This month’s outing commenced with morning tea at “The District Eatery” tucked away down behind Mercedes-Benz dealers Ingham Prestige in Te Rapa. Following morning tea we proceeded to Ingham’s, where dealer principal John Ingham met us all and had opened his showroom to allow us a private viewing of the very latest models of “G” Wagon, GLC, plus saloon and coupe versions, available here in NZ. John’s in-depth product knowledge enabled him to answer the many and varied questions coming from club members, eager to upskill their own knowledge of a product that still has many of us salivating over what we might be buying, with or without, a lotto win. A very interesting and informative visit for club members. Grateful thanks for your time on a Sunday John! We certainly appreciated it!
Well it’s amazing how a visit to a technical instrument calibration company in Te Awamutu earlier this year, Calibration Services Ltd., and this visit on Sunday Nov.16th to Metal Tech Engineering Ltd. in Te Rapa, Hamilton, allows you to join the dots on a family business, Metrology Group, pioneered by founder Paul Kapoor.
Paul commenced business way back in the early 1950’s as a diesel mechanic in Te Kuiti and grew his business over the years to become a specialist diesel engineer, reconditioning fuel injector and pump systems for local road transport companies.
Recently turned 93 years of age, he has seen his two sons, Gerald and Lyndon also become specialist engineers and set up individual Waikato based companies that provide technical capability to a wide range of governments both local and world-wide, under the banner of Metrology Group.
The visit to Calibration Services in Te Awamutu has been covered previously, so this month’s column will highlight Metal Tech Engineering under the leadership of Paul’s son Gerald Kapoor.
Metal Tech Engineering Ltd. has a history of meeting precision engineering challenges since 1960 when the company manufactured close tolerance fuel injection componentry for local and export markets.
By the 1970’s the Precision Engineering Workshop had expanded and was involved with manufacturing aircraft components, undercarriage sub-assemblies and close tolerance ammunition tooling contracts, for the Australian Government Aircraft and ammunition factories.
Today the company machinery, imported at great cost from Japan and South Korea, includes specialist line boring, milling machines and remote-controlled lathes, that can take days of non-stop computer controlled action, to produce highly technical componentry from solid blocks of material such as titanium.
Key clients include Air NZ, Sail GP, Pratt & Whitney, Pacific Aerospace etc. and include the manufacture of things such as helicopter gearbox casings and Sail GP foils and rudders. Precise tolerances of microns are more common on items manufactured, than thousandths of inches!
In addition to business activities Gerald has also begun a restoration on his Dad’s 1960’s C250 Mercedes coupe, which Paul has owned from new and done 496,000kms without any major motor repair. Panel work and recent repaint now complete, Gerald has managed to fit a new Mercedes M104 six-cylinder engine to “just give it a bit of grunt” as the restoration advances.
Paul had used the car for picking up diesel parts and equipment, from all over the North Island, as well as steel for projects his company was undertaking, often accompanied by his boys when they were little as well. We will watch the completion of this project with great interest.
Many thanks to Paul and Gerald for a wonderfully interesting and informative visit and to club member Neville Davison for arranging both visits to this amazing family business.
Greg Sheehan