| 61 T T Hugh de Lacy Taking on the giants Compac Industries has grown its product lines to include LPG dispensers, metering technology, payment terminals and fuel management systems. MANUFACTURING Compac Industries In a classic case of the small New Zealand manufacturing company taking on the giants of the world, locally owned Compac Industries is on the cusp of further expansion in the global fuel meter and dispenser technology market. Formed in central Auckland 42 years ago to provide solutions for CNG gas distribution, Compac Industries has grown its product lines to include LPG dispensers, metering technology, payment terminals and fuel management systems. In a market dominated by big European and American companies, the company has pumped its ever-expanding product range into the aviation, mining, marine and commercial markets. “We’ve got significant capacity spread across our three main product lines — meters and fluid control systems, fuel dispensers and FMS software for fluid management — and we’re looking for growth in three particular directions,” says Compac Managing Director and owner Harry Kleyer. “We’re expanding our range of meters to take on the overseas competition and developing our software for broader application into retail fuel and asset management, cloud software and to authorise third-party dispensers through our payment platform. “At the same time, we’re expanding our market share in New Zealand in the control systems space.” Compac Industries’ Auckland manufacturing plant has 50 employees making products supplied directly to the industry, and it’s supported by offices in Melbourne, Australia, with 15 staff, and assembly facilities in New Delhi, India. Distribution is by way of service agents, electrical installers and engineering companies, with some direct sales out of Auckland and Melbourne. The New Delhi assembly factory operates as a joint venture, called Compac India, with an established trading family there. “CNG is still a major transport fuel in India, with buses, cars, trucks and rickshaws all running on it, and we supply a third of all of India’s requirements for CNG meters and dispensers,” Harry says. “The country is a big consumer of meters and we’re currently selling about 2000 a year there.” Harry got into the business by having a summer job at Compac when he was doing a degree in economics and history at the University of Auckland. Harry ended up completing a couple of projects for company founder Richard Bates and participating in the design and installation of a vacuum furnace for annealing meter assemblies. He then left New Zealand for six or seven years, ultimately pursuing work on a PhD in economics at the University of Michigan in the United States, with the aim of becoming an economics professor. But then Richard Bates decided to sell Compac Industries and retire, and when his sales agents suggested he find a partner to take over from him and thereby simplify the sales process, Harry found himself called back to New Zealand at the head of the company while he still had a year to go on his PhD. Compac Industries is now the only New Zealand-owned mass flow meter manufacturer in the fuel metering and dispenser space; the other local supplier having been acquired by the giant American company Gilbarco. Ivent Solutions is proud to be a supplier to Compac Industries and congratulates them on their continued success. • Components • Assembly • PCBA • Cable Assemblies • Batteries • Solar • Electromechanical • Helping Industries Refuel & Track Fuel Usage Compac manufactures CNG, LPG & Fuel pumps and dispensers for Mining, Aviation, Marine and Commercial Industries worldwide. Easy to Maintain Suited to Hazardous & Harsh Environments Well Engineered Cost Effective Ideal for Unattended Refuelling Sites Remote Access Available 24/7 Ongoing Technical Support www.compac.co.nz Tel: +64 9 579 2094 Fax: +64 9 579 0635
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