To further promote these two products we attended the TMS 2012 Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Orlando, USA in late March.  TMS is the professional society representing the minerals industry from engineering, processing and production and their annual meeting is strongly supported by the industry.  We had attended the exhibition in 2010 and were keen to return, particularly with our new product.

 The show was worthwhile and we secured prospects and important industry contacts, the latter being very critical to how the industry operates given the mobility of engineers and managers within the industry.

 We worked with a local company, Animation Research Ltd, to put together an impressive iPad ap that displayed our Pit Maintenance Unit at the show in stunning 3D graphics – as shown in the photo. A great combination of local industry.

 It was good to have such a high profile delegation visit and for us to explain a little of our business to them.  They were impressed with the international success we secure in niche markets and they see it as part of the unheralded success that NZ manufacturing experiences. There are many similar manufacturing companies that are doing some pretty impressive things but very much under the radar of government and the public.  Given the impact this has in the economy it should be better recognised.

Maybe we will get our Minister of Manufacturing one day.

Photo courtesy of the ODT from article of today – see article http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/196424/labour-leader-mission-re-engage

 This upgrade programme will see a significant increase in production and will include a brand new turnkey automated brew plant – unfortunately outside our scope to provide.  But we are manufacturing five 33,000 litre storage tanks which will give them some much needed storage as their capacity expands. We will be delivery three of these in May and a further two in November.

It is great to work with such an iconic business here in Dunedin and be part of this important expansion.

 The critical feature is to always keep the platform on which the wall is built absolutely level. We will achieve this through the use of four interlocked mechanical drive systems, technology we are very familiar with through past projects.

 This Flue Wall Building System complements our Pit Wall Maintenance Unit, the former builds the walls, the latter provides access to those same walls when they are in use in the bake pits. Once completed we will begin marketing this unit internationally as well.

 The order for Boyne Island corresponds with an expansion and commissioning of their new carbon anode bake plant.  Interestingly for Tiwai it will be a replacement unit for the first one we ever manufactured, this one was jointly developed with the engineering staff at Tiwai 17 years ago.  Much has changed on the new models, but the fundamentals of the design are unchanged, testimony to a good original design.

We were there in force with a large stand featuring amongst other things our wind turbine caabilities, our personal brewery, the rotary screens and our general design  / fabrication skills.  Attendance was impacted by the wintry conditions and you felt for those whose exhibits didn’t even get to the show because of the conditions.  Overrall however we were very happy with the interest shown and, as is often the case, we were told regulalry that they just didn’t appreciate the breadth of our skills and capabilites.

We attended Beervana 2011, the showcase of craft brewers, on August 5^th and 6^th at the Cake Tin in Wellington.  Over 200 different beers were on show from 60 different NZ and Australian brewers and we sponsor one of the categories.

 We had along our Personal Brewery and had an extraordinary amount of interest over the two days. We had guest brewers put a batch through in the morning and afternoon of the two days and that warm sweet smell of hops and barley filtered through the venue. Our thanks to Organic Brewery, Mussel Inn, Croucher Brewing and Renaissance for their fine efforts – but where did their batches disappear to!

 This was the third time we have been at Beervana and this event is certainly growing in stature and popularity with the public with three of the four public viewing / tasting sessions sold out.

Paul Croucher of Croucher Brewery starting his Plisner brew

Working a brew through the process

 We installed our first unit a number of years ago into the Tiwai smelter at Bluff and since then have succesfully installed them in most of the new build smelters throughout the world.

The show went extremely well with solid interest from municipal, mining and general industry.  We produced a working miniature screen in stainless and that caught the eye of the passing industry members enabling us to quickly portray our capabilities.  We are looking forward to our first sales into this (tough) market, knowing that our quality and pricing will hold us in good stead.