Momentum Fabrication: A steel fabricator that goes above and beyond

When it comes to steel fabrication, often the quality of the end product depends on the quality of the service. And in this particular industry, the service itself encompasses a vast range of individual facets that come together to form a cohesive offering.

Steel fabrication in New Zealand is an industry that has a lot of players – to distinguish yourself as a leader in the sector, the service needs to be top notch. Often this means leveraging cutting edge technology, like CAD software, CNC plasma cutting capabilities, 3D printing and more. It means having a diverse range of products, from structural steel to architectural metalwork to CNC milling.

These are the obvious, physical aspects, but no less important are the ‘intangibles’ – the values a company holds and the way the business conducts itself. Momentum Fabrication, a young steel fabricator from Henderson, is a new entrant to the industry – but Co-Director Aida Rasmussen believes that it embodies all these values and more.

“We pride ourselves in going above and beyond for our clients, our excellent customer service and our wealth of design experience,” says Aida. “We’ve been in business since 2021, so it’s early days – but Sean has 15 years of fabrication experience, and this knowledge is crucial to our success.”

Sean Rasmussen is Aida’s partner, and is the Co-Director of Momentum Fabrication.

“He’s done everything from structural steel, sheet metal fabrication, robotic welding to marine fabrication,” continues Aida. “He was also the Technical Services Manager at Massey University for 6 years and has project management, management and CAD experience.

“Meanwhile I have a MSc in physics and a background in business development and education, so with our combined expertise we believe we’re really well-placed in the industry.”

Technology is one of the most important contributing factors to the company’s success. Momentum Fabrication has only been in business for two years, but it’s quickly found its footing in no small part due to its investment in quality fabrication tech.

“We offer a range of capabilities and our passion is innovation,” says Aida. “This includes CAD software, CNC plasma cutting capabilities, 3D printing and other key technologies. We also have close ties to a number of industry partners and universities, and can leverage these when needed, to ensure our clients needs are met.”

It’s these kinds of capabilities that allow the company to go beyond bog-standard steel fabrication. “We pride ourselves in going above and beyond for our clients, our excellent customer service and our wealth of design experience,” says Aida. “We also really enjoy the tricky jobs and have robust organisational and project management skills.”

These skills need to be applied across not just residential, but also commercial and industrial projects: Momentum Fabrication has seen success delivering for clients across all these sectors. But despite each sector’s stark differences, Aida says the team’s main focus and strategy remains the same.

“We believe the basics are the same and every successful project rests on good planning and communication,” she says. “Our residential projects tend to need a bit more design input, flexibility and are often bespoke. In terms of industrial and commercial projects, we find that stricter scheduling and organisation tend to help things run smoothly.”

Maintaining quality communication and planning across all projects is just one of the key focuses of Momentum Fabrication – another is an adherence to tikanga Māori.

“Sean is Ngāti Porou and his lived experience informs our business practices,” says Aida. “Our personal values form the foundation of our business and are at the root of all our professional relationships. Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are very important to us and govern the relationships we form with our staff and clients.

“We found early on that respect for others, hospitality and good communication will get you far in business and in life. We believe having mana and respecting other people's mana is of paramount importance and place our people above all else.”

Learn more about Momentum Fabrication and its services.