Business South March 2021

| 51 ENGINEERING SOREC - McMaster Engineering PGF helps firm expand operations McMaster Engineering manufactures bulk fertiliser spreaders for the majority of transport companies in the lower South Island. S upport from the Provincial Growth Fund has enabled Winton-based McMaster Engineering to invest in new technology to complement the company’s recently com- pleted new workshop. Previously spread over three workshops the 2500sqm purpose built building in the heart of Winton has brought McMaster Engineering’s team and business operations under one roof, servicing Southland’s farming community and transport industry. New technology includes a NC guillotine al- ready in-situ and operational, while a 5-tonne overhead crane will be installed shortly after the Christmas break. Keenly awaited is a CNC plasma cutter. Managing Director, Garth McMaster, says the NC & CNC technology will mean more work can be completed in-house rather than outsourced, saving his customers’ time and money. An existing team member will be trained as the full time operator. “We have a 135-tonne brake press for folding sheet metal, so we needed the NC guillotine to complement that machine. The overhead crane will build efficiencies in the workshop in terms of moving steel and plant around to make it easier for manufacturing.” Founded in 1990 by Garth and his wife Leanne as a general maintenance and structural engineering business, McMaster Engineering found itself at the forefront of Southland’s dairy conversions. Growing its team to 26, the company was heavily involved in building milking sheds, dairy yards and feedlots. A previous engineering company Garth worked for was well regarded throughout New Zealand for building fertilizer spreaders. When that company shut its doors, McMaster Engineering took over the maintenance and repairs of the spreaders before reinventing the wheel and building its own. Today, McMaster Engineering manufactures bulk fertiliser spreaders for the majority of Richard Loader transport companies in the lower South Island with a few further afield. “The last 30 years has been a testament of our time and we’re now one of the biggest manufacturers of spreaders in New Zealand. Each spreader takes about 700 man-hours to manufacture from start to finish. It’s very big business for us and would account for half the work we do.” Two Spreadmark Certified assessors on the team enable McMaster Engineering to test spreaders for local transport companies and farmers. While not many new dairy shed are being installed in Southland, McMaster Engineering remains heavily involved in the dairy industry. “We have a very big footprint in the number of farms we’ve helped convert over and there’s a huge maintenance requirement of existing plants we’ve built over the years. “We’re also heavily involved in the installa- tion of feed systems in the sheds now too.” Remaining true to its original core busi- ness, general engineering continues to be a significant part of the McMaster Engineering’s on-going business operations. Now with a team of 24 staff Garth says find- ing new qualified staff can be a challenge. “To counter that we’re running four appren- ticeships and there will be a fifth by the end of January 2021. “Normally we would only have one appren- tice on the floor at a time. We find we get better value out of the tradesmen we train ourselves. We hope the new technology will help attract new people to the industry.” admin@mervs.co.nz www.mervs.co.nz • Farm Machinery Repairs • Mobile Welding • Design & Build • Precision Machining • G earbox Resto ra tion, S plines, G ea r s • Fabrication • CNC Pro fi ling • Hydraulic Hose Repairs • Heavy Transport Proud to be associated with and suppliers to McMasters Engineering for the past 25 years Conveyor, Power Transmission & Hose Specialists