KEY POINTS:
From its headquarters in New Plymouth, cable company Olex NZ has been through all the mega-booms of the past 40 years, from the largesse of Think Big in the early 1980s to the energy bonanza.
Over the years, its owners have changed plenty but its business remains the same. In fact, it's getting busier.
It has just completed a $1 million upgrade of its plant at Bell Block and hired more than 40 new staff, turning the business from a five-day to a seven-day operation employing about 175 people.
General manager Tony Dunstan says output has increased about 15 per cent. It supplies Taranaki energy projects including the Kupe gas-condensate development, as well as contracts for Genesis Energy's new gas-fired power station at Huntly, the West Coast's Pike River Coal, and wind farms around the country.
Dunstan moved to New Plymouth from Melbourne last year, sent over from parent company Olex Holdings (which in turn is owned by French giant Nexans). He arrived with his wife and three children, determined to enjoy the lifestyle on offer in the region.
"It's much more interesting coming to a town like New Plymouth than it would have been to have gone to Auckland or Wellington, say. We spend a lot of the weekend outdoors."
An aspect of the job he had not expected is the attention Olex receives in the community. It has been a part of New Plymouth for so long (founded in 1967 as Canzac Cables and bought by Australian firm Olex Holdings in 1984), and its managers have long been involved in so many aspects of the community, Dunstan says it seems everyone knows him and Olex.
Not that he minds.
"Because you're a big player in town, you can use that to your advantage by making people proud to be part of the business," he says. "You get involved in more things, you're more involved with movers and shakers and your voice gets heard a bit more."
He has kept up a long tradition of Olex backing community activities. It sponsors a fun run series, supports the local rugby academy and, through a scheme with Sport Taranaki, gives its employees time off to coach or volunteer with teams.
It's all part of contributing to the wider good and being seen as a good employer.
Dunstan says there are some disadvantages to being in New Plymouth - having major customers based in other centres can have its logistical disadvantages.
But the positives far outweigh the negatives.
