Temuka Factory Today

Temuka derives from the Maori "Te umu kaha", translated as "The fierce oven". An appropriate name, since kilns were first established on the site in 1868 to manufacture bricks for local building, and kilns have been fired here ever since. The original plant had several owners and names, but in 1916 it became the Canterbury Pipe and Tile Co. Insulators were manufactured by this company in response to shortages caused by the first world war during 1918, and the change of focus resulted in a name change to the "Dominion Porcelain Co" in 1919. This was again changed to "Dominion Porcelain and Tile Industries" in 1922.

New Zealand Insulators Factory, Temuka , 1928

In 1924 the company was acquired by the National Electric and Engineering Co (NEECO) and named "New Zealand Insulators Ltd". Neeco was in turn taken over by Cable Price Downer, and NZ Insulators became an independent company within the CPD group in 1967. Since the takeover of CPD by the Brierley group, the company has been part of several organisations and now, with other well established New Zealand manufacturing companies, is a part of the Tiri Group.

Since 1993 NZI has been operating as three divisions – Power Technology, Electrical and Contract, and Temuka Pottery. Insulators, the province of the Power Technology division, have been the main product of the business since 1918. Low voltage fuses, assembled since 1964 from porcelain made at Temuka, are installed in most New Zealand houses. Since 1970 Temuka Pottery has been an iconic product of the Temuka factory.

The first insulators were telegraph types made from local clay. During the 1920s and 1930s the range was expanded to include low- and high-voltage distribution types. Many other types have been added since then, including insulators for rail electrification and bushing assemblies. The local clays have been partly replaced with blends containing more sophisticated materials to ensure the reliability of the finished product. Coal fired kilns, prominent in early photographs, were replaced in the 1950s with oil fired continuous kilns and these in turn gave way to electric batch firing kilns with a sophisticated control system allowing firings to be tailored to the product, improving quality and minimising environmental effects.

Pug Milling Area 1939		Tunnel Kilns 1950

The High Voltage Division can offer all types of insulators in ratings up to 110 kV, including imported ranges of non-ceramic types. Several types of insulator are exported to overseas markets. Special insulators to meet particular requirements are designed and made to meet customer’s needs, and, since 1990 the Division has had an ISO 9001 registered Quality System.

With long experience the High Voltage Division has developed considerable expertise in insulator design and performance, and has invested in test equipment, especially in high voltage testing. As well as being used to ensure the quality of our products, this is available to our customers as a testing and investigation service.

In 1964 a new factory was built in Tinwald, Ashburton for the production of metal parts and plastic components used in the assembly of fuses, lampholders, switches, connector blocks etc. The factory size was later extended, as were the range of products manufactured there. The integration of this factory into the Temuka site was achieved in 2007.

Over the years this market has grown, becoming more sophisticated and requiring an increasingly greater range of products, while at the same time demanding a greater level of quality and service. NZ Insulators have responded by producing a selection of product that meets the requirements of its most demanding customers. These customers include several leading New Zealand electrical wholesalers and suppliers, specialist electrical businesses - from the single operation to the local and national branches, and a number of overseas customers from within Australia and the Pacific Rim.