THE NEW FACE OF NEW ZEALAND MANUFACTURING www.engineeringnews.co.nz 3 E D I T O R I A L A welcome to 2016 from Engineering News! Now I could start the year off on a sour note and delve into the dairy industry’s plight following the release of recent 2015 trade figures. The engineering industry via flow through is among many affected by falling milk prices. So I could talk about how exports of milk powder, butter and cheese were down 21% ($3billion) in 2015. As we went to print Fonterra had announced a downward revision of its milk payout. Not good news for the large majority of its farmers. An unprofitable year for them means that equipment doesn’t get an upgrade. They don’t need things built, or put projects off. As I said, I could look at the dairy industry and continue the evaluations by many scribes of a top heavy, single commodity-dependent economy. But, instead, let’s look at something we can control. These positive, success stories come from within your engineering industry and although nowhere near the lofty headline-grabbing heights of those that surround dairy, they do contribute to an industry that some pundits see the potential as being the next big thing in New Zealand’s economy. Let’s start with EMEX 2016 - set to be the biggest in a decade. The announcement from show organiser Expo is a shot in the arm for the industry, with the show highlighting the very cream of suppliers, products and services. The networking opportunities available due to the industry being in one spot are a massive tool that engineering businesses require. It’s a must attend. Wellington-based Fraser Engineering is leading by example on another front. Automotive engineering departments around the country are facing significant skills shortages, so Fraser Engineering has taken the bull by the horns and is showing that their industry is for women too. With plans to significantly increase output and expand the business, the company has employed two young women, Jennifer Rogers and Anne Marie Edmonds, as production assistants. From the opposite gender spectrum, did you hear about the efforts of Mike Lightfoot and his team of merry men at Milmeq? For Movember they raised thousands of dollars and Mike finished 4th in New Zealand and Milmeq 8th in their respective categories for raising money. An absolutely superb effort guys. Here’s another positive… what about Wintec teaming up with Waikato secondary schools to address the national engineering shortage and promote the industry? Together they’ve developed a programme to give school students a pathway to engineering. Or to get things revved up, how about Hartley Engines and Motorsport and the technology they are using and building? They have the very Kiwi ‘can we build it attitude’ long before ‘can we buy it’ enters the mind. Not putting a spin on this snippet of news, but a West Auckland business called Revolution Fibres is the first nanofibre producer in the world to meet aerospace industry standards: AS9100c certification. The quality assurance will no doubt boost interest and sales from interested aerospace clients but the company sees its innovation to be incorporated into many industries and its nanofibre can be used to do everything from strengthening fishing rods through to enhancing satellite components. And all of that great guff (and more) is in this issue of Engineering News. What are you doing to contributing to the engineering industry that is out of the box or innovative? Let me know. Greg Robertson Publisher greg@hayleymedia.com CONTROLLING THE CONTROLLABLE lep.net.nz precision3dprinting.co.nz precisionfoundry.co.nz challengepartners.co.nz
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