74 | CONTRACTING Kings Mechanical T T Virginia Wright There’s not a lot they can’t do... Abby and Craig Ward: Servicing the transport industry throughout western Southland Having grown up in Southland and completed his mechanics apprenticeship with what was then DT King and Co., Craig Ward, together with his wife Abby, knew exactly what was in store when they took the opportunity in 2022 to buy out the mechanical repairs side of the business, now known as Kings Mechanical Ltd. Craig had been the workshop manager for over 15 years, so running what are now three workshops, in Invercargill, Riverton and Pukemaori, with the recent addition of Blacks Garage in Orawia, was familiar territory. With the workshops (leased) came all the equipment and various vehicles they use to do the servicing, repairs and maintenance for heavy trucks and machinery, as well as the list of clients Craig had already been working with for many years. Servicing the transport industry throughout western Southland is a big part of what they do, with the three workshops attached to Kings Log Transport (Invercargill), Riverton Rural Transport and Kings Rural Transport in Pukemaori respectively. Kings Mechanical works closely with the transport owners and managers to meet their transport needs. They know that time is money for trucks on the road, just as it is for farmers, especially when they have to make the most of a weather window. The foremen at all three sites are on call and at the ready with everything needed to do a necessary repair on the side of the road, up in the bush, or on a hay paddock. It’s all part of Kings Mechanical’s service. “ Keeping the machinery and trucks moving is important to us. If there’s a forestry truck stuck way out the back, they can’t come to us, you have to go to them,” says Craig. “We do a lot of rural transport and repairs, which can be anything from someone’s farm motorbike, logging equipment up in the bush, or trucks on the road. There’s not a lot we can’t do. We’ve always been associated with transport, but we can fix a silage wagon for a farmer just as easily, and we work with a lot of agricultural contractors when they need us too,” says Abby. Mechanical repairs, engineering, pre-COF checks (Warrant of Fitness for heavy vehicles) as well as any certified repair work needed for it to be renewed, is done at all three workshops, and with the addition of Blacks Garage they have expanded to include warrants for ‘ordinary’ cars, trailers and motorbikes as well. Given the depth of diagnostic knowledge and machinery available, it’s an easy addition to the broad scope of their capability, explains Abby. “It’s just a few minutes away from our Pukemaori workshop so Les (Black) is still there doing the warrants, with any repairs coming round to us, so it gives us more options. Craig’s now got his WOF licence, and we’re looking at our foremen getting theirs to make sure it’s covered.” Craig and Abby understand that you get out of an industry what you put in, and Kings Mechanical, with the team of 17, works hard to make sure the apprentices learn what they can from each of the three main sites with their combination of forestry, rural and agricultural work. They do truck and tractor tyres out of Pukemaori, and when Craig says, “Whatever they drag through the door we’ll have a look at,” he means it, including the likes of a lawnmower currently under repair in Invercargill. Kings Mechanical Ltd takes care to keep up with the technology and wants people to know the breadth of what they can do for machinery and vehicles big and small. With two designated parts people skilled at finding the right parts for the job, they have a freight truck running from Invercargill all around western Southland every day so noone’s kept waiting on parts. PH ALEX 021 277 5308 HOME 03 225 5377 www.alexreidcontracting.co.nz Aerating • Direct Drilling • Ridging • Mulching • Strip Till Planting Paddock Cultivation from Ploughing to Sowing Dry Hire available Sheep Conveyor (Drenching, Vaccination etc) • 3 way draft Dairy Lane Maintenance • Tip Trailers • Vibrating Roller • Effluent Services Large Skid Steer for calf shed cleaning, loading Muck Spreaders etc ( 4 Muck Spreaders) • 16,000 litre Slurry Tanker • Pond Stirrer • Umbilical Slurry System STOCK / BULK • FERTILISER • GRAVEL CONTRACTING • TRANSPORTING 03 225 5899 Pukemaori 0800 22 5899 admin@kingsrural.co.nz kingsrural.co.nz
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