Brogan Bruce has officially been part of STACKIT for 12 years, but in fact his training started from birth. STACKIT is a family racking and shelving business, and like many Kiwis, Brogan grew up in a household where creativity and ingenuity ran strong. As a result, stepping into the family business, where innovation is a key driver, was a natural transition.

The way we work

Brogan says STACKIT’s values reflect the company’s origins as well as the team that work there. “Being a family organisation means our work reflects our personal values. We operate with high levels of trust and honesty because that’s just the way we are. I think our track record with customers shows the level of respect and trust that runs both ways.” says Brogan.  In addition, he explains the culture of the organisation is very much a testament to the people who work at STACKIT. “We’re all keen to challenge the status quo, look for ways to do things better, and value everyone’s ideas. This is one of the reasons we work so well with Brevity, we are aligned in our values and motivated by innovation.”

Adding Kiwi flair to international innovations

In 2016 Brogan and his father Quintin Bruce, visited Europe to investigate racking and shelving innovations in the European markets. They returned home with a vision to put their ideas into action and immediately reached out to Brevity to help out with the engineering required to create their plan.  Brevity were delighted to play a part in supporting the development of STACKIT’s Integrated Racking Structure (IRS). IRS essentially uses the racking structure as the support structure, providing cost savings and more efficient use of space. The design is especially popular with building yards, allowing the storage to be covered with a roof. STACKIT have also used IRS to construct their own purpose-built facility which includes an office area as well as storage capacity. STACKIT developed this product in collaboration with a range of Kiwi experts including Brevity, providing a unique product for the New Zealand market. 

Customer challenges are the basis of our innovation

Many of STACKIT’s racking and shelving innovations have emerged from their dedication to finding solutions for their clients. Brogan explains that finding bespoke solutions when clients are stuck is something that motivates everyone in the organisation. STACKIT’s concrete plinths are an example of this. “We had a client who wanted to install racking in a rental yard, but it made no sense to outlay significant investment in a concrete base that they would leave behind if they moved. We developed a prefabricated concrete plinth which provides the support needed for their storage arrangement, and can be moved from site to site if the company changes premises.” This product is now part of the STACKIT offering and meets the needs of a number of clients facing similar challenges.

Change creates opportunities

In considering the current marketplace, Brogan notes the environment for racking has changed significantly in the last 5-10 years.The level of engineering on jobs, even the smallest ones, has increased due to new regulations, the focus on health and safety and learnings from recent earthquakes. This change has increased the need for higher quality racking and a greater level of engineering and documentation to support it.

There are also a number of compounding factors that add to this. As land gets more expensive, the need for vertical storage increases. As racking is built higher, more strength and support is needed, adding to the amount of steel used and the concrete required as a structural base. These in turn require greater levels of design and engineering input. These factors continue to put pressure on pricing and resources, and are the driving factors behind STACKIT’s latest innovation, still in development. “We are always looking for better ways to solve problems,” explains Brogan. ”Currently we are working to design a system that avoids the spiral of increasing amounts of steel, concrete and weight and we’ve partnered with Brevity, along with a few other key experts, to bring the product to market. Watch this space!”.

Brevity has been a key partner to STACKIT for many years, united by a shared passion for engineering, ingenuity, and innovation. This collaboration has resulted in both organisations challenging themselves and each other to push the boundaries of innovation. Their ongoing partnership benefits both organisations, with both sides valuing the expertise, experience and integrity of the other.

 

Contact Us
racking and shelving