Growth

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 29

Growth

Lees Industries. Ltd. is essentially an engineering company' specialising in the manufacture, assembly and distribution of container loaders, forklift trucks, tractors and other materialshandling equipment. ’ It was formed in 1965. absorbing Tractor Supplies. Ltd. which had begun manufacturing forklift trucks in 1956. and in the 16 years since its inception. Lees has developed considerable expertise in this field to service both the New Zealand market and a substantial export business. . In the early 19705. other companies joined with Lees, including two associated

Rangiora companies — Skillings Implements. Ltd. and its marketing organisation. Tasman Manufacturing (South Island), Ltd. Lees Industries pioneered the design and manufacture of container-handling forklift trucks in New Zealand. Since the first of these machines were delivered to the Union Steamship Company a further 350 have, been' built, 80 of them in the firm's Melbourne factory for the Australian National Line. The current price is approaching $300,000. The company received an export award in 1976, primarily for sales of larger forklift trucks to Australia, and since then. Lees has exported to Singapore. Malaysia and various other Pacific islands. Lees's association with

Mitsubishi goes back 10 years, and two years ago Lees signed an agreement to build Mitsubishi forklift trucks in New Zealand. At the beginning of June last year. Lees Industries became a wholly-owned subsidiary of N.Z. Forest Products, Ltd. This has enabled Lees to develop further in Australia with the opening of Lees Marine. Ltd. in Queensland and the take-over of Luxford Engineering in Melbourne just a few weeks ago. Lees claims to have a "good association" with such Christchurch firms as C.W.F. Hamilton, for whom Lees are jet boat agents in Singapore. The opening of the new showroom, office and service department at Blenheim Road is an indication of the expansion of the firm's South Island market, with the

"highly successful" Mitsubishi forklifts, Shibaura tractors. Belcher equipment and products manufactured by Lees at Rangiora. The Belcher equipment includes such items as drain cleaner and front-end loader attachments for tractors. Production from the Rangiora factory includes forklifts. pos’t-debarking machines, a type of selfloading concrete mixer called a "hydramixer," and hydraulic cylinders for industrial and agricultural machinery. There is a staff of 40. and the workshop also undertakes jobbing and repair work.

Besides this. Lees's Rangiora establishment carries a wide range of engineering hardware and is the North Canterbury agent for SKF.