From the adversity of a devastating fire, one of the most modern and sophisticated small drill manufacturing plants in the world has risen in Canterbury.
Sutton Tools New Zealand will officially open its new factory today on Todds Rd, Southbrook. It will replace the company’s former Kaiapoi factory, which was damaged beyond repair in an early morning fire in January 2022.
General manager Kevin Donovan says the new site allows for diversification and further development ‘‘when we are ready’’.
‘‘First and foremost though the new building is a safe, modern workspace for our team, something they deserve as some of them have been working in tin sheds since the fire.
‘‘It was designed for us and what we do.
‘‘It is full of new high-tech equipment so to a certain extent we are future-proofed and it has put us ahead of most of our competitors.’’
The new facility is also a $40 million vote of confidence in Rangiora as a place to do business as the company employs mainly Waimakariri staff.
The company chose to move its business to Rangiora, despite ‘‘a strong emotional attachment” to Kaiapoi, Donovan said.
‘‘We had been at the Kaiapoi site since 1962, but in reality it is now surrounded by residential developments and not really suited to a large manufacturing facility,” he said.
‘‘Rangiora is growing fast and the new site, in the middle of a growing industrial area, is ideal.
‘‘It is not too far away for our Kaiapoi-based staff and closer for some who live in, or near, Todds Road.”
The project took about a year to complete, with staff moving into the new building about four months ago.
The Sutton team began working on ideas for the new design almost immediately after the fire.
That innovation, and the team’s high skill levels, enabled the cost of the project to be completed for ‘‘much less than what it would have cost if our own team weren’t designing and building a lot of the equipment and managing projects required to make things happen’’, Mr Donovan said.
New products, innovation and services are all part of plans for the new factory which employs about half the number of staff the company had in Kaiapoi before the fire.
‘‘New technology and machinery mean less direct labour is required and some of the processes we are managing here were not possible in the temporary buildings we have been working in for the last few years. However, some of these roles will return, so staff numbers will increase,” Kevin said.
Although the company’s largest markets are Australia and New Zealand, the business is growing and has ‘‘various manufacturing and distribution operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and India. We export to the United States and our brands are well-established throughout southeast Asia”, Kevin said.
