| 51 J&D McLennan Engineering For more information visit: www.unitedsteel.co.nz or call us on: 0800 800 649 J&D Mclennan Engineering ENGINEERING T T Karen Phelps Third-generation engineering business The company’s products can be found in every major airport across New Zealand and Australia, as well as in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. The new 5,500-square-metre manufacturing workshop represents a significant expansion. After 75 years in Lower Hutt, J&D McLennan Ltd has embarked on a new chapter with a move to larger premises in Upper Hutt. The third-generation family engineering business, renowned as Australasia’s only manufacturer of airport boarding bridges, completed the relocation of its operations to Thomas Neal Crescent earlier this year. “We got to the point where we were at critical mass and needed to increase efficiencies to grow and take on new opportunities,” says Andrew McLennan, director and engineering manager of the company his grandfather co-founded in 1945. The new 5,500-square-metre manufacturing workshop represents a significant expansion, approximately 30 percent larger in floorplan than the previous facility, with plenty of room for future growth. Andrew says the move marks a milestone for the business that started life in an old horse stable in Petone after brothers James and Duncan McLennan returned from service in World War II. While J&D McLennan has long been regarded as one of the largest and most comprehensively equipped engineering shops in the Wellington region, it has carved out a specialised niche in the aviation sector operating under the brand Airport Equipment. “We built the first boarding bridge in 1974 and thought it was a one-off. But every year this side of the business has grown,” explains Andrew. “We have now done 340 of these bridges over the past 50 years; it’s become the core of the business.” The company’s products can be found in every major airport across New Zealand and Australia, as well as in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Its status as the only manufacturer in this part of the world allows it to tailor solutions specifically for regional markets. “Because we can design and manufacture ourselves, our responsiveness is much better,” says Andrew. “We were also the first company in the world to commercially have automatic bridge docking technology in operation. It was all designed and developed in-house.” The patented Intellidock system, released around 2019, is a fully-automated passenger boarding bridge docking solution that can work with any existing passenger boarding bridge and all major aircraft in service today. With the expanded capacity at its new facility Andrew says that J&D McLennan aims to Proud to partner with J&D McLennan Specialised & Over Dimension Nationwide Linehaul P: 021 951 504 E: l.blair@lbtltd.co.nz Contact us for your next move! www.gvi.co.nz Proudly Supporting J&D McLennan Engineering • Import / Export Air & Ocean • Customs Brokerage • Third Party Logistics (3PL) • Perishable Logistics • Event Logistics • Project Logistics bolster its general engineering operations alongside its aviation products. “We’re a full design and build mechanical and electrical firm. We can build any electro- mechanical projects - one-off projects such as conveyors, freight handling equipment and more. Past projects include rock crushers, timber plant machinery and a replacement gangway for the Interislander.” The business remains firmly in family hands, with Andrew’s father Duncan still serving as managing director and brothers James and Cameron holding positions as director/ workshop manager and project manager respectively. The company employs over 35 specialists across seven departments, offering expertise in welding, fabrication, sheet metal work, steel processing, electrical design and installation, CNC and conventional machining, CAD/CAM and mechanical design. “We do it all under one roof,” says Andrew. “We think on the product level, not just the part level. From conveyors to cranes, container dollies to catering vehicles, our commitment to quality service and solutions is at the centre of our business.” He says the move to Upper Hutt not only provides J&D McLennan with increased floor space but also creates opportunities to invest in new equipment and technologies, ensuring it remains competitive in both domestic and international markets.
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