54 | ENGINEERING Armoured Rebranding and acquisition all key T T Karen Phelps Taupo-based business Armoured has undergone rapid growth in recent years setting it up well for the future, says one of the company directors Iain Tolladay. At the end of 2021 this saw the purchase of another local engineering firm at Rakaunui Road allowing Armoured to expand to two locations and bring more of what it does inhouse effectively overseeing its whole supply chain on certain projects. It has also undergone a rebranding to better reflect the diversity and direction of the company. It now spans three businesses: Armoured Engineering (formerly Money’s Engineering), Armoured Equipment and Pirtek Taupo. Armoured Equipment specialises in designing and manufacturing robust attachments for the farming and forestry sectors. From concept through design and manufacturing, these attachments are ‘built for battle’, says Iain citing the company motto. “We provide robust and durable solutions designed to stand up to the harshest of environments with minimal down time,” he says. Innovation is the norm and several new products have already been released to the market due to customer demand. One is a logging grapple that is greaseless and Armoured was the first to release such a grapple to the market, says Iain. “We worked with our customer to define what they needed for this attachment. We then worked with companies in Rotorua and the Netherlands to deliver it. We really pushed the boundaries of design.” Armoured Engineering specialises in all aspects of design and engineering work, focusing on delivering quality craftsmanship, competitive pricing, and quick turnaround to any sized job, says Iain. Services include structural steel work ROPS, FOPS and OPS design and manufacture, general engineering, precision machine shop work, hydraulic ram repairs and CAD design and drafting. It undertakes field service work for the agricultural and forestry sectors. Pirtek specialises in providing 24/7 hydraulic hose repairs and maintenance. With five hose trucks running throughout the Taupo Area, Pirtek’s aim is to get clients up and running quickly by utilizing the team of experienced technicians to diagnose and fix all hydraulic issues. It offers fully stocked hose trucks, diagnostic gear, hydraulic installation and fit-ups, power pack servicing, hydraulic ram supply, manufacturing, and servicing. Iain says the three companies mean that Armoured can offer clients a complete service often saving them time, hassle, and money. For example, the 144 Rakaunui Road site offers a plasma-cutting factory, brake presses and large machine shop. This site also means Armoured can produce its own profiled and processed plate – something it was previously subcontracting. The Manuka Street site takes care of structural steel contracts as well as larger excavator build projects. It’s been a recipe for success and has seen the company work on some high-profile projects including producing the structural steel for the Taupo Airport project and TDX premises in Taupo. Iain along with the other company directors Brook Slingsby and Bernie Money and a strong team of around 25, are gearing up to meet increasingly demand for product and services. Iain says they are looking to continue to add to their experienced and talented team. “We’re passionate, dynamic, and driven. We work with our customers to find out what they want and deliver. “We’ve got a lot of work coming in and potential for more so we are building up our team so we can continue to meet demand.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=