Holt is now Form in high-tech development

By Duncan Bridgeman

Friday 28th June 2002

One of this country's oldest plastic moulding companies, Alfred Holt, has opened a new factory in North Harbour to specialise in the high-tech end of the plastics market.

The company, which was established in 1955 by David Williams, has also re-branded itself Form Plastic Technologies after new investors brought in over $2 million to provide working capital.

The new investors now own 51% of the company, with Mr Williams retaining the remaining 49%.

Chief executive Don Pickering said plastics was changing from a commodity-based industry to a high-tech industry, exporting most of its products overseas.

"Everything changes so fast in the world of plastics. People come in here with all sorts of ideas, ranging from hair-brained to fantastic ideas."

He said the company had budgeted for a $10 million turnover this year, up 20% on last year.

"We're looking to expand technology rather than size. Development will go more down the track into computerised technology."

That included the agriculture industry, where Form had helped design and manufacture a mastitis detector for dairy cows and specialist animal- identification tags for Zee Tags.

The new factory includes a pressurised atmosphere clean room designed for the manufacture of food, medical and electronic products and components such as Aunt Betty pudding containers and Zespri kiwifruit spoons. It now has 24 high-speed machines brought in from Switzerland that can churn out a plastic container every four seconds.

The company helped to develop innovative products such as Morphun educational and creative modelling bricks, which were sold in the UK. It is also well known for supplying the plastic aorta used for Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes' ground-breaking heart operations.

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