Steele Engineering & Design

What Steele Engineering & Design does

Steele Engineering & Design is a privately held, New Zealand-based mechanical engineering and product design consultancy founded in 2017 and operated from Eltham. The firm is led by two co-directors: Mark Carter, a Director and Senior Mechanical Engineer with close to 20 years of industry experience specializing in mechanical and machine design, product design, and automation, and Teresa Carter, a Co-director and Product Design Engineer with over 12 years of experience across design and engineering industries. Together, the two cover the full product development lifecycle for external clients, from initial concept drawings through to manufacturing facilitation and tooling liaison.

The consultancy's core offering is a suite of professional services rather than a productized software platform. Deliverables include 3D modelling, SolidWorks-based CAD design, product design, machine design, engineering drawing, structural design and analysis, prototype facilitation, and tool-making liaison. Underlying technology is SolidWorks CAD/CAM and simulation software, applied to a portfolio of completed work spanning specialized enclosures, automotive pedal assemblies, submersible cameras, glass-fibre fire equipment cabinets, offshore cargo baskets, and automated manufacturing equipment (lines, flip stations, track stations, and candle manufacturing machines). The firm is regionally focused, serving clients throughout New Zealand on a project-based, quote-driven basis with no publicly disclosed pricing or recurring subscription model.

The business model is straightforward professional services consulting: clients engage via the company website contact form, scope a project, and receive bespoke engineering deliverables. Customer acquisition is direct and sales-led, with no identified marketing channels beyond the WordPress-hosted website and its contact form. The only published customer reference is Outpost Central, an electronics/IoT company whose custom three-part injection-moulded enclosure (re-modelled by Steele) has supported 25,000+ units over four years. No external funding, partnerships, subsidiaries, or ownership changes are disclosed, and the firm appears to be bootstrapped and founder-operated.

Name

Steele Engineering & Design

Legal name

Steele Engineering & Design

Website

https://steele-design.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steele Engineering & Design is a New Zealand-based mechanical engineering and product design consultancy serving clients nationwide with 3D modelling, SolidWorks CAD, machine design, prototype facilitation, and tool-making liaison services, led by two co-directors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mechanical Engineering Design Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAIAJ

Product Design & Mechanical Engineering Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Engineering & Technical Consulting

SECONDARYEDAOAGAG

Industrial CAD/CAM for Manufacturing

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Manufacturing, Machining & Industrial Technology

Keywords

• Mechanical engineering consulting
• Product design services
• CAD modelling
• Machine design
• Prototype development

Headquarters

HQ city

Eltham

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Project-based consulting fees for engineering design, analysis, and development services from concept through to manufacturing facilitation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Steele Engineering & Design is a New Zealand-based engineering and design consultancy that delivers mechanical engineering and product design services across the full product development lifecycle. The firm provides 3D modelling, SolidWorks-based CAD design, product design, machine design, engineering drawing, structural design and analysis, prototype facilitation, and tool-making liaison, taking clients from initial concept drawings through to manufacturing-ready designs.

Product overview

Steele Engineering & Design is a New Zealand-based engineering and design consultancy offering a comprehensive suite of services spanning the full product development lifecycle from initial concept through to manufacturing. The company provides individual services including 3D Modelling, SolidWorks CAD design, Product Design, Machine Design, Engineering Drawing, Prototype Facilitation, and Tool-making Liaison, which work together to deliver complete development support. Their portfolio includes specialized enclosures, automotive components, submersible cameras, fire equipment cabinets, offshore structures, and automated manufacturing equipment. The consultancy is led by Mark Carter (Director, Mechanical & Machine Design) and Teresa Carter (Co-director, Product Design Engineer), serving clients from concept through to final production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 3D Modelling Services 3D modelling services for product development and visualization, enabling clients to see virtual representations of products before physical prototyping. Targeted at manufacturers and product developers requiring engineering design support.
• SolidWorks CAD Design CAD design and modelling services using SolidWorks software for mechanical engineering, part design, and assembly modelling. Targeted at businesses requiring precise computer-aided design for mechanical components and assemblies.
• Product Design End-to-end product design services from concept to production-ready designs, balancing form and function for market-ready products. Targeted at inventors and businesses bringing new products to market.
• Machine Design Custom machine design services including automated manufacturing equipment, industrial machinery, and specialized mechanical systems. Targeted at manufacturing companies requiring automation and bespoke machinery.
• Engineering Drawing Detailed engineering drawings and technical documentation for manufacturing, compliance, and assembly purposes. Targeted at manufacturers and engineering firms requiring formal technical drawings.
• Prototype Facilitation Coordination and management of prototype development, connecting clients with manufacturing partners to bring designs to physical reality. Targeted at clients needing a bridge between design and physical production.
• Tool-making Liaison Coordination with toolmakers and manufacturers to ensure designs are optimized for production tooling and injection moulding. Targeted at clients preparing designs for high-volume manufacturing.
• Structural Design & Analysis Structural engineering design and analysis services for load-bearing components, offshore structures, and industrial applications. Targeted at industrial and offshore clients requiring structural integrity assurance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000+ units produced from re-modelled custom electronics enclosure over 4 years

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services consultancy with engineering, design, and advisory practices including industrial and mechanical engineering in New Zealand. Comparable on engineering design delivery, but at much larger scale and across far broader service lines than Steele.
• Arup: Global engineering and design firm with a New Zealand presence covering mechanical, structural, and product-level engineering. Comparable on technical capability for industrial and structural design engagements, but operates as a global incumbent across many sectors rather than a specialised product-design boutique.
• Designworks (a BMW Group Company): Product and industrial design consultancy with mechanical engineering, prototyping, and design-for-manufacture capabilities. Comparable as a design-led firm executing product and machine design across consumer and industrial markets, though anchored within BMW Group's brand and mobility focus.

Regional players

• Tonkin + Taylor: New Zealand-based engineering and environmental consultancy with strong structural and product-side practice. Comparable as a NZ-headquartered engineering design house serving industrial clients, though much larger and more diversified than Steele.
• Aurecon: Engineering, design, and advisory consultancy with significant New Zealand operations delivering mechanical, structural, and machine design for industrial clients. Comparable as a competitor for NZ industrial engineering projects, though Aurecon operates across multiple disciplines and geographies.
• BECA Group: Largest New Zealand-headquartered engineering and design consultancy, delivering mechanical, structural, and product-related engineering services across NZ and Australia. Overlap is on industrial and mechanical engineering design work for NZ-based clients, but at far greater scale and multidisciplinary breadth than Steele.

Direct peers

• frog (Capgemini Engineering): Product design and engineering consultancy inside Capgemini Engineering with explicit mechanical and product design services spanning concept, prototyping, and manufacturing liaison. Comparable to Steele's full-lifecycle service positioning at enterprise scale.
• IDEO: Globally recognised product design and innovation consultancy delivering concept-to-production design work using similar CAD/simulation workflows. Closest functional peer in terms of being a design-led firm taking products from concept through to engineering deliverables, though at far larger scale and price point.
• Synapse Product Development: Product design and engineering services firm delivering mechanical engineering, industrial design, and prototype development for hardware clients. Comparable on the integrated product-design-to-prototype workflow and CAD/CAM-driven delivery, though US-based and materially larger.

Others

• Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Services Network: SolidWorks' own certified services partner network provides CAD modelling, simulation, and design consulting using the same toolset Steele uses. Comparable as a competing channel clients can hire for SolidWorks-based mechanical and product design work rather than engaging a small New Zealand boutique.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steele-engineering-and-design-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steele Engineering & Design