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2008 Media Releases


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  • Modular Bike rack a NZ First
  • Going Green Makes Financial Sence






    • Dec 08 - Modular Bike Rack a New Zealand First.
    The all-new modular EZI•GRIP cycle rack system now makes it even more convenient and cost effective for the increasing number of New Zealand cycling enthusiasts to carry bicycles on their vehicles.

    Already the most popular cycle rack in New Zealand, EZI•GRIP has undergone a complete re-design to better meet the needs of NZ cyclists, as well as delivering a fresh look that complements the styling of the latest bicycle designs.

    The all-new system is modular, comprising various individual components that can be combined without the use of special tools. EZI•GRIP can be tailored to suit the changing needs of cycle enthusiasts, alleviating the cost outlay for a completely new rack system. By simply purchasing a component to complement the EZI•GRIP modular system cyclists can cost-effectively convert the rack to suite new bicycle, vehicle or lifestyle needs.

    The 16 different combinations available with the new modular EZI•GRIP system enable anywhere from one to four bikes to be securely carried on the back of a vehicle at the same time.

    And what’s more, the new system means that EZI•GRIP racks will fit a wider variety of vehicles on our roads. That’s because there are now four different modular bottom sockets with extended offsets that take into account spare wheels carried on the back of an SUV or protruding wagon or hatchback tailgates.

    EZI•GRIP bike rack systems start from under $200, excluding GST, from leading cycle shops nationwide.

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    Oct 08 - Going Green Makes Financial Sence For Best Bars
    An Auckland automotive products and engineering business has discovered that going green is not only good for the planet, it’s also great for keeping on top of spiralling operating costs. Being among the pioneers in its field to gain certification to the ISO 14001 environmental management standard in New Zealand seemed like the right thing to do for South Auckland’s Best Bars Limited, but the achievement has come with an unexpected bonus.

    According to Best Bars CEO Stephen de Kriek, along the way the company has unearthed thousands of dollars in savings, assisting in offsetting increased costs from other sectors, in addition to the primary aim of reducing its carbon footprint. “It was certainly a very pleasant surprise to find that we were actually making savings at a time when costs are generally increasing, but it wasn’t the reason we went into the ISO 14001 programme,” he says. “Our main objective was to act as a responsible manufacturer so that we could demonstrate to our customers our determination to meet all of their expectations, from providing high quality products, meeting strict delivery time tables and maintaining our competitive pricing, to ensuring that we operate in a sustainable manner.”

    “The experience proves that you can be green without incurring a financial penalty – on the contrary, especially in the current economic climate, it can assist in offsetting other business cost increases.” Best Bars is New Zealand’s leading manufacturer of vehicle towbars and supplies other products, such as bullbars, accessories and utility vehicle cargo trays, mainly via new vehicle motor companies through their new car dealer networks as approved accessories. Utilising its expertise and huge investment in computer controlled metal cutting, welding and painting facilities, employing a skilled workforce of around 70 people. Best Bars has a thriving export business, too.

    The company has been accredited to the ISO 9001 quality management standard for some time, but the ISO14001 environmental standard is relatively new and only a small number of New Zealand companies have gained certification. Best Bars decided it was a path it wanted to follow and partnered with independent auditor TELARC SAI some 8 months ago and has just been presented with its certificate of compliance.

    Mr de Kriek says the focus was to drive out waste and, working with Jeff Griggs and his management consultancy MCS, Best Bars formed a team of senior staff under project manager Mark Meharry to draw up a target list and then concentrated on the top five areas of improvement. Once they began taking a much closer look at their operations they were surprised by the results.“It’s not that we were ignoring things in the past, we just weren’t looking at them in the right way,” says Project Manager Mark Meharry.“For instance, we have had a bin where our waste metal is deposited and it was checked regularly to compare how much waste was being produced against previous inspections. But we tended to go on quantity and didn’t identify between off-cuts and rejected parts, so now we have two bins and we get a more accurate picture of what we need to target to reduce that waste. Even to the extent that we have identified particular products and targeted these for waste reduction.”

    The team has achieved a significant reduction in waste by ensuring they get more products from the same sheets and bars of metal and by concentrating on getting the job done right first time to avoid rejects. Steel wastage has been reduced by as much as 15%, which is very important, given the jump in steel prices in the last two years. The plan also calls for waste reduction to be built in at the product design stage, to maximise the efficient use of materials and other resources, such as energy.

    Speaking of energy, the factory has identified ways to cut its power bills by replacing the huge overhead flood lighting with energy efficient task lighting that focuses on where work is actually done. So there is less overall lighting but it is much improved at the work stations. Water and gas use have also been targeted, resulting in a 45% reduction in waste water alone. The team targeted the metal pre-treatment process and by remapping the existing process and by the installation of automated valves at a cost of almost $3000 a huge saving in pre-treatment water was achieved. “We realised that you do have to spend large amounts money in order to make savings, but that is all part of the process of continuous improvement,” adds Mr Meharry.

    Another target is packaging which is typically discarded after the product is installed and needs only be sufficiently durable to protect the product through the supply cycle to the end user. For instance, shrink wrapping is used with a number of products, but Best Bars managed to reduce the micron size by 35% and made useful savings in cost, resources and the environmental impact. There’s less cardboard and general packaging materials used now to the extent that instead of writing off pallets, the company now actively chases and recycles them – at over 150 pallets month it soon adds up and ensure we care for the environment too.

    The recent introduction of a dynamic tester that puts towbars under a lifetime’s stress in a matter of hours has also helped to identify the precise location of welds, resulting in fewer welds required without altering the strength of the product. Mr de Kriek says the staff at Best Bars have enthusiastically bought into the ISO 14001 environmental sustainability programme and feel good about working for a company that places high value on the environment. He believes that when customers have a choice over whose product they purchase, the same feel-good factor will come into play, making the decision to go for ISO 14001 an even sounder from an economic point of view, as well as an environmental one.

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