Frequent trips to Wanganui Airport to watch his partner Jeannie Lacey take flying lessons led Wanganui electrician Greg Mallett to find the perfect location for both their businesses - the empty JAAG Aviation Building.
The pair moved their businesses from sites in the city out to the airport during the summer.
They renamed the building JAG, standing for Jeannie and Greg.
It was vacated by JAAG early last year when that business went into liquidation. Wanganui District Council has not been able to recover its $21,000 of owed rent.
The building and development were put together and paid for by the council using $292,000 from its City Endowment Fund. A 240sq m workshop there suits Mr Mallett's company MELtech Automation.
The offices and reception work well for business FOCUS, the company of Miss Lacey, an accountant.
Mr Mallett is in the process of buying the building, and will continue to lease the land it stands on from the council.
He is an electrician who got his first experience with automation in the late 1980s, when asked to fix equipment at the council's Beach Rd sewage pumping station.
He "burned the midnight oil" learning how to do so, and went on to become the local expert in that and other automated controllers of council processes.
He and his staff look after the automation and maintenance of the council's water, wastewater, soft water treatment plant, communication and Splash Centre systems.
During the 2009 winter the Splash Centre swimming pool complex had to be closed at times when pool temperatures could not be maintained during cold weather.
MELtech came to the rescue with an "interim fix", including providing technical support to the design engineers - LHTDesign, from Hastings.
The result was exceptional performance throughout the following winter, with no closures or disruptions - another solution of which Mr Mallett is proud.
MELtech also handles security and automatic gate systems and gives advice, and Mr Mallett has just finished an EcoSmart Company Accreditation that will allow him to do energy audits and provide solutions for homes and businesses.
Miss Lacey provides administrative and accounting support part-time, spending the remainder of her time working in her own business.
The JAG Building is working well for the whole team.
