A day in the life of… Quinten Oliver

Being the owner and producer of Metal Creations, I play a very integral role in all aspects of the business and maintain a watchful eye on all areas to ensure that consistent productivity and exceptional quality is maintained at all times. These days though, I also have a dedicated eye watching me, in my wife and partner, Tara, who thankfully, even in hard times, keeps me motivated!

What would you say a day in your life consists of?

We work industrial hours, so MC is open from 07:30 – 17:30 daily (except Fridays of course), but my cell phone rings for business at odd (and late) hours almost 24/7, and we always try to accommodate all clients despite the hour, so we are not your average 8-5.

I start my morning with a cup of coffee (and sometimes early risers looking for a quote) and then it’s down to the factory to open up shop for the staff. A debriefing takes place and we plan the day ahead, and/or ready the bakkie to head to site.

Then it’s back to the office and Tara and I go through all the e-mails and correspondence received.

It’s then a good couple of hours of quoting and compiling sketches.

While Tara handles all the admin and sending off of the quotations and supporting documents for current and potential clients and dealing with accounts, I continue with ordering materials and dealing with suppliers.

The rest of the day involves seeing clients, measuring up, quoting and overseeing work on site and/or maintaining site work myself, picking up materials and supplies, and delivering completed commissions for galvanising and powder coating.

After a full day it’s back to the office to work on more quotes, evaluating current jobs and marketing strategies, and the next day that lies ahead.

What is the best thing about the work that you do?

The satisfaction we get from clients after a job well done! And when they are eager to refer us to everyone they know thereafter.

And the worst?

When clients call me to do a quote, take someone else’s work because it is ridiculously cheap, and a few months or years later call me back to repair and sometimes replace what was a bad job to begin with. Basically other guys in the industry that under perform and under supply on materials and provide poor quality workmanship – bad for business and the industry.

What makes you passionate about your work and projects?

No two commissions are the same!

The creativity that goes into each job and knowing that our hard work has paid off when we see how happy the client is.

Who inspires you?

My wife... obviously ;)

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be involved in your line of work?

First and foremost, make sure that you have the technical training and experience in the engineering industry. Furthermore, some sound business savvy and a lot of self motivation and drive goes a long way, and be prepared to work long, hard hours and get your hands dirty. Create and maintain good relationships with suppliers and service providers. And finally, surround yourself with people that know what they are doing.