Kaiapoi company thrives with removal of tariffs, duties

Press, 22 November 1988, Page 39

Kaiapoi company thrives with removal of tariffs, duties

The Kaiapoi company of Patience and Nicholson, New Zealand’s only cutting tool manufacturer, has earned itself a niche in the Australasian market with its precision tools. Originally established with a high level of Government protection, the introduction of C.E.R. with Australia meant this protection has been slowly removed until July 1 this year when product between the two countries is imported and exported duty free. The removal of the tariffs and duty has benefited the New Zealand consumer by enabling Patience and Nicholson to offer high quality products at competitive prices.

Patience and Nicholson (N.Z.), Ltd, was established in 1962 originally as a subsidiary of Patience and Nicholson, Ltd, Australia. Several sites were considered including Hamilton, Napier and Lower Hutt, however, Kaiapoi was chosen because of its closer proximity to a major city. The fact that the town boasted its own coastal shipping port on the river was also considered to be an advantage. This was ironic because shortly after the plant was commissioned the advent of the Railways InterIsland Ferry service soon brought about the closing of the port. Only a few shipments of stock ever left via the Kaiapoi River. Over the years there

has been a great stability of the work force and this has borne out the confidence of the early decision makers who chose the Kaiapoi site with this factor in mind as the parent company’s Australian facility was based in Maryborough, a small rural Victorian township. At the same time there has been active recruitment to attract additional specialist skills from outside the local area to supplement a very stable and expert work force to operate what is a highly specialised manufacturing process. In January, 1987, the parent company, Patience and Nicholson, Ltd, Australia, was sold to Boral Cyclone, Ltd. The sale agreement limited the use

of the P and N trade mark and this restriction resulted in the New Zealand company changing its brand to EVACUT. Today EVACUT products are well established in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. In the New Zealand market the EVACUT brand is well accepted as a high quality product and equal to that produced by major overseas suppliers, however it would be fair to state that many New Zealanders are not aware that the product is New Zealand made. Currently half of the company’s Kaiapoi produced products are exported with a number of specialised products being sold to the United States

and Australia. The company’s product range includes the following all marketed under the EVACUT brand: 1. High speed steel twist drills (fractional and metric). 2. Drill sets (fractional and metric). 3. Masonry drills. 4. Hand hacksaw blades. 5. Power hacksaw blades. 6. Soil drills for coring bowling and golf greens. 7. Bandsaw blades for cutting wood, metal and meat. Patience and Nicholson (N.Z.), Ltd, strongly supports the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation “Buy New Zealand Made” campaign.