New Zealand Defence Industry Awards of Excellence 2004
The Defence Industry Committee of New Zealand sponsors the New Zealand Defence Industry Awards on an annual basis. Nominations are called from the New Zealand Defence Force and other organisations with an interest in defence procurement.
For the 2004 Awards ten nominations were received, the following awards were presented.
Category A: New Zealand Defence Industry Awards of Excellence
The Category A awards are for major suppliers of goods or services to the New Zealand Defence Force or Ministry of Defence. This may include major sub-contractors or service suppliers.
Category A Winners
- Opus International Consultants Ltd
- McMillan & Lockwood (PN) Ltd, Palmerston North
Design and construction of LAV III Hangars and Training Facilities at Waiouru and Linton Camps.
This project was notable because both companies, although on separate contracts, collaborated, with the Army, to produce a superior product. Key to the success of the project was teamwork and how each company offered suggestions to reduce costs and improve utility of the buildings, while keeping the project within time and budget.
While the buildings are not "high tech" or "innovative", the project is commendable for the way the contractors and the client worked together to produce an excellent outcome.
Category A: Highly Commended Certificate
- SAFE Air Ltd, Blenheim
Safe Air was a partner to Kaman, the prime contractor for the RNZN Seasprite helicopters. Part of the contract required Safe Air to send a number of technicians to the Kaman plant, both to assist in production and to learn sufficient about the aircraft to enable the company to provide adequate through life support.
In the end, the company's staff proved to be of such high quality that Kaman requested a significant increase in the numbers provided, and employed them in a much wider range of duties. During this process, they identified some improvements and economies, which were incorporated to the benefit of the NZDF. The outcome is also a significant technology transfer, which puts the company in an excellent position to better serve the NZDF and grow the NZ aviation industry in this area.
Category B: New Zealand Defence Recognition of Industry Excellence
This category recognises sub-contractors and lower level suppliers who provide excellent service in a variety of ways, but are difficult to assess against the major contractors.
Category B Winner
- Motor Sport Apparel Ltd, Levin
Motor Sport Apparel produce, amongst other things, various forms of personal support equipment for defence forces. They were nominated for the Awards because of their responsiveness to an emergency situation where the Army's need for some particular products was higher than the capacity of their usual supplier.
The company's reaction, which was to employ extra labour, purchase some additional equipment, and farm out some of its routine work to other companies, resulted in the product being supplied as required. During this reorganisation of the company's production plan, they also developed some changes that made the items more efficient to produce and more effective for the final user.
Hon Mark Burton (left), Minister of Defence with Peter Roe, Managing Director of Motor Sport Apparel Ltd with their award.
Category B: Highly Commended Certificates
- Gino Hydraulics Ltd, Christchurch
- G H Varley Pty Ltd, Tomago NSW
Gino's was contracted by the RNZAF to build a set of hydraulic jacks for use on RNZAF B757 aircraft. While the jacks employ conventional technology, these are larger than the company has produced in the past, and required the purchase of additional machine shop equipment to carry it out.
The total package, which includes a pumping box, has a number of innovations, which make the system more effective and efficient. Additionally, the documentation and training packages are described as superb. The company has since sold a number of these units to a civil airline, with considerable future potential.
The NZ LAV Project Team identified a safety shortcoming in manufacturer's approved method of removing Run Flat tyres, which are a solid rubber ring, which fits on the wheel inside the standard tyre. They conveyed their concerns to Varley's, who put considerable effort into redesigning the device, and manufacturing the quantity required by the Army. In service the product has proved both safer and easier to use.
