Metal Art is a Seaview-based engineering company that originally earned its reputation through the design and manufacture of architectural metal furniture.

Within little more than a week into lockdown, the company’s 15 staff had come up with a new product line, designed and produced prototypes and were ready to ship the first of 500 hand sanitiser stands to a supermarket chain and other customers. Other orders are in the pipeline.

Managing Director Carl Longstaff is quietly confident the new products will continue to see strong demand, by companies, government departments and organisations dealing with the public face-to-face, once lockdown ends.

“We’ve always had the objective of being a nimble company, cross-training staff across a range of engineering techniques and materials and that’s now paying off. I really can’t rate my staff highly enough.”

He says the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2008 taught Metal Art some valuable lessons. Again, the company was able to adapt, it acquired another company, quadrupled its product range and came out of the GFC stronger than before.

“So in these situations, it really helps to keep a focus on that light at the end of the tunnel,” Carl says.

Petone-based Hills Hats is another company that moved rapidly to adjust to the new environment.

Chief Executive Simon Smuts-Kennedy took an early interest in the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Before there was any suggestion of a lockdown in New Zealand, the company reviewed and upgraded its health and hygiene processes and went to work on a new product line.

Demand for the new range of stylish and reusable protective face masks was instant with health workers, trades people and others, including one of the company’s US retail chain clients.

Some 450 masks were produced and sold in the three days before lockdown. Production halted as Simon struggled unsuccessfully to get Hills Hats registered as an essential service. Another 500 masks are ready to ship once lockdown ends and around 2000 are sitting on the production line.

Simon says the company is ready to ramp-up production once he has a clearer view of how the market is evolving.

With our heightened understanding of infection risk, he believes the potential long-term demand is “massive”.

“But the question at this point is how to get to the market place. I won’t be giving up. Like any crisis, there are so many opportunities that will come from this.”

Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Hutt City and Upper Hutt councils have joined forces to provide support for local businesses and to foster a businesses supporting businesses approach to the crisis.

Chamber Chief Executive Helen Down says the partnership is a great example of local government and the private sector rapidly and effectively working together – a result of early relationship building between the sectors.

“What’s also emerging – and I’ve been aware of this for some time – is the astounding ability of Hutt Valley businesses to adapt and to rapidly change direction in response to demand – in this case to Covid-19.