Enatel's new plant near Christchurch Airport Photo: Supplied/Enatel
A Canterbury high-technology company is positioning itself for future export growth with the opening of a new manufacturing plant.
Enatel, which makes electric chargers for material handling equipment such as forklifts and ground support equipment used in airports, opened the more than 8000 square metre plant in Christchurch on Wednesday.
The company has been owned by US company Ideal Industries since 2018.
Enatel general manager Mike Clifford said the facility would bring its near 200 staff under one roof for the first time since the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.
"We export 95 percent of what we make, and we're the only manufacturer of our kind in Australasia," Clifford said.
"It gives us plenty of capacity for the next 15-20 years - we built it with that in mind," he said.
"Also, from an engineering perspective - because we do all our design here - we have a facility that is structured and set up for us to continue to develop products into the future."
Enatel general manager Mike Clifford. Photo: Supplied/Enatel
Enatel's primary export market was the United States but Clifford said it was also looking to expand further into Europe, and had a presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Enatel said the new factory, situated by Christchurch Airport, was a vote in confidence by its parent company Ideal.
"We're one of only a handful of employers doing high-tech engineering like this locally, so we invest heavily in developing our people and keeping talent in New Zealand," Clifford said.
Ideal Industries chief executive Chris Baldwin said Enatel was well-placed to meet growing demand for renewable power with its battery-charging technology.
"This facility is central to our strategy - it's been built with future growth in mind," Baldwin said.
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