Okey and Rollo.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11828, 27 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

Okey and Rollo.

IRON AND BRASS FOUNDERS AND GENERAL ENGINEERS.

It is very important to the welfare of a district that it should posess those manufacturing institutions that arc. capable of supplying it with the ai tides demanded by the industrial community and the general public. This is particularly tlie case in regard to machinery and implements required by producers, and given a certain amount of engineering versatility it is to be presumed that m> one is better able to 'understand and in ierpret local wants than the local engineer. New Plymouth, with the splendid vitality among the farmers in the neighbouring conntry, is well served in this respect by the firm of Okey. and Hollo. During the last seven or eight years these gentlemen have frequently demonstrated their ability to turn out ironwork suitable for house and bridge building, and engines and plant for dairy factories and sawmills. No effort has been made to supply the agriculturist with implements, but in repairing their recommendations are well known over a wide area of country.

The business was established about thirty-three years ago by Mr J. M. Vivian, who conducted it until 1885, when Messrs Okey and Asher took it over. Within a short period the former gentleman bought his partner out, and continued sole proprietor until about 18 months apo, when Mr Rollo joined him. Although a considerable expansion had marked ihu previous few years, the continued improvement in the landed interests caused primarily by dairying has brougnt about very gratifying changes in the lasl couple of years. During these years the number of hands engaged has been doubled, aud j still further increases could be made but for lack of room. The works are situ ated in Powderham-street, and occupy about a quarter of an acre of ground. The plant, driven by steam, is up-to-date, and further additions are being made to it, new machines being on their way. There are all the appliances capable for most classes of ironwork, castings, etc., and Messrs Okey and Rollo know how to utilise them. They seem to be success f ul manufacturers in whatever they put their hands to do, and their reputation throughout the district is of the best. So far as dairying is concerned they have produced some highly useful plants, including several high pressure turbines for driving tl.n factory mechanism. These turbines aie perhaps the only ones ' of the kind made in the colony, and are really from a design of the firm. There can oe little doubt that the turbine principle is to be very widely adopted in the future, and in Taranaki -these excellent machines are becoming very popular, especially as fuel becomes more dim- i cult to obtain. They are an excellent example of the facility of the firm in catering to local wants. For dairies, also, they manufacture hoists, pumps, and other parts of the plant and negotiate a deal of repairs. Then they produce sawmilling plant, another important industry in Taranaki. In this line they are most successful in machinery for breaking down big logs, and have supplied mills throughout Taranaki and in the Wanganui, Wellington, and Hawke's Bay districts. Their iron castings have at one time and another occasioned most favourable comment, pnly a few days ago they receiving compliments for iron columns jaade f or the White Hart Hotel additions. All sorts of castings are produced, and a good doal of iron-work for bridges is turned out, Messrs Okey & fiollo at present doing

. this work for the Tongaporutu bridge, j and smaller structures. It would not, however, be possible to detail the many classes of work produced, sufficient to say that they are very various, only recently the firm doing work in the way of blast pipes and hoppers for the Government Jimeburning kilns at Dunedin. In a district such as Taranaki a big portion of the work of engineering firms is in repairing, and Messrs Okey and ftollo perform this function for a great number of people, shipping,' agricultural, dairying and whatnot. They have at one time a bo'ler, at another a plough, and so on. Whatever ia this department is given them to do is efficiently carried out to the satisfaction of the customer. Both members of the firm have proved themselves experienced engineers and evidence a full appreciation of their position to serve local industrial affairs. That they are highly useful to New Plymouth, our sketch will demonstrate.