Plastic pipe building company opens North Island base

Leading-edge plastic pipe building company opens North Island base in Levin

Frank PKS (NZ) Ltd is establishing a new manufacturing plant in Levin to meet growing demand in the North Island.

The Christchurch-based firm is part of the world-wide network of FRANK companies that are leaders in plastic technology. It’s a family-owned business that employs 56 people in New Zealand. Currently they are operating three pipe manufacturing machines six days a week, and manufacture manholes and other prefabricated structures from the same material.

“We’ve bought a site in Hamaria Road and for the first 15 months we’ll use it as a base to store product for our North Island customers,” says company Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Browne. "Then we’ll build a new plant and install a pipe machine. I’m looking for a part-timer at present but once the build is complete in 2019 we’ll need eight people per shift so 28-30 people all up,” he says.

“A few years ago we worked for a client in Havelock North and had to truck everything to them from the South Island. Since then our work in the North Island has grown strongly. We came up for a visit and met the previous Mayor of Horowhenua. He showed us around and made us feel welcome – we’ve been in Christchurch for over a decade and never met the mayor,” Nick says.

“It makes financial sense to be based here. We could have gone to Auckland but we chose this end of the island because it’s more cost-efficient. Freight-wise everything is coming down from Auckland so it’s cheaper and easier to get goods up the other way. It means we reduce our environmental footprint as well. We already recycle all pipes that aren’t up to scratch and all our pipes are recyclable, even after years of service in the ground.”

Horowhenua District Council Economic Development Manager Shanon Grainger has been working with Nick and his team for nearly two years.

“Levin is an ideal location for manufacturers looking to supply the North Island,” Shanon says.

“As Nick said, it’s cheaper and easier to freight product north than it is south – that’s a commercial advantage we have.”

Shanon says it’s been pleasing to be involved in helping a new company set up in Horowhenua, particularly one that is committed to improving the quality of infrastructure and its own environmental footprint.

“We use technology developed in Germany, and it’s proving to be better and longer-lasting than concrete, polyurethane or fibreglass pipes,” Nick says.

“For people building roads and sewage systems our product is a whole lot easier to handle. The large pipes like our 2.5 meter id pipe at six meters long weighs around 3.3 tonnes – compare that to 11.2 tonnes for a 2.4 meter length of concrete pipe,” he says.

We are able to trace all pies that are manufactured by putting a camera down and reading the details of how that section of pipe was made and where the resin was sourced.

Our Double Rubber Ring Pipes (TSC) for short, have special tree root-proof rubber seals and they help ensure the pipes can be connected and protected in the long term.”

All Frank PKS products have the Certificate of Conformity to the New Zealand and international standards (AS/NZs 4130, AS/NZ 5065). They also have the StandardsMark licence to AS/NZS 5065, this being the only company in New Zealand to have this.

“We guarantee our product for 100 years, as long as they’re installed correctly. In Germany, the in-house testing regime is up to 1500 years and counting for the raw material used in the manufacturing of our pipes,” says Mr Browne.

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