Christened Morris Elmes, I'm better known as Mick and primarily a mechanical engineer.

An apprenticeship in a maritime (on-shore and floating) maintenance workshop came first, then I went on to the toolmaking facility at a domestic appliance manufacturer. During that time, I attained NZCE (Mechanical) and became a heavy engineering estimator.

After a few years, a partner and I started a business mass producing low cost, domestic outbuildings called Ideal Garages Ltd.

Firstly as a hobby, I learned to design keel yachts and then built them for a living. It seemed like a good thing to do, and it was…for about 15 years anyhow. But a peculiarly draconian piece of legislative short-sightedness, called a Luxury Tax brought that little enterprise, and a lot of the New Zealand boat building industry to a sudden halt. Ironically, as I write, it is the year 2000, New Zealand has just become the first country outside of the United States, to successfully defend the America's Cup. It was thrilling for us...and educational, to witness some of the attendant affluence. Times change.

When my business disappeared I returned to engineering. I had a family to support.

For the latter years, I enjoyed a business development role, in the stainless steel fabrication industry, with a particular focus on export sales and marketing.

During this time and because there was no appropriate, existing software, I developed some Excel spreadsheets to combine the basic design and the quoting of custom built stainless steel tanks, spanning a range of sizes and configurations.  Tank-Genii is now one of my interests. I maintain and make it available to fabricators, design engineers, project managers and the end-user industries.

Formulae that analyse production manhours and material costs, when integrated with the financial arithmetic of business and presented through a meaningful interface, make very powerful management tools. They give an instantaneous overview and simplify what-if scenarios. So I also do this for other manufacturing businesses. Please check out the Services page.

I like designing houses too. Designed and built the only houses I've ever lived in, although 'er-in-doors had a few complaints about the architect from time to time.

A rather varied career path?  Well...not really a career path, more like heeling to the winds.