Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
2017 Dwyer Catalogue - get your copy.
Order your free copy here from Homershams
We all like to browse online these days but when the product choice is as huge as Homershams’ Dwyer range, it’s also great to have a hard copy.
If you would like to order a copy of the 2017 catalogue, please click the link below and let us know whether you would like hard copy, CD or both. Please also advise delivery address.
If you would like to order any other catalogues, you can browse the range on our website.
The Honeywell Environmental & Combustion Controls NZ Catalogue, Spiral Bind, covers products including Thermostats, Valves & Actuators, Damper Actuators, Modutrol Motors and Combustion Controls.
Order your free copy here from Homershams
Will consumers pay a premium to food producers doing the right thing by the environment? For most of us, it’s an intriguing conversation starter. For Mike and Sharon Barton, their very future hangs on the answer.
The Bartons run an award-winning 142 hectare sheep and beef property on Taupo’s western shore, where a strict cap on nitrogen discharge has been in effect since 2011. Known colloquially as the ‘N Cap’, it was imposed by the Waikato Regional Council in a bid to limit nitrogen leaching into the lake through Taupo’s highly porous pumice soils. Because most of the nitrogen load can be traced back to animal urine, it’s effectively a cap on stocking rates, and hence productivity.
The Bartons began to truly appreciate what the cap meant for them in 2007, when Mike in his role as chairman of a local farming collective was asked to give evidence at an Environment Court hearing. Using financial records from their own farm and five others in the catchment, and assuming rising costs, static incomes and capped livestock, he modelled the likely economic impact. His conclusion? Worst case, they’d all be insolvent within a decade.
Continue here to read the full article by Matt Philp on Pure Advantage
Four in 10 New Zealand firms say they are interested in investing in robotic processes and automation within the next 12 months, as the so-called fourth industrial revolution continues to gather pace. In contrast, a smaller 36.7% said the same in the equivalent research conducted in Australia.
Businesses across the country indicated they want to learn more about the benefits of drone technology, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, product assembly and services automation, as captured in the latest round of the Alleasing New Zealand Equipment Demand Index (the Index).
One quarter of businesses surveyed said they would consider investing in product assembly and service automation. This emerged as a key investment priority for New Zealand firms, likely given the associated productivity enhancements and reduced labour input costs, particularly in sectors such as manufacturing, construction and retail where repetitive tasks are common. Big data and AI are also attractive for businesses (21.9% and 10.8% respectively).
On a location basis, minimal difference exists. Forty four per cent of firms based in Auckland are interested in robotics or automation – this compares to 41.4% in Wellington and 44.3% of companies based throughout the rest of the country.
Alleasing Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Blizzard, said the early interest in automation and digital integration will give New Zealand firms a future advantage over their Australian neighbours. More than half of businesses located across the Tasman indicated they have not considered investing in such technologies.
“The Index data shows New Zealand firms have a clear appetite for learning more about the next wave of digitisation and automation, and indeed making the decision to invest in it. Although corporate adoption of these technologies is still in its infancy in New Zealand, the Index data is very promising and suggests firms are already thinking of the major cost, productivity and control benefits on offer, as described by the likes of Accenture (1)."
Another area of focus for the Index this round was to understand whether time consuming administrative processes are negatively impacting capital equipment acquisition programs.
When asked which administrative process has the most negative impact on their asset acquisition program, more than a third (44.3%) of New Zealand businesses reported tax compliance. Issues under the tax compliance umbrella, which were specifically classified as barriers to growth, include the ever changing tax framework and the corporate tax rate. Examining the data further, little variance exists by business size or location, which suggests tax compliance is a universal concern for New Zealand firms and changes are required to improve underlying business confidence and capital expenditure.
“To achieve revenue growth, maximise productivity and adequately prepare for the future, New Zealand businesses need to become increasingly focused on maximising their capital structure.
“In addition to this, businesses are suggesting that they want more from the New Zealand government in terms of finding ways to encourage investment and improve productivity,” Mr Blizzard finished.
Source: CSO
KiwiRail is in the midst of a multi-year transformation programme that is helping to drive growth opportunities for the New Zealand economy, writes chief executive Peter Reidy
They're calling it the Rail Revolution, a reinvigoration of rail infrastructure worldwide that is seeing hundreds of new commuter services in Scotland, a dedicated freight network in India and ports and rail in Australia working together to grow exports. The opportunities here are just as exciting.
New Zealand is also focusing on new ways to grow exports, reduce supply chain costs to global marketplaces and service a booming tourism industry. Commuter support for public transport is at an all-time high and in each of these areas, rail is the infrastructure backbone of now, and the future.
KiwiRail is in the midst of a multi-year transformation project, re-orientating our culture into a commercial, customer-centric organisation focused on helping to drive New Zealand's economic growth.
Rail saw an 11 per cent rise in Import Export freight last year as new ways to support our ports and logistics partners were realised.
Over the past 18 months KiwiRail has been involved in the establishment of four inland port hubs, sending tracks into dedicated transport areas where the integration between road and rail freight movements can be of most value.
Internationally ship sizes are growing.
This month we saw the largest container ship ever in New Zealand's waters at the Port of Tauranga and without rail in the ports, these new behemoths of the sea won't work for our exporters.
KiwiRail has formed strategic partnerships with New Zealand's ports to reduce our customers' supply chain costs and create the efficiencies needed for these new super ships to work. We've introduced inter-modal wagons which allow goods to move swiftly between ships, trains and trucks.
It's all part of our standardise, simplify and invest programme where investment is targeted to where it can make the biggest difference for our customers while internally we focus on where we can create the best efficiencies.
In the Domestic freight area our customers are increasingly looking to reduce their own carbon emissions and rail's efficiencies in this area are unmatched. Our investment in an integrated transport network is taking more than a million trucks off the roads each year.
Rail is smarter and more sustainable than ever before and our focus is on forming the strategic partnerships that will really help to drive growth in New Zealand.
For every tonne of freight carried by rail, there is a 66 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. It's what our customers are calling for. Fonterra and KiwiRail have together developed a sustainable logistics partnership and over the past year dairy exports by rail have increased by 21 per cent. Fonterra says that reducing its carbon footprint is a key component of this relationship.
Tourism is another growth area for KiwiRail as it is for New Zealand. We showcase our country to the world through the Scenic Journeys network of rail and sea which is driving real economic growth in the regions. The world-class Tranz Alpine rail journey contributes up to $15 million into the West Coast each year. KiwiRail's tourism services experienced a 10 per cent growth in revenue over the past year.
Keeping Auckland running is crucial to the New Zealand economy and there is a reason why KiwiRail was internationally recognised for its role in the ground-breaking electrification of the Auckland rail network. We are responsible for maintaining Auckland and Wellington's commuter railways, making sure Kiwis get home safely each night. With growth of 20 per cent year on year in Auckland's commuter traffic, the economic benefits of keeping people moving are only growing.
Rail is smarter and more sustainable than ever before and our focus is on forming the strategic partnerships that will really help to drive growth in New Zealand.
We're overcoming the years of underinvestment in rail and transforming our role in an integrated transport network that is good for the economy, and good for people. The opportunities are creating an exciting future ahead.
Auckland – The leader of all things tech in New Zealand, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller, has been elected to the board of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA).
The alliance is the leading recognised international voice of the global ICT industry, whose members from over 80 countries represent more than 90 percent of the world ICT market.
Muller says WITSA is dedicated to advocating policies that advance economic growth and development; facilitating international trade and investment in ICT products and services; and provide tech firms around the world with a broad network of connections.
“This is a great channel for helping raise the awareness globally that New Zealand is a leading hi-tech nation. There are huge opportunities for New Zealand tech firms to grow internationally and I will be working to ensure policies and relationships are in place to help them throughout the world.”
Because the challenges facing the ICT industry are undisputedly global in nature, WITSA members work together to achieve a shared vision on important issues of common interest.
WITSA makes it possible for its members — ranging from Mongolia and Argentina to Kenya and the United States — to identify common issues and priorities, exchange valuable information, and present a united position on industry issues.
“The New Zealand tech sector is growing at unprecedented rates and now accounts for 9 percent of GDP and employs 5 percent of the workforce. But the big opportunity is the growth of exports, worth $6.3 billion in 2015 and on track to cross the $10 billion mark by 2018 at current growth rates.
“By getting onto the WITSA Board I hope to be able to develop international relationships to help smooth the way for our exporting tech firms and raise the global awareness of how advanced New Zealand firms are.”
“NZTech has been able to expose a number of hi-growth New Zealand tech firms to international recognition with one in particular, ARANZ Medical winning the Global ICT Excellence Award, the equivalent of an Oscar for the tech sector,” Muller says.
New Zealand’s leading 200 hi-tech companies have reached combined annual revenues of $9.4 billion – up 12 per cent in just one year, according to the annual Technology Investment Network’s TIN 100 report just released. Top performers include companies like Datacom Group, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Gallagher Group and Xero.
“We have hundreds of world class tech firms and market leaders, and amazing new successful firms emerging every year. We’re really excited about our planning for Techweek 2017. We are pulling together hundreds of tech and innovation conferences, events and activities right across New Zealand for a week in May (6-14) next year. This will be huge,” Muller says.
For further information contact New Zealand Technology Industry Association chief executive Graeme Muller on 021 02520767 or Make Lemonade media specialist Kip Brook on 0275 030188
Auckland, 17th October 2016 - Last week New Zealand’s leading Autodesk reseller of BIM and Manufacturing software, CADPRO Systems hosted an event for the construction industry with Sharp Corporation, to present the next generation of technology revolutionising the sector.
BIM technology helps to minimise errors and omissions during building design, find and reduce costly design conflicts before construction begins and improve project consistency with all parties involved.
Held at Sharp’s state-of-the-art showroom, in Auckland, the event was specifically designed to best present BIM technology in action through the use of Sharp’s latest 80” Interactive Touch panel.
Sharp’s Touch panel enables BIM software users to make changes on screen, overlaying notes, diagrams and points of interest which can be effortlessly saved, emailed and printed.
“Design Review and Site meetings are an essential part of the construction industry work process, so having tools such as the Interactive Touch panel that encourage interactive and dynamic meetings is really important,” says Hans Grootegoed, Managing Director, CADPRO Systems.
“Industry leaders surveyed believe that products and services they sell today will not be relevant in three years. To meet this challenge, innovation is the key,” states Jan Nicol-Winitana, Managing Director, Sharp Corporation of New Zealand
“To drive innovation, collaboration and sharing of ideas and information seamlessly is the answer. Sharp and CADPRO’s leading-edge interactive technology provides the perfect collaboration tools for business across construction, architecture and manufacturing,” adds Nicol-Winitana.
By being able to present the new BIM technology via the Interactive Touch panel guest were able to see the numerous benefits of the technology, including virtual reality, and how it could be applied to their business, this included:
• Building industry – the VR technology dovetails with BIM workflow and serves an integral part of virtual design review and construction planning.
• Architects - a highly effective means of visualising, marketing and selling an architectural project - opening up a new world of possibilities for design review, functional testing, client approval and training.
• Manufacturers - enabling full scale design reviews to allow ergonomics testing for maintenance of equipment, as well as collaboration between geographically distributed teams.
• Sales teams - can also utilize the technology to engage with designs and when planning factory layouts, the technology can be used to quickly test workability of various iterations of equipment placement.
Sharp also showcased the use of video conferencing (VC) with the Interactive Touch panel. Demonstrating how its VC solution provides unsurpassed quality and reliable communications with staff and customers anywhere on any device, leading to better meeting outcomes.
Minister of Justice and MP for Selwyn Amy Adams formally launched the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) MidlandPort facility in Rolleston last Friday (October 14).
Having begun operation in June this year, the strategically-placed inland port is seen as playing a vital role in LPC accommodating blossoming future freight volumes, says LPC chairperson Trever Burt. “For the first time, container freight has a rail route between Rolleston and Lyttelton Port which provides the most comprehensive shipping service in the South Island,” he says.
“MidlandPort saves a journey to Lyttelton for customers. Import containers can be picked up here and export containers dropped off. It reduces empty container movements and saves time and money.”
Although targeted at accommodating increasing productivity from the irrigation scheme-transformed Canterbury Plains, MidlandPort will also realise “many other benefits”.
“It is improving travel time for freight transport and helping reduce road congestion. Each round trip rail service takes up to 80 truck trips off our roads. This is a positive step as our city focuses on improving transport efficiency.”
Capable of handling 30-wagon trains, the inland port currently operates one service a day, which is expected to increase as demand grows.
The facility can also store and repair containers, has a Customs Controlled Area and MPI Transitional Facility, as well as space for 168 refrigerated containers.
“Already we have welcomed major customers such as Westland Milk Products and The Warehouse onboard. We are managing hundreds of containers here every week and volumes have tripled since we opened.”
Source: Cubix
The UK’s unique mix of ageing and ultra-modern infrastructure means that engineers from the sector are in demand all over the world Evelyn Adams writes in The Engineer.
Britain is a country built around railways. Since the opening of the legendary Stockton and Darlington line on Teesside in 1825, rail infrastructure has been an integral part of the nation’s development. Today, the rail industry plays a key role in the nation’s economy, contributing around £9.3bn each year. Nearly one in five European passenger journeys take place in the UK, giving the nation the fastest-growing rail network in Europe.
But keeping up that growth requires skill. Much of the network in Britain is buried deep within the urban environment that makes maintenance and renewals complex tasks. As well as this, the UK has several regional systems that developed when the railways were originally conceived. “This presents technical challenges that do not exist in many other countries,” said Ailie MacAdam, global rail sector lead at Bechtel. “A good example of this is Crossrail; this short section of tunnel now connects three regional lines that have very different power and signalling systems.”
The UK’s unique mix of ageing and ultra-modern infrastructure means that engineers from the sector are in demand all over the world Evelyn Adams writes in The Engineer.
Britain is a country built around railways. Since the opening of the legendary Stockton and Darlington line on Teesside in 1825, rail infrastructure has been an integral part of the nation’s development. Today, the rail industry plays a key role in the nation’s economy, contributing around £9.3bn each year. Nearly one in five European passenger journeys take place in the UK, giving the nation the fastest-growing rail network in Europe.
But keeping up that growth requires skill. Much of the network in Britain is buried deep within the urban environment that makes maintenance and renewals complex tasks. As well as this, the UK has several regional systems that developed when the railways were originally conceived. “This presents technical challenges that do not exist in many other countries,” said Ailie MacAdam, global rail sector lead at Bechtel. “A good example of this is Crossrail; this short section of tunnel now connects three regional lines that have very different power and signalling systems.”
New Zealand’s leading 200 hi-tech companies have reached combined annual revenues of $9.4 billion – up 12 per cent in just one year, according to the annual Technology Investment Network’s TIN 100 report released today.
“This year’s TIN 100 report tells an impressive story of innovation, growth and exporting success in New Zealand’s technology sector,” Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.
“The collective export revenues of the 200 largest tech companies are up by 13.5 per cent from last year to nearly $7 billion, while the total number of employees has increased by 7.9 per cent in the past year with nearly 3,000 new jobs created. These 200 companies now employ almost 40,000 people.”
The report shows revenue growth across all regions with Wellington leading regional revenue growth (15.3%), while Auckland contributed the greatest proportion of revenue ($5.4 billion).
It also shows revenue growth across all three main tech sectors – high-tech manufacturing, ICT and biotech, and across all twelve secondary sectors. Healthcare is the largest secondary sector with annual revenue of $1.69 billion, while the Digital Media and Financial Services Technology sectors, with a total of 23 companies, each grew by over 20 per cent.
Top performers include companies like Fisher and Paykel Appliances, Datacom Group, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Gallagher Group and Xero.
“It’s particularly good to see that research and development across the TIN companies grew by a record 16 per cent in the last year to $827 million,” Mr Joyce says. “This is a real investment in the future of these companies, and will help lift overall the investment levels of New Zealand companies in research and development.”
“The Government is working hard through our Business Growth Agenda to develop New Zealand as a hub for high-value, research and development intensive businesses. It’s great to see New Zealand’s Top 200 tech companies leading the diversification of the New Zealand economy.”
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
|
|