Mr Dan Cosgrove Snr commenced business as a self-employed plumber in 1935, at the age of 24, servicing the needs of the residents of Timaru and surrounding districts.
In the mid 1950’s he installed the world’s first longrun spouting machine which was to mark the beginning of his entry into manufacturing. During the late 1940’s and 1950’s Dan, the founder, was joined by his two brothers Jack and Joe until their retirement in the 70’s. Also during these early times he expanded the plumbing business as a plumbers merchant, reselling plumbing fittings and products to both the trade and the general public. Representatives of the company travelled the Canterbury region promoting and selling both the manufactured and bathroom/plumbing lines.
In mid 1963 Dan the eldest of Mr Cosgrove’s four sons joined the business followed 18 months later by Brian. Dan and Brian saw the opportunity to expand the manufacturing side of the company by producing kitset grain silos and also purchased two longrun roofing machines, a tray type and a corrugated profile in 1965. It was evident at this time that the existing building could not cater for the expansion resulting in a three acre block of land being purchased in Redruth, a suburb on the southern outskirts of Timaru. A factory complex was erected and all the manufacturing processes of roofing, sheetmetal and silos were transferred to the new site. The business continued to flourish with silos proving a popular line and in demand throughout New Zealand and overseas.
In 1982 the Company signed an agreement with Kuhn of France, a leading farm machinery manufacturer in Europe, for the sole distributorship of their products throughout New Zealand after having had an association with the French company through MacEwans Machinery since 1973. A further building was erected to cater for this expansion.
In the 1970’s Peter and Kevin, Mr Cosgrove’s two younger sons, joined the business as it continued to expand. Mr Dan Cosgrove Snr passed away in 1981 and the Management of the Company moved to the next generation of his four sons with Dan the eldest being appointed Managing Director. Each of the four Directors became responsible for a separate sphere of the business.
In 1985 the Director’s decided to sell the plumbers merchants side of the Company and concentrate on the manufacture of roofing, sheetmetal, silos and farm machinery from the Redruth factory complex. This has proved successful with the further expansion into retailing farm machinery products from four separate locations strategically placed throughout New Zealand. Hamilton, New Plymouth and Palmerston North in the North Island and Gore in the South Island.
In 2001 a further opportunity to expand arose with the appointment of the Company as sole New Zealand distributor of the SAME tractor range from Italy. In 2008 the company decided to relinquish the distribution of Kuhn Farm Machinery and SAME Tractors and concentrate on retailing Roofing and Sheetmetal products.
The Company today continues to thrive and employs a large number of staff in Timaru. They have a commitment to quality and service which is epitomised by the Company’s motto “Committed to Excellence”.
