Bradken tight-lipped over Hillside move

The global manufacturing company leasing Hillside's foundry remains tight-lipped about its operation and planned expansion.

Bradken had a five-year agreement with KiwiRail to lease the foundry at Hillside Engineering Workshops in South Dunedin.

This week, the company's industrial general manager,Matthew Criss, refused to answer questions from the Otago Daily Times about when Bradken would move its operation to Hillside and what it would do with its Tewsley St factory.

Mr Criss - who works at Bradken's head office in Newcastle, Australia - also refused to confirm how many former Hillside workers had been employed by Bradken to work in the foundry.

He said there was nothing new to say, other than plans made public in mid-November last year were ''on track''.

He would not elaborate on that comment.

He said there was no timeline in place for Bradken's plan to transfer its operations to Hillside.

On November 15 last year, Bradken issued a public statement announcing its agreement with KiwiRail, which had sought a buyer for the entire Hillside workshops.

Bradken said the Hillside foundry offered ''increased capability and capacity''.

''Over time, Bradken will transfer its current operations to the Hillside site, making for a larger and more capable business overall. The consolidation of operations on the Hillside foundry site will provide a broader manufacturing envelope and skills base, leading to local and export growth opportunities and in turn, increased job numbers and security,'' Bradken said.

The company has a 48-year history in Dunedin and about 50 people work at its Tewsley St foundry, which supplies iron and steel castings.

Internationally, Bradken employs more than 6000 people and has 34 manufacturing facilities. Almost all its New Zealand staff are in Dunedin.

- rosie.manins@odt.co.nz