an online meeting at 10.30am with the Northwood Ryman Healthcare team. I’m meeting with their Building Services Manager and the Architectural design lead for another Ryman Healthcare site here in Christchurch. Sound is the issue here, and there’s much to consider as we review the room layout. We are working towards reducing the sound level to meet Council requirements and not to expose neighbouring properties to noise pollution when the generator operates under full load. The tricky thing with this site is that there are buildings in the way that might cause reflective noise issues. We’ll need to plan around this to develop a quality solution that the customer values. Once the meeting is over, I get back to work in the office, clarifying any points I couldn’t answer on the spot and making follow-up phone calls. It’s great to know that my ventilator will continue if I ever end up in a Ryman retirement village hospital and the power goes out. I’ll just have to hold my breath for 10 seconds while the engine starts!
12.30PM: Lunch consists of rice and smoked tuna – yummy! I’m generally at work for lunch but sometimes out with customers. 1.30PM: I’m heading out to an interesting – and as always challenging – project for Christchurch City Council with water the issue this time. Horseshoe Lake pump station provides land drainage and flood protection to the nearby area by pumping water from the lake into the Avon River during storms. We’re supplying a marine engine for this application, with the keel cooler option requested. Having the pumped water flow over the cooler means the site can keep pumping flood water if there’s a power cut. We’re due to test the motor next week, so this is a final visit with the Project Manager from Seipp Construction before this milestone to check everything is on track and answer questions. 3PM: The phone rings, and it’s Galbraith’s, a local engineering company needing a couple of engines for a fire pump application. We’ve just finished working with them on a similar project for Christchurch’s new Te Pae Convention centre. This call is excellent as I need to keep finding new business but can easily spend most of my time on existing projects. I work on our large projects, and from when someone first calls us, it’s often two or three years until the project is completed. But today, there’s a quick turnaround. The engines they want are in stock but will need some additional parts. The machine will also need modifying to meet fire pump regulations. We’ll need to build the cost sheet, and then my colleague Natasha will create the quote before she books the job with our Christchurch branch. We can get this done within three days, and, as always, I’m proud of our quick turnaround time and grateful to Natasha for her help.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF STEVE LAWSON
With energy to burn, hopping on a bike at 5am and biking 30 kilometres to and from work, it seems fitting that Sales Consultant Steve Lawson works for Terra Power Systems.
4.30PM: Work finishes when the work is done; it varies. But just because I’m not in the office, that doesn’t mean the work stops. Customers call whenever they can, so I’m always ready and available to talk. The emails and technical data requests also keep coming, but I’ve got through everything urgent, so it’s time to jump back on my bike and head home. The bike ride home gives me some quiet time before returning to my two young kids. My wife and I often spend the evenings taking them to extracurricular activities like gymnastics or cubs, but tonight is free, and it might be an early one!
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