WHO WE ARE
THE STORY STARTED
Established in 1868, A & G Price Ltd is one of New Zealand’s largest and longest established engineering works.
Comprising a total capability foundry, heavy machine shop, fabrication section and fitting bays, we offer the highest level of engineering expertise to a wide range of industries. Located in Thames, we employ highly skilled foundry tradesmen, machinists, fitters, welders and engineers. The plant is available on a 24-hour 7-day basis to cater for emergency work, breakdowns and urgent orders.
With a suite of skills covering foundry, machining, fabrication, welding, fitting and engineering design, A&G Price is the supplier of choice for manufacturers all around the world.
We have manufactured locomotives and wagons for the rail industry, designed and built specialised components for the Defence industry, supplied keels and bulbs to America’s Cup syndicates, and completed major plant refurbishment projects for a variety of processing plants.
Our foundry produces medium to large castings in irons, steels and non-ferrous metals, whilst our comprehensive heavy machine shop can handle large work pieces up to 40 tonnes and 10 metres long.
HISTORY
In 1868, two pioneering English brothers, Alfred and George Price, opened an engineering workshop in Onehunga, Auckland.
At the time there was a flourishing industry producing flax rope for export, but the process was painstakingly slow. The brothers saw an opportunity for a machine to process the flax fibre, and the business was soon busy producing more than 100 of the Price-designed machines in the first year.
1871 saw the Price brothers open a foundry and engineering works in Thames, near the booming gold mining industry developing on the Coromandel Peninsula. Powered by Pelton wheels from water piped from the nearby ranges, the company was soon thriving, manufacturing ore stampers, crushers and feeders, steam engines, boilers, timber jacks and Pelton wheels – all designed or modified by the Price brothers.
In the late 1880’s the company designed and built a steam locomotive for the local gold mining industry. So good was the quality of this locomotive that a whole new industry was born.
The implementation of a rail network within NZ led to A & G Price Ltd supplying a total of 298 steam and diesel locomotives for NZ Rail, plus numerous other shunting and special-purpose locomotives for private industry.
The decline of the rail industry in the 1960’s forced a change in direction for A&G Price. Relying on a long history of innovation, reliability and quality, the company won major contracts around the world. Investment in specialised heavy machining plant gave the works a unique capacity to cast and machine medium to large castings, as well as carry out highly technical refurbishment work for industries such as hydroelectric power generation, mining and processing. Prices won several key contracts on the ANZAC frigate contract, and the America’s Cup campaigns in 1995 and 2000. In both years, all winners and challengers for the America’s Cup were fitted with keels and bulbs manufactured in Thames by A&G Price.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The organization aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the efficient application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system.
A&G Price Ltd has developed and implemented a Quality Management System to demonstrate its ability to provide consistent components and services that meet customer and applicable regulatory requirements and to address customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including continual improvement and the prevention of nonconformity.
The Quality System complies with the international standard ISO 9001.
The Quality Management Systems objectives are driven by the need to pursue Continuous Improvement. Data generated from non-conformances, root cause analysis, process flow mapping and customer satisfaction surveys are some of the techniques deployed by the company.
The organization aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the efficient application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system.
QUALITY
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ISO9001 Accredited (International Standard)
ENVIROMENTAL
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Raw Material is recycled scrap metal
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Foundry Sand Recycled
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Clean Air (Bag-House)
SAFETY
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Commitment to OSH (PPE Equipment etc)
