Buckley Systems Repositions for Flexible Future

31 July 2014

Buckley Systems Repositions for Flexible Future

High-tech Kiwi manufacturer, Buckley Systems Ltd, today announced it has prudently made changes to its business operations to become more flexible in the face of developing market trends.

This step has been necessary to ensure the future viability of the business in the face of a cyclical downturn in sales combined with the continual strength of the New Zealand Dollar.

The changes will result in 45 job losses – 12 of them voluntary redundancies – made within the administration, semi-skilled and certain trade areas.

Mark Stolten, Chief Operating Officer, Buckley Systems says this is a situation the company has carefully considered, and today’s announcement is all about creating a flexible workforce.

“In this industry, it is inevitable that there will be times when we have to review numbers and it is always our absolute last resort but in the past we have re-hired on the upturn and we will certainly be looking to do that again.

“Our workers understand the cyclical nature of our business. We have good networks with other employers in the area and we are actively seeking alternative employment opportunities for our affected workers.

“I’d like to confirm that this is not a decision that has been taken lightly – we fought to retain as many jobs as possible, and will retain 200 highly skilled workers.

“Bill Buckley has invested heavily in the business over many years to ensure that we remain competitive in the global precision nuclear physics industry. Now, the smart move for us is to establish an even more highly flexible manufacturing system and workforce.

“Buckley Systems operates in a very cyclical industry and we are very experienced at maintaining a high degree of flexibility within our production areas to ensure that we retain expertise. Our production systems and machinery are highly specialised – losing staff that have been trained to work in our manufacturing areas is a blow,” Mr Stolten said.

The majority of Buckley Systems’ business centres on manufacturing and exporting the electromagnets used to create around 90 per cent of the world’s silicon chips, which drive virtually every piece of electronic technology on earth.

The business is a dominant supplier to the global market for precision electromagnets. These are used not just to implant the ions that make silicon chips work, but to treat cancer, run security scanners, make solar panels and flat-screen TVs, carbon-date objects and drive the giant particle accelerators at the bleeding edge of physics.

“Like many New Zealand exporters, we are continually making cost savings and improving efficiencies and Buckley Systems will continue investing in the future of the business,” Mr Stolten said.

“We have recently announced two executive appointments to lead our research programme and help ensure that Buckley Systems continues to stay at the forefront of the development curve in both product design and manufacturing techniques.

“Our company is proud to be 100% Kiwi-owned and operated, with all manufacturing based here – we are determined to ensure that we remain so, protecting as many jobs in New Zealand as we can in the process.

About Buckley Systems
Buckley Systems is a multi-award winning engineering manufacturer specialising in the global supply of precision electromagnets, charged particle beam line systems and high-vacuum equipment. Industry sectors include semiconductor ion implantation, medical therapy systems and particle accelerators for physics research. Based in Mt Wellington, Auckland, Buckley Systems has been at the forefront of systems engineering for 30 years, offering a total systems approach and specialised proprietary manufacturing processes.

ENDS

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