Business North October 2021

| 61 Hugh de Lacy Baker Cranes builds around 100 cranes a year. CONTRACTING Baker Cranes I t says something about the buoyant state of the construction sector that a manufac- turer in the relatively small and crowded New Zealand crane industry, Baker Cranes, is expanding its Wiri, Auckland, headquarters. Baker Cranes, which has an annual turnover of around $50 million, has been in the busi- ness of supplying lifting equipment for a wide cross-section of New Zealand industries for 30 years, 20 of them as agent for the big German company ABUS Crane Systems. Founded in 1991 by Roy Baker, and subse- quently sold to the present 100% New Zealand owners, Baker Cranes imports componentry, designs and manufactures steelwork in-house, and carries out installation and servicing. “This gives us a competitive advantage over most other suppliers,” Project Manager Ralph Bacon says. “One other advantage we have is our rela- tionship with Eilbeck Cranes in Australia, as we purchase our components via them. “This relationship has allowed us to lever their knowledge and processes to improve our own method.” Baker Cranes employs a staff of 25 at its purpose-built manufacturing facility in Wiri, which contains an in-house lifting capacity of 25 tonnes, a dedicated beam fabrication bed, an automatic sub-arc beam welder, and a hoist repair and assembly room. “Baker Cranes is currently expanding,” Ralph says. “We recently started the extension onto our existing building which is scheduled to be finished early next year, adding a second bay to our factory and increasing the size of the main office.” Ralph says there is a range of crane suppli- Three decades of lifting equipment counts ers to the competitive New Zealand market, “from those importing whole cranes from Third World countries, to such as ourselves who import components and manufacture steelwork here.” Baker Cranes builds around a hundred cranes a year, the majority of them single-gird- er overhead travelling models of five-tonne lifting capacity, which run on rails along the building walls. “These cranes are a real workhorse and go on serving their owners reliably for many years,” Ralph says. The market the company operates in is remarkably diverse, ranging from major EPC contractors, power stations, utilities projects like waste-water treatment plants, engineering companies and the steel industry, to precast concrete fabricators, warehouses and the glass industry. Finding staff with overhead crane experi - ence in the small New Zealand labour market can be a problem, and “recent immigration restrictions have made recruiting potential overseas migrants almost impossible,” Ralph says. Sourcing materials has not proved as diffi - cult for Baker Cranes as it has been for other importer/manufacturers. “We’re generally able to source material within our quoted time – we take great care when quoting to ensure we meet our prom- ised delivery times. “Obviously New Zealand is a long way from ABUS headquarters in Germany, so our lead times are dominated by the shipping time,” Ralph says. “Sometimes this can be a problem, but in most cases we can manage deliveries to suit the customer, though the recent shipping turmoil hasn’t helped.” A competitive element in the New Zealand crane market is the presence of low-cost imports from countries at the lower end of the economic spectrum. “Imported cheap hoists are not too much of a problem at the moment, however, because a large proportion of our customers seem to feel more comfortable with established brands, especially the European ones, of which ABUS is a recognised leader,” Ralph says. The turbulent times notwithstanding, Ralph says the company has the resilience to survive and grow. Baker Cranes faces the usual challenges brought on by the Covid pandemic – shipping delays, price increases, longer lead times and lockdowns – “but irrespective of this Baker Cranes has persevered and we have contin- ued to secure work during these unprecedent- ed times,” Ralph says. Sole Logistics Specialist for Baker Cranes Rachael O'Meara rachael@freightingsolutions.co.nz • AC & DC Motor Rewinds & Overhauls • AC & DC Generator Rewinds & Overhauls • High Voltage Rewinds & Repairs • AC & DC Formed Coils • Rotor Pole Refurbishment • Vacuum Pressure Impregnation • Temperature Controlled Burn Out Oven • In House Machining Facilities • Insulated Bearing Housings • Dynamic Balancing • New Motor Sales • On Site Services GOUK & SULLIVAN Complete Electric Motor Solutions 4 Gabador Place, Mt Wellington PO Box 14214, Panmure, Auckland +64 9 573 1465 Vikash +64 21 871 038 John +64 27 246 3534 www.gouk.co.nz