Business South October 2020

22 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dunedin - Kamahi Electronics Helping to turn ideas into reality Kamahi Electronics completes about 120 projects a year, 15 to 20 of which are completely new designs. 03 477 1495 info@ntmason.co.nz www.ntmason.co.nz ntmasondunedin 03 477 1495 info@ntmason.co.nz www.ntmason.co.nz ntmasondunedin Financial statements Tax Return Providing accounting services & business advice Otago-wide PAYE &GST Company set-ups contact - gary@freeload.co.nz Proud to be associated with Kamahi Electronics • Design for Enhanced User Experience • Design to Minimise Environmental Impact • Design to Elevate Brand and Product Visibility • Design to Maximise Competitive Advantage • Innovative Concept Development • Product Design & Development • Prototype Production • 2D-3D CAD & Product Visualisation • Manufacturer Liaison and Support Innovative Design Solutions to Optimise your Product Development Outcome I n the fast-moving world of electronics, Kiwi electronic engineering specialist Kamahi Electronics uses its very specific knowledge to help people around the world to turn their good ideas into successful business realities. From its home base in Dunedin, Kamahi Electronics works with clients in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Its 20 staff are a complete mixture of young and old(er), fresh and established, each with different areas of focus and expertise. Kamahi Electronics managing director Ed- win Nieman says his clients need something electronic designed and they may not have the expertise, or they may have expertise but not the specific knowledge Kamahi Electronics has, or they may have an electronic design department but not enough people to work on the project. “We are like electronic architects and our process is very like designing a house,” he says. “We sit down for a discussion with our clients, ping-pong ideas backwards and forwards, and from that we gain a clear brief, and start to design and build.” Kamahi Electronics completes about 120 projects a year, 15 to 20 of which are com- pletely new designs. About 30% of its work is from New Zealand, including the recent design of the Eye in the Sky cockpit video, audio, and data recorder for the aviation industry. As a global business, Kamahi Electronics works through the advantages and challenges of being located at the end of the world. Edwin himself emigrated 20 years ago from the Netherlands, and his staff are from all over, South Africa, Korea, Malaysia, China, and of course New Zealand. He says Kamahi Electronics has to show its customers it is working for them, and they have to trust Kamahi Electronics. Supply lines are long, especially for this industry where things move very, very quickly. “In the US or Europe, you can get product overnight, but here it takes a week. If I want to ship to a client, that takes another week.” There are advantages though, and when working with clients on the opposite side of the world, New Zealand is working while they are sleeping, and vice versa. “This creates a very effective, automatic, natural cycle and it works really well. Even with places like Singapore and China, the time difference is on our side.” Ideas come across Edwin’s desk and every day he tries to weed out the good ones. He’s been in the industry for 30 years, he knows the level of technology that’s availa- ble in the world, and what can be achieved for what cost. “We can say quite quickly whether it’s a feasible idea,” he says. “But turning something into a business is more than just the idea. Every idea needs a motor, someone pushing hard behind it until it’s finally over the line.” He says in his experience, this takes about five years of hard push for a start-up to be- come a viable business, and it’s not easy. “Having a motor is a critical factor that leads to a successful business. You have to have people who will put their mortgage on the line and push until they make it work.” T Kelly Deeks