By YOKE HAR LEE
Nav Station, one of New Zealand's largest marine electronics suppliers, will help keep some intellectual property here with its purchase of Kiwitech's computerassembly division.
The Kiwitech computer, used in boats, is the first of its kind developed locally.
It was designed and built by Matthew Thompson, who has just had the moral and financial victory of selling his navigation software to the American company Raytheon Marine.
The managing director of Nav Station, Bill Rutherford, saw an opportunity when Mr Thompson told him he had sold Kiwitech's software to Raytheon.
Nav Station has been a distributor of Kiwitech products.
The thought dawned on Mr Rutherford that when Mr Thompson left for the US and Kiwitech was exported to Raytheon Marine, he might be left with clients who had the Kiwitech computer but no support.
"When Matthew said he was prepared to sell the computer division to me, I saw it as an opportunity and an obligation," he said.
"We have sold too many of it to stand back and let it go to nothing."
The parties reached an agreement.
"The sale agreement was mutual and favourable. He knew he had to ensure that something stayed here, and we knew we needed to have it," said Mr Rutherford.
The Kiwitech computer is designed for use at sea. It retails at about $4000, and is the only New Zealand-made computer for leisure boats.
Mr Rutherford said more than 200 had been sold in New Zealand.
Nav Station's marketing and administration manager, Bill Boon, had to learn from Kiwitech how to assemble and service the computer.
He is also preparing to develop the computer further so that it meets the future needs of clients.
Nav Station is also negotiating with an Australian company to sell the product there under a local brand name.
Mr Rutherford set up business 25 years ago in Newmarket, and is now based at Westhaven.
His company employs 10 people and has annual sales of $3 million to $4 million.
Mr Thompson's departure next year to the US has brought Nav Station two other business relationships - one with a company which scans paper charts on to CDs, and the other with a company scanning maps into databases.
And it has just signed an agreement with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, giving Nav Station marketing rights for Niwa's charts of New Zealand seabeds, used in leisure boating.
Software has flown, but the machinery to run it will be staying home
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