NEW FACTORY FOR HORNBY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28700, 25 September 1958, Page 17

NEW FACTORY FOR HORNBY

Electric Elements To Be Made A factory to manufacture electric heating elments and associated equipment is planned to open in Hornby next year, and will provide employment for about 50 persons. The factory will be built by Grimwood Electrical Products Proprietary, Ltd., of Australia, probably in the second quarter of 1959. Mr G. Wood, managingdirector of the company, who visited Christchurch yesterday, said that five acres of land had been bought in Carmen road, Hornby. On his present trip he had been discussing details with the company’s architect. A single-storey building of 20.000 square feet initially is planned, and there will be provision to extend the floor space by 10.000 square feet. Mr Wood said that for a start technicians would be brought from Australia, but New Zealanders would be sent to Australia for training. The equipment to be manufactured was not at present made in New Zealand. The factory would not produce completed products but component parts. Mr Wood said that the Import restrictions imposed in New Zealand might influence other Australian organisations wanting to retain their New Zealand markets to operate in the Dominion. His company’s decision to operate in Christchurch had been influenced by the ample power available, the closeness of shipping facilities and the fact that 84 per cent of New Zealand-made ranges were manufactured in the South Island.