A & G PRICE LTD

Founded in 1868 by two British settlers, A&G Price Ltd has gone on to become an iconic New Zealand manufacturer. Brothers Alfred and George Price established their engineering shop in Auckland, but soon relocated to the current site in Thames to take advantage of the gold-mining boom on the Coromandel Peninsula. The foundry and engineering works designed and manufactured a range of industrial equipment, including stamper batteries, pelton wheels, timber jacks, boilers, steam engines and marine parts.

When the mining boom waned, the brothers turned their skill to manufacturing railway locomotives for transporting logs from the local forests, and vessels such as the paddle steamer ‘Patiki’ and the cutter ‘Despatch’.

The development of the rail network in New Zealand signalled the next phase in the evolution of A&G Price, with the company manufacturing over 200 steam and diesel locomotives, and a large number of wagons for NZ Rail.

Since the end of rail manufacture in NZ in the 1960’s, A&G Price Ltd has been a key player in the defence, mining, marine, forestry, cement, lime, fertiliser rail and steel-making industries throughout the Pacific Rim. The core engineering disciplines and values still exist, as the A&G Price Ltd reputation will testify.

Alfred and George would be proud.