Yardmaster buys stainless range

 ISD was a well established company with a reputation for making quality stainless steel products, including effluent separators. By buying the assets of ISD and taking on some of its key engineering staff, Reid & Harrison, owner of the Yardmaster brand, has scaled up the output of its factory and rounded out its engineering ability and product range in one bold move.

Reid & Harrison chief executive Keith Cooke says they had to act decisively when the opportunity to buy ISD arose. The deal was done, plant and stock was moved to Matamata and the separators were back in production, all within five weeks from go to whoa.

They had recently bought a large factory in Matamata and had space, so it made sense to consolidate all manufacturing, including the ISD stainless steel production, on that site. While the integration has been necessarily rapid, it has gone remarkably smoothly, says Cooke.

The separators complement the existing range of Yardmaster pumps, stirrers and other effluent equipment, and Cooke says they can now offer a complete suite of effluent solutions, all now carrying the blue Yardmaster livery and name.

He says working with stainless steel is not something Reid & Harrison had much experience with, so bringing five skilled guys across from ISD was critical. “These guys are real craftsmen.”

Among the ISD technical team is Angus McLean who is going to front operations in the South Island for Yardmaster, boosting the brand’s presence in the south – one of many spin-off benefits from this acquisition.

Another spin-off benefit is stainless steel contract work in Waikato, which is not well serviced in this regard, according to director Seaton Dalley. They have recently won a major contract with Fonterra to supply a curd mill and casein mincer for its factory expansion in Clandeboye, a contract ISD had on the hook before it was sold.

“The purchase has opened a lot of doors simultaneously,” says Dalley. “Part of our strategy is to grow through acquisition and we’re still looking for more opportunities.”

Meanwhile, the company is not standing still. It has built a new testing facility, including a large pool for testing pumps, and is working hard on its dealer network, initiating a certified dealer system that offers a range of training, support and financial incentive to committed dealers.