From June issue of NZ Manufacturer magazine.

Page Macrae Engineering is one of New Zealand’s most respected heavy engineering fabrication companies, with a legacy spanning more than six decades.

Based in Mount Maunganui, the company was founded in 1955 and has built a reputation for large-scale projects in tank and piping fabrication for the energy, pulp and paper and water-treatment sectors; log and dry bulk solid handling equipment for ship loading and unloading; bulk storage for fuel and chemicals; and manufacture of forestry equipment.

At the helm of Page Macrae is CEO Alan Sutcliffe, whose leadership has recently helped steer the company into new international markets.

The Employers and Manufacturers Association’s Nicholas Russell sat down with Alan to discuss the company’s new world-leading hopper, which sparked huge interest during a recent sales trip to Europe.

Can you tell us about your recent product launch and how it was received internationally?
We recently launched our new Bulk Master Smart Dock Hopper in Mount Maunganui at an event attended by the Prime Minister and some of his Ministers.

It’s a hopper full of smart technology that is designed to suppress dust emissions during bulk cargo unloading from ships. Traditional hoppers create large dust plumes, which harm the environment.

Our design includes a vacuum system that captures the dust as cargo is released into the hopper and is automated, so operators can control the system remotely without having to be in a hazardous environment.

We previewed the product at a conference in Australia recently, which had strong attendance from European buyers. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Based on that, we decided to test the product in the European market by attending the Breakbulk event in Rotterdam in May. That trip validated that our product fills a gap not currently met in the Northern Hemisphere.

All our competitors were at the show and saw our product. We realised this is now a race – not about patents, but speed to market. We need to get installations in Europe as soon as possible.

How long has the hopper been in development?
It’s been about 18 months in development, with our R&D team actively working on it for 12 of those months.

The concept began during discussions for an environmental accord in the Mount Maunganui industrial zone, where businesses pledged to take action to improve their environmental footprint.

The Environment Court has focused on managing particulate matter in the Mount Maunganui area, where Port of Tauranga is located, and this product is the outcome of that directive and our contribution to generating a healthier environment that we work and live in.

Are other countries experiencing similar environmental pressures?
Absolutely. We’ve had interest from Australia and Europe, including Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Portugal, as well as parts of Africa and the UAE. Globally, ports are being pressured to control emissions or risk losing their operating licenses.

Are your competitors doing the same thing?
Surprisingly, no. In Europe, we saw hoppers at ports in Ireland that lacked our dust suppression and automation features.

Globally, no one is doing exactly what we’re doing. Our hopper includes truck recognition, weighing systems, radar controls, and IoT connectivity.

We can remotely monitor systems anywhere in the world from New Zealand, tracking the likes of fill rates, service needs and motor hours. We’ve already sold five hoppers across New Zealand and Australia and are building them now.

The first one just completed testing at Port of Tauranga and exceeded expectations, allowing ship unloading operations to continue in high winds.

That success has piqued interest from other ports that were waiting for results before ordering. Now it’s about pushing hard and converting those into actual orders.

How do you manage the challenge and cost of shipping such large equipment internationally?
We’ve designed the hopper to be flat-packed, fitting into twelve standard 40-foot containers. This drastically cuts shipping costs and allows us to be competitive in foreign markets. We can then send a team to assemble it onsite and train the client.

Was the hopper a new digital journey for your company?
Definitely. Page Macrae is traditionally a heavy engineering and fabrication company. This is our first product designed with a strong digital and automation component and is creating revenue streams in data analytics.

How did you build the technical skills for this transformation?
We engaged external software and hardware consultants and we now have a small in-house software and electrical team and are expanding those capabilities.

We operate in a relatively low-tech sector but we are seeking AI opportunities and looking into technologies like VR headsets to assist on the shop floor by comparing welds to design drawings for accuracy checks.

We automate where feasible, but it doesn’t naturally fit every aspect of our industry as our core strength is skilled welding and fitting.

How has health and safety influenced your design approach?
It’s central. Our company has always had the highest safety standards for our large-scale project work. With the hopper, we focused on automation to remove workers from hazardous port environments, enhancing safety and becoming a major selling point.

What’s your advice for smaller manufacturers trying to grow?
Focus on product development even when intuitively you want to conserve outgoings. Try to integrate technology where you can, even in traditional industries. And invest in your people – it’s costly but pays off in the long run. Our apprenticeship programme is
something we’re extremely proud of.

The company has run an academy for 60 years. We typically have 20–25 apprentices at any one time on a four-year programme.

We partner with Competenz and we are approved to run our own block courses due to the high quality of our documentation and training. It paid off during COVID-19 when we couldn’t bring in overseas workers; we had home-grown talent ready to go. One of our apprentices, Joshua Chugg, was even a finalist at the Ministry of Manufacturing Awards this year.

In addition, Page Macrae has been an EMA member since 1964, and we’ve made good use of EMA’s training courses for our supervisors. Our GM of People also uses EMA services regularly for key legal and HR support. It’s a valuable resource for us.

What’s your view on the state of New Zealand manufacturing?

It’s been a very tough ride, that’s for sure. Many manufacturers in our sector are struggling, chasing fewer projects with tighter margins. We’re fortunate to have both a project and product division, which gives us some flexibility.

Manufacturing across New Zealand has been in contraction for two years, so it’s great to have a positive story to share – one that highlights this country as a global leader in innovation.