Component Rebuild Centre milestone for Gough Group

25 September 2013 – embargoed until this date

PRESS RELEASE

Component Rebuild Centre milestone for Gough Group - $10 million investment

The Gough Group has made another milestone investment with the opening of the new $10 million Component Rebuild Centre at its head office in Hornby, Christchurch, today (September 25).

The purpose-built facility, which will be officially opened by the Hon Simon Bridges, Minister of Energy and Resources, will provide a controlled environment for the rebuild of engines, powertrain components, hydraulics and fuel injection equipment

Karl Smith, Group Chief Executive of the Gough Group, said this investment, one of the most significant in its 84-year history, ensured the heavy equipment market in New Zealand has access to a world-class facility.

“The leading edge environmental control technology of the building is matched by investment in new tooling, including a new engine dynamometer, transmission test cell and fuel injector test cell.

“This will enable Gough’s engineers and technicians to service the latest, most technologically advanced Caterpillar equipment, especially, but not exclusively, for the mining industry.

“The workshop is climate controlled with positive pressure to keep the environment clean, has high speed doors to assist in the task, the roof is insulated and the walls are concrete tilt slab to enhance energy efficiency and help contribute to a stable environment within.

“There is also a separate disassembly area to ensure the facility’s contamination control levels remain at the highest Caterpillar five star rating,” he said.

The CRC took two years to plan and a further nine months to build. The workshop floor is 80 metres by 30 metres with three specialist sealed rooms and 20 overhead cranes.

“At present we have a staff of 16 in this section with a capacity to have 40 technicians working over a 24-hour period. We have already started recruiting for the facility and currently have four vacancies for technicians.

“The Gough Group is the largest employer of heavy diesel apprentices in New Zealand and this facility will work in closely with the apprenticeship scheme. We have 55 apprentices in our four-year course at present and will be looking to take on 13 more in the 2014 year. We have several adult apprentices in training and we are also upgrading a group of petrol technicians to become heavy-duty diesel technicians, an 18-month process,” he said.

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