Young 1890
D Normoyle & Co, as National Engineering Pty Ltd was first known, was established at Young in south western New South Wales in 1890 and traded as a blacksmith and coachbuilder. In 1920 during harvest time the company employed about 30 employees, including blacksmiths, farriers and wheelwrights and worked a shift from 7am to 10pm.
The decline of the traditional blacksmith trade led the company to undertake a wider range of work. Repair of drays and sulkies remained an important part of the business in the early days. The production of chain wire became a company product.
In 1931 the first electrical welding plant was introduce and service to the rural community was a major commitment of the company. A rural silo division was soon established. The transition continued into the 1950’s when the company became involved in major steel construction contracts.
With an ongoing relationship with major development contractors, a decision was made in 1989 to set up a fabrication factory in Canberra, which is known as National Engineering (ACT) Pty Ltd. In 1993 a majority shareholder in the Group was acquired by Datamatic Holdings Ltd (part of the ACMA Group). At the time of this acquisition the operating company changed from Normoyle Pty Ltd to National Engineering Pty Ltd.
Alongside steel fabrication, the last 40 years saw the company become heavily involved in grain storage and handling. This involvement has ranged from construction of large commercial structures for the GrainCorp and the Rice Marketing Board, to the development of a range of “On-Farm” silos, some of which are transportable.
The company has also developed in recent years a hydraulic and mechanical grain augering system and commercial unloading equipment. The company’s geographic location has from its beginnings centred around Young, although “on site” contracts have been undertaken over a wide area of Australia and overseas. Further expansion was embarked upon in 1980 with the construction of a new Workshop covering an additional 2,000 m2 with overhead crane capacity of 20 tonne making 10,000 m2 overall. This complex was utilized in the construction of air heaters for the Bayswater and Mt. Piper Power Stations.
As a consequence of winning substantial fabrication contracts, an undercover painting area was constructed with overhead crane capacity of 15 tonne. This now allows painting to be carried out under all weather conditions to maintain construction programmes.
The company has an impressive portfolio of major projects in the structural engineering field. It enjoys an excellent reputation in the steel and construction industries and will always ensure a competitive and professional approach.
Continued forward planning and more aggressive marketing, the structural engineering and steel fabrication division will undoubtedly remain a major competitor in the important Canberra and Sydney development market. The Canberra operation has since been closed and the Canberra market is now serviced from Young.
In June 2007 Envirozel Limited purchased the business and took on the staff and ongoing operations of National Engineering Pty Ltd with a view to expanding and diversifying the company over future years. As such the future the National Engineering Pty Ltd future and the future of its staff has been secured for many years to come.