b'A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWNRight: New 11,000sqm D&H Steel workshop under construction at Mihini Road, Henderson.Below: Graeme Stubbing.Paint shop evolution rugby league player. I used to wander into theblasting booth in the paint shop. It is small for workshop and talk to Jake, Joey, Laurie and thethe amount of steel that D&H puts through.In the early 1990s, Graeme Stubbing beganLeefe boys; they were all league players as well.But because they shot blast the steel before they working for Speedfloor, the welded bar joist floorHe remembers coming up against a formidablefabricate it, they dont need to blast everything system. Mike Sullivans interest in the nascentJake Faafua on the field in their younger days afterwards, says Graeme.company began shortly after he had bought intoGraeme came off second best.In addition to his expertise in the blasting D&H Steel. D&Hs location in Span Farm becameWith the paint operation at Span Farmand painting sphere, Graeme made another head office and it was from there that Graemerunning smoothly, Graeme went on to focus onsignificant contribution to D&Hit was Graeme managed Speedfloors day-to-day operations. Speedfloor. But he was tapped on the shoulderwho recommended Wayne Carson to Mike It wasnt long before Graeme, an engineer,once more, many years later when the new D&HSullivan. Graeme and Wayne first met at Steltech was drawn into helping D&H. The local councilSteel plant in Henderson was being established.in the late 1980s. When Wayne had concluded a was insisting the company install a blast boothI was asked to oversee the building of theprevious business venture and was lookingto contain all of the particulates produced aspainting and blasting booth, says Graeme. for his next opportunity, Graeme convincedpart of its outdoor operation. Graeme and MikeThe paint shop in Henderson is unusual, Mike that they had to find a hole for Wayne. designed the solution and, aided by Dave Drollthe explains. It features a downdraft instead of aThe rest is history.and foreman Arthur Backhouse-Smith, built andtypical side-draft. Six axial fans on the roof suck commissioned it.all the paint-laden air and particulates down Dave, Arthur and I went to this place inthrough filtered grills in the floor and then expel Penrose to pick up a second-hand fan and dustthe cleaned air out through the roof. The paint collector, and we installed it at Span Farm,goes down instead of sideways, so they are able remembers Graeme. He oversaw the paintto paint in the middle of the factory, just metres shop operation and implemented variousaway from where they are welding.improvements until it was running seamlessly.At D&H, shot blasting occurs using a All the while he was working on the Speedfloorwheelabrator before the steel is fabricated, business too. I was working my butt off. welded and painted. It means that D&HBy coincidence, Graeme was anothercan operate a relatively small, abrasive 86'