Big export prospect for small Papanui firm

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33672, 23 October 1974, Page 3

Big export prospect for small Papanui firm

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) SYDNEY, October 22. A chance participation in the Sydney engineering exhibition last month seems likely to result in a multi-million dollar export deal with Australia for a small Christchurch electronics firm.

The firm is Matthews-Grant Dynamics, Ltd, of Papanui, whose export sales manager, Mr N. L. Matthews, has achieved spectacular success since coming to Australia with an electronic solid-state speed controller, which is used in electric motors.

The main application for the device is in underground electric locomotives used in coalmining. Mr Matthews estimated < tndav that firm orders worth!

$500,000 were written in the week of the exhibition. Since then, Mr Matthews has captured the interest of big coalmining companies in I the Australian eastern J states, and he expects busi-

ness to reach as much as s3m in the years ahead. The controller is manufactured at the firm's Papanui factory under licence to a British-based American firm, Sevcon Engineering, Ltd. “We had planned a new factory at Papanui, but now [we will have to at least Idouble our estimates,” Mr IMatthews said. The company now i employs a staff of 15, but I this too will have to be

doubled, and a production! line process installed, toi keep pace with the new i orders. Advantages Mr Matthews said thej main advantages of the New; Zealand-made device were that it gave a smooth ride, was 99 per cent efficient, with no drain on batteries, and was virtually mainten-j ance-free. The boom in coalmining in! Australia, resulting from rapidly increasing oil prices, j had undoubtedly helped him! in his sales drive, he said. However, the company j nearly'did not take part in the exhibition. “We are only a small; company, only three years j old, and I can’t spend too | much time away from the' factory,” he said. Help praised Mr Matthews was quick to pay tribute to his two fellow directors and the New! Zealand Consulate in Syd-‘ ney, which arranged the I exhibition and has helped I Mr Matthews in his dealing! this month. “My directors, Jack Henj derson and David Cooper, of, ‘ Cooper Henderson Motors, ’ are two hard-working, dyna- . mic men who have backed . me to the hilt,” he said. ’ Mr Matthews said , although he was having r great success in Australia, . he could see no reason to establish a manufacturing ’ plant there. “It is a labour-intensive manufacture and while we import transistors, the rest of our materials are New Zealand-made. “We can handle the business from New Zealand and I don’t see any advantage in coming here unless we 3 strike tariff barriers.” Mr Matthews already has 't the South-East Asian, Inn donesian and Chilean mary kets in mind. And when >t coalmining is covered, he will aim for the fork-lift 1- truck market, for which the n speed control device is also designed.