This award recognises an engineer or partnership of engineers who clearly demonstrate a high level of entrepreneurial skill in developing new business opportunities.

William Studd, Malcolm Fredric, David Parle and Andrew Buchanan
Windsor Engineering Group

Windsor Engineering Group’s timber drying kilns process around 75 per cent of all timber dried in Australasia. This dominant market position is largely due to the “can do” entrepreneurial capabilities of the Windsor team.

In 1975, Bill observed the growth in New Zealand’s primary produce processing requirements and recognised the opportunities to apply air systems and thermodynamic principles to these industries. Thus Windsor Engineering Group was formed, and after construction of a manufacturing facility in 1978, quickly began to design and manufacture air pollution control equipment, and later, high-temperature drying kilns for sawn plantation softwood.

Recognising a huge opportunity to kiln-dry wood in a matter of hours rather than days, the Windsor team developed the technology and established successful export markets in Australia, Chile, South Africa, and more recently China and the United States.

Beginning with a capital base of $2,000 in 1975, Windsor Engineering Group’s sales figures now top $40 million per annum, and the Windsor team are growing new export business in process energy, gas combustion and heat exchanger equipment.

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