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The
year is 1947. The New Zealand Navy holds the first Waitangi
Day celebrations at the treaty house grounds in Waitangi,
Mabel Howard becomes the country’s first woman cabinet minister,
the All Blacks win the Bledisloe cup, and in the rural Waikato community of Morrinsville BLM Engineering Co Ltd opens
for business.
BLM
was founded by Jim Bates, Keith Limmer and Fred Moore, three
young men who had only recently completed their engineering
apprenticeships.
The entrepreneurial nature of these three
young men was also matched by a passion for adventure. In
October 1947, just shortly after the formation of BLM Engineering,
Keith Limmer left to work at sea with the Union Steamship
Co. He returned in 1949 and remained with BLM until 1985.
Shortly
after Keith’s return Fred Moore left to take up an engineer’s
position at Mount Isa in Australia.
Jim
Bates had a passion for inventing, so much so that one associate
described him as “the nearest approach to a mad inventor I
have ever met”. One project that he took on was the design
of special honey extraction equipment for a beekeeper by the
name of Edmund Hillary, and it was through this encounter
that Jim became involved with Sir Ed’s famous trip to the
South Pole on Massey Ferguson tractors.
In
the early days the focus of the business was servicing the
agricultural industry, and it was this work that provided
the springboard to major projects throughout New
Zealand.
These
projects ranged from the Marsden Point oil refinery to the
Kaimai rail tunnel, from dairy and meat companies to chemical
plants, from forestry projects to the requirements of the
agricultural sector, and from local authorities to small business
needs.
Our Present
BLM Engineering currently has three shareholders,
all of whom are actively involved in the daily operations
of the business. The company operates under the management
of two working directors, whom between them have over 60 years
of industry experience. They come from both mechanical and
electrical engineering backgrounds
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Jon
Elliott
Managing
Director. NZCE Mechanical. Has a background in mechanical
engineering with over 35 years industry experience.
He oversees a range of corporate tasks including administration,
finance and resources. The fabrication shop is Jon's
area of responsibility within the production environment.
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Matt Coombes
Director. Has a background in electrical and mechanical engineering
which includes 18 years in the electrical supply and
distribution industry and four and a half years experience
with MIRINZ. His work covers facets such as design,
quotations and plant maintenance packages. He oversees
the de-boning machinery division where his role includes
marketing and sales as well as the manufacturing, installation
and commissioning of machines for the meat industry.
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At
BLM we are aware of the importance of training for the
overall benefit of the engineering industry in New
Zealand. For this reason we retain a continual flow of apprentices
through both the fabrication and machining workshops
with an intake of new apprentices each year.
We
offer our clients a total engineering package including
design, manufacture, installation and servicing activities.
Our Future
BLM
is confident in its ability to be a strong player in
the engineering industry in the future. Plans are already
underway for a new manufacturing facility to be built
in Morrinsville, an indication of the firm’s ongoing
commitment to the local economy.
We
aim to strengthen and focus our role internationally
as a leading manufacturer of food processing equipment,
and locally in the carbon steel fabrication, stainless
steel fabrication, precision machining and gear cutting
industries. We will lead the way with our support services
of consultancy, repairs and maintenance, tank container
survey, plant maintenance service contracts and engineering
design.
We will endeavour to be a preferred employer
for staff in our industry and area.
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Our aim will be
achieved by:
1.
Earning
the loyalty of our clients and their recommendation
of our company through:
·
Providing
quality products and service
·
Dependable
delivery
·
Operational
efficiency through continuous improvement
·
Responding
well to our clients needs
2.
Giving
our staff purpose, pride and security through:
·
Sustaining
a work environment that attracts, retains and develops
the best people
·
Fostering
an internal culture where staff feel ownership in the
business
·
Recognition
for good performance
·
A strong
emphasis on health & safety issues
3.
Giving
our Community prosperity and security through:
·
Being
a good employer
·
Demonstrating
a concern for the local community
·
Participating
in the protection of the environment
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