Fibreglass Factory In Auckland Being Built

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29205, 16 May 1960, Page 16

Fibreglass Factory In Auckland Being Built

"The Press’’ Special Service

AUCKLAND, May 12. Construction work on the building which will house the first fibreglass production plant in New Zealand has been begun at Mt. Wellington and the whole job should be completed by the end of this year. The installation of the plant to produce the fibreglass will be carried on in conjunction with the building of the factory so that, once the building is ready, the plant will be ready to turn out the product without any delay.

Some of the machinery has yet to arrive from the United States, but as much as possible is being made' in Auckland to keep down the requirements for overseas funds.

The factory will be operated by New Zealand Fibreglass, Ltd., and financed by the Australian Fibreglass Pty., Ltd., which is a jointly owned subsidiary of Australian Consolidated Industries, Ltd., Melbourne, and the OwensComing Fibreglass Corporation of the United States. 1000 Tons A Year

Mr T. E. Bower, manager for New Zealand of New Zealand Glass Manufacturers Company, Pty., Ltd., the main A.C.I. subsidiary in this country, said yesterday that construction and installation at the Mt. Wellington site was going according to plan and that the plant, which was capable of turning out 1000 tons of fibreglass a year, should be in operation by the end of the year. One of the chief technical

men who would operate the plant was now in Australia at the Australian Fibreglass Company factory, where he was being trained in the job he would later be doing in New Zealand. Most of the specialised skills that would be required in the factory, which would be the first of its kind in the country, would be in engineering, said Mr Bower, and while it was possible that one or two overseas experts might have to be called in to assist in the installation of some of the machinery, he believed that sufficient men were available locally with the requisite engineering knowledge to operate the plant once it was in production. Industrial Use

If it was 1 found necessary, technical experts could be brought over from Australia to check the installation, but the men who would run the factory would be New Zealanders. Mr Bower said fibreglass turned out in Auckland would be used for insulation, pipe lagging and other industrial purposes. The factory, which is estimated to cost £500.000, will contain about £175,000 worth of machinery. It is expected to save the country about £400,000 a year in overseas exchange by producing here material which would otherwise have to be imported.