Type Private Headquarters Palmerston North Founded 1866 | Industry engineering Founder James J. Niven | |
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J.J. Niven Engineering Ltd is an engineering company based in Palmerston North. Their wide range of engineering includes pressure vessels, gantry cranes, scissor and stage lifts, conveyors, timber handling equipment, wool presses, hydraulics, pneumatics, pipework, water and solid and liquid waste treatment, machinery installation and maintenance and fabrication and machining of boiler plate, stainless and mild steels.
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The present private company was registered on 11 September 1996, though its predecessor was founded in 1866 in Napier and was at times a listed company.
History
The original company went through several mergers and, more recently, parts have been sold to several other companies.
Niven's was founded by Charles Scott Galloway in Napier in 1866 as Hawke’s Bay Foundry, a blacksmiths for the local farming, fishing and shipping industries. In 1886 James J. Niven bought a £120 share in the smithy, which was soon being advertised as 'Galloway and Niven' at the Port of Napier. In 1893 Geo. Nelson, sheep farmer and owner of slaughterhouses at Tomoana and Woodville, bought Galloway's share in the company, when he retired, the company becoming 'Jas J Niven & Co'. By 1900 Nivens had a major factory with foundry, machine shop, boiler shop and a showroom. James Niven retired in 1903, leaving Mr Nelson as chairman and managing director. In 1908 a private company was created with a capital of £82,700. In 1910 a fire was not fully covered by insurance. However, work continued and by 1912 the company had a wide range of contracts around the country and capital was increased to £300,000. Up to at least 1969, Jas J.Niven was in Waghorne St, Ahuriri, now a housing estate The company advertised as Niven Engineering in 1971.
Napier Machinery Installation Ltd was formed in 1974 and liquidated in 1993. In 1976 MacEwans Machinery and Napier Machinery merged, forming what is now known as Napier Engineering and Contracting Ltd and their subsidiary, Niven Abattoir Equipment.
Agencies
As well as making their own products, Nivens were New Zealand agents for many other companies. By 1907 Jas. J. Niven were sole agents for Linde British freezing machines, National gas and petrol engines and suction gas plants, Gwynnes pumps, Blackman Ventilating fans, Brown and May steam engines, Electromotors Ltd and Unbreakable Pulley and Mill Gearing Co. In 1913 the head office moved to Wellington, but the Napier works was expanded. Later they were also agents for Bosch, R.B.F. Ball Bearings, Schebler Carburettors, Nelsons Patent Steel Fencing, Permutit.and A S Refrigerators. By 1924 they'd added Bruce Peebles' motors, Cambridge scientific instruments, Hopkinson's valves, Venner time switches, Broadbent & Sons hydro extractors and Atlas metals.
13 November 1914 Messrs J. J. Niven and Co. had a nice display of threshing mill requirements, also samples of lubricating oils.
29 January 1916 government commandeered part of Napier ironworks for repairing freezing equipment.
In 1922 Jas. J. Niven was the only New Zealand manufacturer of freezing equipment, which they had been building from 1915.
Branches
The company had several offices and factories. At various times they included -
Gisborne - James Brown Ltd, founded in 1887 as a blacksmiths, was taken over in 1902 and in 1904 moved to Kaiti. In 1918 4 men were injured when making a casting for a dredge. In the late 1950s the workshop was sold and renamed Gisborne Engineering. In the 1970s it moved to Parkinson St. In 1991 Max Carruthers, bought the company to expand his sheet metal business, Endeavour Sheetmetals Ltd, which was renamed Gisborne Engineering Ltd in 1995.
Palmerston North works were built in 1903. In 1915 the company was in Church St in the centre of town. In 1987 the former Nivens Engineering workshop in Pitt St was sold. The present company is in the north east of the city.
London - office address on Institution of Mechanical Engineers list in 1906 and mentioned in 1912 advert.
Dunedin branch was open by 1907.
Auckland After the 1908 incorporation, an office was opened. Jas. J. Niven & Co. Ltd's building, refrigerating engineers, Parnell Rise area, Auckland. 1940s. Before they moved to 63 Customs St West?
Hamilton - H. Upton Engineer had premises built in 1902 and 1907. They were taken over by Jas J Niven & Co. Ltd in 1911. Fires in 1919 and 1924 caused some damage. Nivens were still in the centre of town in 1939, but moved to Frankton in 1960 and, in 1980, joined with WSM Industries Ltd to form Niven Process Engineering (NZ) Ltd. That company was deregistered in 1991. A 1984 advert showed Niven Manufacturing Waikato Ltd. That company was registered from 1983 to 1992, when it was renamed, though it didn't appear in the local phone book after 1990.
Christchurch Needham, Niven & Co. Ltd was a subsidiary. In 1909 it was in Hereford St, but the 1922 phone directory showed it at 562 Colombo Street and 1968 - 72 adverts as Jas. J. Niven & Co Ltd. at 558 Colombo St.
Wairoa - a 1920 report mentions a branch established before 1912.
Nelson - an undated photo indicates there was a branch. In 1911 Nelson Steam Laundry bought a boiler and engine from S. Luke and Sons.
Wellington Until 1912 the firm had a small rented office. Then S Luke & Co was acquired and, in 1913, Wellington became the head office of Jas. J. Niven & Co Ltd, remaining so until the firm moved out in 1973. In 1968 there was a branch in Lower Hutt.
S Luke & Co Ltd
Gilchrist and Waters founded a Wellington engineering company in 1876 on part of what became the company's 1 1⁄2 acres (0.61 ha) Manners St site in Te Aro, on the edge of the harbour. It was bought by Luke and Son in 1879, when it already had 5 forges, a steam engine and a 21-year lease from 1878.
In the early days the firm struggled, but revived with opening of freezing works, W. Coast coal mines and building, or enlarging, several steamers (until reclamation left the shipyard landlocked) -
In 1895, the name was changed to S. Luke and Co. Ltd, with directors Samuel Luke, Charles M. Luke, and John P. Luke (1882-1935). Products included 11 hydraulic cranes for Wellington Harbour Board, 1897 equipment for the Cape Palliser lighthouse, dairy machines, boilers, cooking ranges, (for which they held a patent) and gold dredges. One of the firm's 30 hp (22 kW) engines powered its machinery. Staff numbers ranged from 80 to 150.
In 1913 Jas. J. Niven and Co. Ltd. took over Luke and Co. John P Luke moved to politics, but his sons and his brother's remained managers and owner, George Nelson, was resident manager. He and most of the office staff moved from Napier to Wellington.
Share trading
Most of the important transactions transforming the company seem to have been made when it was privately owned. However, for a while it was listed on Wellington Stock Exchange and, from 1943, also on Auckland Stock Exchange.
The 1938 accounts showed a net profit of £14,472, up from £12,378 in 1937 and £10,243 in 1936. By 1942 profit was £10,429 and in 1945 £19,657.