News
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January 2012
EPL Managing Director Tom Thomson Finalist for New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) 2012 New Zealand International Business Leaders Award.
In the last few days EPL Managing Director Tom Thomson has been announced as a finalist in the 2012 New Zealand International Business Leaders awards. Tom was nominated in the Outstanding International Business Leader section of the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise 2012 awards.
This award recognises the vision, commitment and success of an outstanding leader with a long history in internationalisation. It acknowledges overall results achieved through outstanding: planning, business model structures, operational management, research and development, financial strategy, product or service development, partnerships, and a willingness to share. The nominee will also have been an active role model and mentor over many years.
The category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on March 21st 2012.
Read more: http://www.nzte.govt.nz/latest-events/new-zealand-international-business-awards/2012-finalists/pages/outstanding-leader.aspx
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September 2011 Update
Champion Canterbury Awards.
At this months Champion Canterbury Awards, EPL were recognised in the Exporting section with an acknowledgement for extraordinary performance through the Christchurch earthquakes.
Thankfully the most recent earthquakes have been limited to the lower end of the magnitude scale, meaning little or no further damage being inflicted. Spring is in the air and we are at last starting to enjoy longer days.
The 2011 Champion Canterbury Awards acknowledges examples of
Canterbury businesses who have strived to get Christchurch back
on its feet following the Canterbury Earthquakes. They will be
recognised for their resiliency, creativity and leadership of the
Canterbury business community.
Prime Ministerial Visit.
In May, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John Key visited the EPL Christchurch manufacturing site to view the damage and to lift staff morale. He commented that what had been achieved post quakes was simply incredible.
Prime Minister Key was fascinated with the polymer extrusion process undertaken by EPL and chatted to staff openly about their roles and the tasks they were performing. He finished the day with staff, discussing the World Cup, the economy and sharing a few research findings based on other cities internationally which had been damaged by acts of nature and their post-damage recovery and rebuilds.
Interestingly, the Prime Minister also provided the welcome for all attendees at last week’s Champion Canterbury awards.
Despite
significant quake damage to its infrastructure, the tight knit Elastomer team
has rallied together to ensure its large customer base, local and
international, remains fully supplied and all local employment positions remain
secure.
“What you guys have achieved is simply incredible” Prime Minister John Key
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17/08/2011 12.30pm
Our intention is pick up where we left off on Friday last week. Thankfully we have full shifts on hand for 24 hour production.
Freight from the factory will be backlogged for the next few days as providers continue to battle the weather elements to clear the freight build-up.
If you have urgent orders you require an update on please talk to our customer service team or your usual sales contact directly.
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052 or +64 3 389 2125
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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15/08/2011 9.00am
Heavy snowfalls overnight mean that we have around 400-500mm of snow in parts of Christchurch this morning. The weather is predicted to continue for another 24hours and it is still snowing presently.
The EPL manufacturing business is closed today and will be re-assessed tomorrow due to the due to the conditions.
This will mean probable delays to production for a limited period, until we can reopen and there may also be other logistic delays as the roads, rail and the ports are cleared. EPL’s Auckland warehouse facility are still operational.
If you have urgent orders you require an update on please talk to our customer service team or your usual sales contact directly.
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052 or +64 3 389 2125
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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25/07/2011 10.00am
Christchurch finds itself blanketed in snow this morning and very low temperatures. There is around 5cm of snow on the ground and it is still snowing moderately. This is a usual one in ten year event for Christchurch.
The EPL manufacturing business is open however we have some staff away due to the conditions.
Logistically, we are aware that there are temporary logistical issues throughout the South Island. These will clear with the weather;
Christchurch Airport is closed.
Local couriers will be intermittent
National Line-haul freight to other regions will be delayed
If you have urgent orders you require an update on please talk to our customer service team or your usual sales contact directly.
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052 or +64 3 389 2125
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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21/06/2011 9.00am
The cleanup continues at EPL’s Christchurch manufacturing site. The building was quickly certified by engineers as safe and the main focus has been on re-seating extruders which have moved and tore away from their power and water supplies. Our initial projection of 2-3 days to get back into full production has been hampered by a few unexpected issues, although we have been building manufacturing capacity as machinery is realigned and reconnected.
The supply of water to the building was initially intermittent and our main die storage carousel has also sustained some damage. The dies are currently being extracted manually and the carousel will require a major rebuild. There is some damage to racking at an external store, which will require a clean up once more important work is completed.
We believe that the business has lost 4-5 days production at full capacity but should be back up to full speed early this week.
Some of you may have seen the ASB Business report on Thursday morning where we had the opportunity to respond to some questions on our organizations recovery post-quake, along with our commitment to Christchurch. For those who are interested the links are listed below:
http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/amp-chch-exporter-commits-staying-put-4-23-video-4229840
http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/manufacturer-commits-christchurch-4231576
If you have urgent orders you require an update on please talk to our customer service team or your usual sales contact directly.
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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14/06/2011 8.00am
Yesterday the Christchurch region and in particular the East side of the city experienced two strongly felt tremors of 5.5M and 6.0M. In all there were 51 tremors across the 24hrs and these continue this morning.
As noted yesterday we evacuated the Christchurch production site after the first quake and all staff are safe and accounted for. Staff were then released for the remainder of the day while assessments of the building were undertaken. The results of the structural assessment are not known at this time however a quick visual look around by management did not reveal anything out of the ordinary.
We have machines to purge this morning and bring back on line once the assessment green light is provided and expect to be back in production at some stage this afternoon.
If you have urgent orders you require an update on please talk to our customer service team or your usual sales contact directly.
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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Christchurch has just experienced another earthquake this afternoon. This one measuring 5.5M somewhere near Taylors Mistake in the east of town. The Christchurch factories embarked on a rapid shutdown with everyone leaving the building safely.
We currently have structural engineers on site checking the building as a precaution for staff safety, but do not expect any major issues. Most staff have been sent home, other than a crew expecting to purge the extruders later in the day.
We expect the Christchurch production facility to be back in full production by tomorrow morning.
EPL’s Auckland and other International offices remain open for business.
Best Regards
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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Phones have been restored.
You may once again contact us on the usual numbers.
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07/06/2011 11.00am
Hello
EPL - Elastomer Products Ltd. is currently experiencing difficulties with our phone server, which was relocated to our Auckland brach post the February earthquake.
Unfortunately this server outage affects both inbound and outbound calls – anyone phoning in will experience an overload signal via the landlines.
As an alternative means of urgent communication you are welcome to phone reception via a mobile number;
+ 64 27 605 8001
We are in currently in full production and all other mobile contact numbers are operable.
We will provide a further update on the landline when information is available.
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EPL’s production capability is now complete. We are back to 100% of production lines available to us, although capability is still around 90%. We are short of some staff as those in need take care of things on the domestic front and some rotate-off shift for a well earned rest.
We also now have access to goods in our Christchurch offsite bulk store. This warehouse contains both raw materials and finished goods. The building is structurally un-touched, however the internal racking was severely damaged. Over the last 4 days a team have managed to work with our 3rd party warehouse and logistics provider ‘Online’, removing approximately half of the volume in the store. This has included assessing damaged product, identifying what can be recovered, re-labelling and then repacking much of the other stock.
Many customers, suppliers and associates have provided fantastic support including many calls, emails, some whiteware and food. This has meant a lot to the team working in testing conditions and trying very hard to ensure that a continual flow of prioritised stock continues to get to where it is most needed. All staff have been determined to make sure that no one is let down.
Our signage on the front of the building says it all.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EPL business is fully operational.
Manufacturing capabilities in Auckland, Christchurch and Thailand are in full production.
If you are concerned about the status of current orders or are wishing to discuss future stock requirements please;
Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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EPL’s Maces Road site continues to be particularly busy as machinery is re-commissioned and wider production is re-started . Thankfully the remedial work being completed by Hanham and Philp has meant that the majority of production equipment can remain in its original location within the factory. External production for gaskets, relocated within the first few days post-quake, has now been brought back onto the Maces Road site. While underway in Mark’s garage, the gasket team managed to make an appearance on TV 1’s network news along with a wider story detailing EPL road to recovery. This segment can be viewed through the following link
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/chch-business-turns-garage-into-factory-1-53-video-4046180
The new week has started with production planning across current resources for plastic and silicon, as we develop priorities for customer requirements. It is expected that we should be at around 90% capacity by mid week, running both day and night shifts to catch-up. This is a fantastic result, considering the state of the plant a week ago. Much of the credit for the turnaround goes to committed staff who have bent to the task.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EPL business is operational. Manufacturing capabilities in both Auckland and Thailand are operating normally and production in Christchurch is increasing daily.
If you are concerned about the status of current orders or are wishing to discuss future stock requirements please Phone Customer Service staff on +64 9 274 4052
email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz
or your speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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EPL’s manufacturing site in Maces Road, Christchurch is a hive of activity. Great progress has been made towards cleaning the site up. We now have power and water available, and a construction crew of builders beginning to make repairs to the buildings whilst also ensuring all areas are structurally safe.
The current status of the manufacturing is such that we still aim to be back into some form of extrusion production before the end of the week. The machinery in our ‘Trials’ department was started today at lunchtime and limited product assembly is already underway. Our IT servers have been relocated to Nelson, utilizing the hosting services of Gen-i. This re-establishes phone and network communication capabilities for the group.
At this point, Managing director – Tom Thomson would like to recognize the huge effort put in by all staff. No job has been too small, too dirty or too difficult. The EPL family has stuck to the task at hand and the progress is nothing short of incredible. Also very much appreciated, have been the calls and messages of encouragement from customers.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EPL business is operational. Manufacturing capabilities in both Auckland and Thailand are operating normally and limited production is underway in Christchurch – we expect the Christchurch capability to develop further over the next few days.
If you are concerned about the status of current orders or are wishing to discuss future stock requirements please phone our customer service staff on +64 9 274 4052, email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz or your speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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Tuesday 22nd February saw the Christchurch region hit with a second major earthquake.
Thankfully all EPL staff and visitors made it safely out of the building. We are however cognisant that some have significant home property damage and others have family and friends still on the missing persons list from buildings elsewhere in the city.
After a couple of days off settling their domestic situation, staff are this morning mucking-in to tidy up the Christchurch site – there is a fantastic spirit apparent and everyone is keen to keep moving forward. We have water available and are currently waiting on news regarding power supply. In the meantime some production has been relocated to satellite spaces and is in full swing.
We expect to have a more updates available as our status changes. Updates will therefore continue to be posted on the company website in due course.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EPL business is operational. Manufacturing capabilities in both Auckland and Thailand are operating normally and limited production is underway in Christchurch – we expect the Christchurch capability to develop further over the next few days.
If you are concerned about the status of current orders or are wishing to discuss future stock requirements please phone our customer service staff on +64 9 274 4052, email custserv-chc@elastomer.co.nz or your speak directly with your EPL contact.
If there are any issues or you are struggling to make contact, please feel free to phone myself directly on +64 27 222 7410.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
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26/02/2011 11.00am
Hello
Hopefully where ever you are, you and your family are safe and well.
All EPL Staff are Safe and Well - as are their immediate families.
First task this morning is to check the safety of the building, equipment and utility services.
Logistical capabilities are yet to be determined and we will provide further news in this area if there are any issues.
Updates will also be posted on our website www.elastomer.co.nz for the immediate period.
A good site to check and view these is http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/
If you have any concerns over orders placed with us or for critical production, please feel free to give the team a call.
Best Regards
Andy McNicholl
Group Sales & Marketing Manager
Phone +64 3 373-8627
Fax +64 3 389-2230
Mobile +64 27 222-7410
email amcnicholl@elastomer.co.nz
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