8 | NZ Insulators T T Rosa Watson Iconic Temuka Co celebrates 100 years Official 100 years cake cutting NZI Directors, from left, Rob Astley, Kevin Tennant, Chris van der Werff (NZI GM) and Greg Howell. “What our customers are looking for is a network that is robust and reliable. We said, if you buy quality NZI products, you are not going to have issues.” An innovative spirit and commitment to quality has seen Temuka-based NZ Insulators reach a remarkable 100 years in business. The milestone was marked last year with a weekend of celebrations held at the Temuka site that included factory tours followed by a mix-and-mingle function and a sit-down dinner the following night. “It was a really good event,” NZ Insulators general manager Chris van der Werff says. While the company was officially started in 1924, it had already been producing insulators on the site for some time prior, using clay and sand from its quarry located at Kakahu, “just up the road”. Today, the company remains a cornerstone of the Temuka community, with around 70 staff currently employed. Their longest-serving employee has clicked over 50 years, and another is currently at 45 years. Nine have served 25 years, and there are school-leavers in their first job on the staff line-up. Everyone in town knows someone who works there, Chris says. “It’s always been part of Temuka’s infrastructure and community.” Plant at the site includes eight large, electric kilns that fire product at about 1200 degrees Celcius, multiple turning lathes – four of which have been fully CNC automated over the last few years, Ball Mills and milling machinery, a high-voltage test bay for testing insulators and a high-tech ceramics laboratory used for product sampling. Around 15 tonnes of clay is processed from raw materials on-site every day. NZI remains the only porcelain insulator manufacturer in the Southern hemisphere. The company’s main customer base is comprised of the 27 electricity network operators and national grid operators across the country. NZI also sends the equivalent of a 20ft shipping container of insulators to an Australian customer every month to be used in the manufacture of electrical switches and fittings. New technology has been introduced with automation and higher-quality testing equipment, “just to speed it up and make it more efficient”. A sales office and distribution centre in Auckland supports North Island customers. Each week a shipment of products is sent to the Auckland warehouse, ready to be distributed, allowing for a two-day turnaround. A wide range of products used in the electrical industry diversifies the company’s offerings, such as earthing products and line hardware and fuse products, making it a onestop-shop, Chris says. “Everything that would go up a distribution power pole, we sell.” The company plays to its strengths, he says. “You’ve just got to find your niche with your customers and say, hey, you might need to pay a slight premium, but there’s going to be a lot of benefits. “We’re never going to be cheaper than the imports, (so) we have to make a really good product backed up with a decent warranty (25 years), and we make sure every single insulator that goes out the door has been either electrically or mechanically tested.” He says 90 to 95% of electrical faults on networks are caused by faulty insulators, so it’s worth investing in quality insulators. “What (our customers) are looking for is a network that is robust and reliable. We said, if you buy quality NZI products, you are not going to have issues.” Another point of difference is all NZI porcelain insulator products can be recycled by the company and turned back into porcelain insulators. This year alone, 700 tonnes of porcelain have been crushed and re-used at the Temuka site. • CNC Machining and pattern design • Casting ferrous and non-ferrous metal since the 1950’s • Christchurch based company Address: 659 Island Road, Viewhill, Oxford, Christchurch 7495. PO Box: 276, Kaiapoi, Christchurch 7644 Tel: 03 3121274 Mob: 02108264140 Email: steve@nzcasting.co.nz REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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