For more than 45 years, NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation (NEPEAN) has maintained a company culture that recognises and respects the importance of all participants in the business, building lasting relationships with employees, as well as customers and sub-contractors. It’s a fact well understood by its new General Manager, Peter Buckley, who recently returned to the company where he had initially commenced his career in 1998 as an apprentice fitter/machinist.
Opening its doors in 1974, NEPEAN is now one of Australia’s largest privately-owned engineering service providers, having built up an elite design and project management team who understand the diverse nature of engineering. Today, NEPEAN still produce goods locally from its site in south-west Sydney and delivers to customers and sites all over Australia and globally. Items produced at NEPEAN’s facility in Narellan make their way into a wide variety of industries including civil works, infrastructure and earthmoving, as well as mining, pharmaceutical, scientific, aerospace and defence.
Buckley discusses the importance the company places on investing in people: “Team members resourced to each job are hand-picked according to specific project requirements in terms of experience, specialist skills and problem-solving capabilities. We are proud of the deep relationships with our employees, with many engineers, project managers and tradespeople employed with our company for over 25 years. To continually develop our organisation it is vital to invest in new people, with five apprentices commencing in 2020 along with two graduate engineers and additional engineering and professional staff.”
As a result, NEPEAN boasts a depth and diversity of capability and experience that enables it to successfully deliver on the largest and most complex engineering projects. The company’s engineering services are supported by extensive facilities, including over 50,000sqm of workshop space, in-house design capability, a fully-equipped state-of-the-art CNC and machine shop, steel fabrication shops, laser cutting, sheet metal, shot blasting, painting and powder coat finishing.
NEPEAN has the capability to provide complete turn-key project solutions. The team listens and responds to their clients’ needs to provide a specialist solution for manufacture, installation and commissioning to enable asset optimisation. They have proven products operating across multiple industries.
The quality and projects team are continually working to ensure that NEPEAN complies with all relevant governing body requirements. NEPEAN has achieved ISO 9001:2015 quality certification for more than 25 years, as well as PCCP accreditation for paintwork, and is a signatory for the ASI Environmental Sustainability Charter and other peak industry bodies.
Buckley is particularly proud of the company’s investment in safety and quality systems: “All of our products are manufactured under a quality assurance system complying with ISO 9001:2015, ensuring manufacturing processes and final products are completed with the highest degree of quality.”
Utilising a consultative approach ensures the delivery of superior product outcomes, meeting even the most demanding specifications for all customers, both local and global. NEPEAN has the capability to exceed a client’s expectations on quality, timeliness, and continued service. According to Buckley, the company’s longevity in the market provides the customer with a peace of mind that the processes, equipment and suppliers used are tried and tested.
“Our reputation and business strength of the NEPEAN global organisation means we will continue to innovate and develop new capabilities to support our customers,” he adds. “NEPEAN’s competitive advantage is the ability to leverage deep engineering domain expertise and unique capabilities, developed by investing in machine infrastructure and tooling.”
These investments encompass heavy machining, CNC equipment and a high-precision toolroom, along with design-for-manufacture experience, and the installation and commissioning of complex components, products and structures. NEPEAN uses the latest 3D modelling software and design applications for its workshop manufacturing process, whether this is for a precision aerospace component or a 1,000-ton structural steel high-rise building. The company also guarantees confidentiality with intellectual property by incorporating on-site security links for secure data and file transfer.
Buckley believes Australian manufacturing has the strength to build a bright future. As the nation rebounds from the COVID-19 crisis, NEPEAN will be well placed to support its existing and new customers.