Men At Work Stagecraft Management Pvt. Ltd. (
www.mawstagecraft.com) are a well-known and highly respected staging and rigging company in India. They specialize in staging, rigging, trussing, motorized curtain assemblies, scroll systems, motorized laser screens, AV screens, hydraulic lifts, turntables and venue constructs for outdoor events.
Although Men At Work were established in 2004, the history of the company goes back a bit further. In 1997, current Managing Director of Men At Work and engineer, Narinder Singh, started up his staging and rigging activities. The experience he gained during these early years would help ensure the success of the future company he would found seven years later.
The impressive reputation Men At Work have built up over the years is due in large part to their dedicated team of highly qualified engineers and visualizers, who are backed by an experienced workforce of technicians. They combine their forces to craft versatile and secure stages for an extensive range of live events across the country.
Men At Work started their cooperation with MILOS eight years ago, when they purchased an MR5 roof system. Since that time, they’ve invested in kilometres of MILOS truss and additional support structures.
MILOS recently sat down with Mankaran Singh, who handles all trussing and rigging related activities at Men At Work, to discuss their activities and how MILOS products figure into their winning equation.
Hi Mankaran. Can you tell us a little about the Indian market?
Well, India is very cost driven and price conscience market. Therefore, you can find a lot of staging and rigging companies with cheap Chinese products.
Have you identified any trends in rigging and trussing for live Indian events?
I’ve noticed that people are looking for bigger roofs with longer spans and increased loading. One could look to steel truss in this case, but the market is not yet ready to take this step. With steel come logistical problems, such as the need for cranes and other heavy machinery.
This trend has not escaped our company, as we are currently working on extending the span of an existing system.
Why did you decide on investing in MILOS’s products?
Early on, our company decided we would not invest in low cost products with dubious quality. We needed products that delivered the strength, durability and reliability that were required for our large-scale events. MILOS was a natural choice.
The bigger productions we work on are very specific, which requires the use of high quality MILOS products combined with our premium workmanship. This combination consistently delivers the results our customers have come to rely on.
Are MILOS’s products often found in India?
Actually, we are the only company in India with certified MILOS products, and the second company in the country to have a certified roof system with a full static calculation. These certifications help us market and sell our exclusive rigging and staging services.
Many people in India know the MILOS brand but mistakenly believe it is too expensive to purchase. This is a common misconception with all European truss manufacturers.
Are you happy with the service you receive from MILOS?
Absolutely! The support we’ve received from the MILOS China office has been phenomenal. The Managing Director of the office, Stephen Huang, has done a fantastic job. All interactions with him and his staff have been very positive.
I would also like to add that MILOS carries out many customized solutions for the existing roof systems we have on stock, which really add to their value – the roofs’ and MILOS’s.
Has MILOS provided any additional value you appreciate?
Yes. MILOS holds annual product trainings for its customers in China and the Czech Republic. Since beginning cooperation with them eight years ago, I’ve attended all of the trainings in China except one. A total of seven or eight, I believe. The trainings were always very interesting and a lot of ideas were exchanged. It was really helpful to discuss the different working practices found in different parts of the world and adopt the ones that would be beneficial for us.
The trainings covered a lot of technical issues and real world rigging practices, which hold a lot of value for people like me, who have boots on the ground for support structure buildups and tear downs. The many discussions I’ve had with Area Four Industries’ Structural Engineer Norbert Tripp, and international rigging consultant Eric Porter, helped to further enrich my knowledge in rigging and trussing.
I’m very happy to be associated with MILOS. Cooperation with them has been a very enriching experience from both a professional and personal point of view. They are very good partners with good ethics.
What are Men At Work’s plans for the future?
We will continue focusing on the rigging and staging industry. Our company is slowly expanding and making various investments in our business. The future looks very bright and I’m looking forward to exciting times ahead.
