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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
two shareholders, both of whom are actively involved in the daily
operations of the business. The company operates under the management
of one working director, who has over 35 years of industry experience.
Jon
has a strong mechanical engineering background.
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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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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. 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
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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
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Fostering an internal culture
where staff feel ownership in the business
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Recognition for good performance
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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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