Christchurch-based tanker manufacturer Lowes Industries has moved to a purpose-built facility after 25 years at its former premises.
The business has been operating for over 55 years as one of the top dangerous goods tanker manufacturers in New Zealand but has now outgrown its previous sites.
Managing director John Metcalf says the company has been “quietly growing” over the years, initially occupying one building, then two, then three right up to the five sites they operated out of in Woolston, Christchurch.
In a project which has taken 10 years of planning, they have now moved to a purpose-designed facility in Chapmans Rd, Hillsborough.
Metcalf says the location is perfect for them, being just a stone’s throw away from the Mobil fuel terminal, the Liquigas LPG terminal, container storage terminal and many other customer sites.
Lowes is the only dangerous goods road tanker builder in the South Island and is also an appointed service agent for Palfinger and Hiab truck mounted cranes and they look after Hammar and Patchell side lifters for its many customers.
“As a result of continued growth in the business, the premises the company occupied became too small and too inefficient to continue to operate from,” Metcalf says.
He says the need to expand was identified over 10 years ago and work got underway to investigate options to improve operations.
The company initially implemented a “lean manufacturing programme” which paid huge dividends in improving productivity and throughput, Metcalf says.
It allowed the business to grow in its existing properties, but inevitably the time came when the only way upwards was to seek a larger site.
It took six years before the right opportunity arose following a huge investment and commitment into the venture.
The new purpose-built premises located at 12A Chapmans Rd, Hillsborough features 2000 square metres of workshop space comprising 18 truck bays.
It includes a two-bay dangerous goods certified service workshop which allows technicians to work on tankers with product still on board, a double covered wash bay and a two-story admin facility on a 6500 square metre site.
After having been delayed by the Covid shutdown, the move took place over a period of six weeks and was completed on August 10 with various finishing touches like car parking, gates and access control systems installed over the following two months.
Metcalf says that he and the rest of the team are excited to be operating in the new site and welcoming their customers to such a “top-class environment”.
He says it’s “much more comfortable” and the business can now cope with greater production and service throughput.
It also provides enough yard space to allow drivers to easily enter “without the stress they have had to endure getting into the old yard”.
*Go to lowes.nz or follow the company on Facebook and LinkedIn for more information.
