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hand & power tools & accessories
Sutton Tools’ Kaiapoi factory will restart “within months”
Sutton Tools can rightly be described as both proud and passionate about manufacturing locally.
“Although we import and distribute a wide range of drills for New Zealand industry it is the manufactured products from our Kaiapoi factory that we are most proud of,” says the company’s Kiwi website.
As such, it was saddening to hear the news that its Kaiapoi factory – the heart of the business for 60 years and still the only drill bit manufacturer in New Zealand – burned to the ground in late January.
Sutton Tools still has its two other manufacturing sites in Thomastown (northern Melbourne) and Maryborough (central Victoria) but losing Kaiapoi for now will be a blow.
We reached out to Kevin Donovan, Sutton Tools NZ’s General Manager, for an update.
“The team at Sutton Tools would like to thank everyone for the support and kind wishes since the fire at our factory on January 30th,” he says.
“The hardware and industrial supply network in New Zealand and Australia are a very special community and we have been overwhelmed by the offers of help and support from our customers, suppliers, and competitors.”
He continues:“It is very difficult to describe what it’s like for our team to see the destruction of our workplace however the most difficult part is to deal with is the effect of stress and the emotional upheaval this has caused our team in New Zealand and Australia.”
Unfortunately, there will be job losses due to the time frames around rebuilding, however some engineers have relocated to Australia and some of the Kaiapoi production team will also relocate on temporary assignments to Sutton Tools’ Thomastown and Maryborough factories.
Ultimately, however, the plan is for the Kaiapoi plant to rise from the ashes:“After the initial shock, reality set in and we were very quickly focused on the future – how we could best support staff, manage the rebuild and minimise disruption for our customers,” says Kevin Donovan, adding:“I am amazed by what the team has achieved
in three weeks since the fire.”
In terms of the recovery, the resources of the broader Sutton Tools
business will be brought to bear, he says:“The Sutton family has a strong commitment to manufacturing and have always taken a long- term view for the business.
“The vertically integrated strategy of the group will pay off for us. It means that despite the complexity of the business, we have the skills and infrastructure for a reasonably fast recovery and will take the opportunity to fast forward our continuous improvement program.”
In this respect, the combination of Sutton Tools’ own machine building division, in-house engineers, separate distribution
centres and a very experienced global sourcing team means some manufacturing could begin at Kaiapoi within three months with production volumes increasing as new machine builds are completed locally and other machinery and equipment arrives from overseas.
And Sutton Tools’ Auckland warehouse is still operating as normal, with stock on hand and more coming, including finished products sourced from quality manufacturers around the globe.
“In summary,”says Kevin Donovan,“this means there will be some short-term changes to our business and some disruption to our normal supply chains, but we are determined to come back better from this, and we are equipped with the right team and funding to recover from the fire.”
From Australia, Managing Director Peter Sutton underlines: “Sutton Tools is committed to recovering from this major event and continue to support all the people, staff and customers, who have supported us since the business began in 1917.”
Signing off for now, Kevin Donovan is keen to add this piece of advice:“Review and understand your insurance policies – nobody expects what just happened to us.”
We send our very best wishes to everyone affected and will continue to keep tabs on the Kaiapoi factory’s recovery.
https://suttontools.co.nz/
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