02/11/2024
An exciting advent coming up soon.
For those who are not familiar with the business Jas J Niven & Co were a large, well respected business in Ahuriri, as well as being a important employer in the area. It had a large factory footprint with its factory and associated buildings covering more than 3.5 acres.
From humble beginnings in the 1880's as a foundry, it soon expanded into general engineering and boiler-making, manufacturing all types of implements for agriculturalists, pastoralists, dairy farms, meat works, saw mills, gold dredges, engineers, and ships. They later moved into refrigeration, building plants and installing them.
Although a general works they specialised in two specific areas: boiler-making and refrigeration. It developed a well deserved reputation in the industry all over New Zealand, and overseas as well, as not all its work was confined to New Zealand. It grew to be an important corporate entity with several branch offices and factories in other parts of New Zealand.
In the 1970's the company was bought by Brieley Industries. Its head office was relocated to Auckland, which removed its immediate connection to Napier. Its assets were eventually broken up and sold off to other interests during the rest of that decade.
