Alex is the manager of United Engineers Ltd, a Dunedin business bought by his parents, Doug and Lesley, exactly 35 years ago this week.
He returned to the city five years ago to work in the business, later taking over the management role.
United Engineers is a CNC machine shop, providing industrial and light manufacturing machining of steel, aluminium, brass, copper, bronze, stainless steel and plastics.
After leaving school, Alex studied music for three years in Wellington, obtaining a degree in jazz performance, before completing his trade apprenticeship in Christchurch.
He then spent two years working on CNC machines in Germany before returning to Dunedin to work in the family business. He continues his love of music and plays in a band called Merkin.
He was "brought up in the garage, in a way". His father was always making something and he would come in to work with him on Saturday mornings.
"I guess it was always a bit ingrained in the background," he said.
United Engineers was established by George Sargeant in the 1940s, initially in the basement of his house.
He sold it to Jim Skeggs in 1976 and Mr and Mrs Ramsay bought the business in 1977. At that stage, it was in premises in Harrow St and they built the present premises, in Thomas Burns St, in 1993.
Originally from Greymouth, Doug Ramsay completed his training as a fitter and turner at Addington Railway Workshops, in Christchurch.
He worked at Scott Technology and other engineering companies in Dunedin and Christchurch, before buying United Engineers.
He continues to work at the business, along with his wife, who does the bookwork. The business employs five staff, in addition to the Ramsay trio.
Mr and Mrs Ramsay's daughter Jennifer, who has a financial background and works at the University of Otago, also helps with the bookwork.
Being a small, family business meant they could be versatile and flexible in meeting the needs of their customers, Alex said.
Over the years, the company has invested in technology, most recently a multi-axis turning centre, worth about $200,000 and imported from Korea - the second major machinery purchase in 18 months.
The company has exported to Australia, the United States, Sri Lanka and Italy, and recently sent some sample components to a company in Canada. It was hoped that might turn into a regular production job, Doug said.
A night shift was operating at the moment, with two contractors hired to work on a large export order, about the third time that had happened in 35 years.
Alex said his job was both stressful and a challenge, such was the nature of running a business. It had grown from having two customers when Mr and Mrs Ramsay bought it to a large customer base New Zealand-wide.
Over the years, smaller, repetitive work had diminished, mainly due to the manufacturing sector tapering off in Dunedin, Doug said.
A lot of companies in the area worked together on projects and it was "quite surprising" the number who were intertwined by supplying work.
There were some "very clever companies" in the city that people often did not know about, he said.
The company was always looking for skilled staff, and planned to expand in the future.
