EXPANSION TO MEET CUSTOMER NEEDS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32705, 7 September 1971, Page 12

EXPANSION TO MEET CUSTOMER NEEDS

The new premises now occupied by the automotive electrical and general electrical engineering firm, Wooff and Salvesen, Ltd, offer the most modern drive-in sales and service centre of its type in New Zealand.

Rapid expansion over recent years has forced the company to vacate its old premises in Lichfield Street, which was only 16,500 sq. ft in comparison to its new St Asaph Street building of 34,000 sq. ft.

The new building has enabled each department to expand by about 100 ner cent on the cramped space in the Lichfield Street building. It also allows improved facilities for customers.

The building extends from St Asaph Street through to Winchcombe Street and a private road on the site enables vehicles to enter from either street. Unlimited parking is provided for customers adjacent to the eight department. The new building is situated in the automotive and engineering heart of Christchurch, on the site formerly occupied by the building contractors, P. Graham and Son, Ltd, now in liquidation. Besides their new premises Wooff and Salvesen, Ltd, also have a sales and service centre at Hornby which

Ihas also expanded rapidly over recent years. The firm has branches in Otago at Dunedin, Alexandra and Balclutha.

The company is the South Island master agent for Lucas products. The Lucas range includes a large variety of automotive electrical equipment including lights, generators, windscreen wipers, horns, starters and batteries.

Other departments in Wooff and Salvesen’s new building reflect the wide variety of electrical engineering work undertaken by the company besides their wholesale and retail sales sections. Complex The electrical engineering department would be the most complex. The department is one of the few in the South Island that has the necessary equipment and skilled tradesmen to handle the most complex heavy industrial machinery. Three members of the department’s staff are immigrants brought to New Zealand by Wooff and Salvesen, Ltd, because of their specialised knowledge in electrical repairs.

One of the biggest tasks undertaken by the department was the repair of a 31 ton armature which was damaged when it fell from a crane shortly before it was installed at Manapoun.

The electrical engineering department also repairs complex transformers and machinery of a specialised nature for the New Zealand Electricity Department, Complex electrical equipment is also repaired for the Railways Department. Apart from the heavy electrical machinery, ordinary household appliances are also repaired by the engineering department.

The automotive electrical workshop includes some of the most modern test equipment available. Two spacious garages allow up to about nine vehicles to be served at once. A larger garage just past the workshop and fuel injection bay accommodates the bigger vehicles. The fuel injection bay includes diesel fuel pumps for tractors, trucks and buses and the latest petrol injection equipment for cars. Among the machinery in the bay is the Hartridge injec-

tion system which had been awarded the Queen Award for industry and is acknowledged as a leader in the fuel injection field. Wooff and Salvesen, Ltd, is the South Island agents for the Hartridge equipment. Lucas batteries, which come from Joseph Lucas (N.Z.), Ltd, in Auckland, are checked and serviced, if necessary in the battery department. The electrical wholesale department has a wide range of electrical equipment including household appliances. These are on display in a small attractive showroom so that a customer may show his client the range available. The welding department which supplies welding equipment also has a small showroom.

Besides stocking automotive electrical supplies the company also has a large range of motor vehicle accessories including an extensive selection of brake and carburetter parts. About 105 are employed by Wooff and Salvesen, Ltd, in Christchurch, and about half of these are employed on the technical side of the business.

The general manager is Mr J. B. MacFarlane and the board of directors are Messrs J. B. Taylor (chairman), E. T. Salvesen, J. L. Neale, J. M. F. Sanderman and the general manager.