Listed electronic motor designer Wellington Drive Technologies has kicked off a year in which it hopes to accelerate growth with a major order from Turkey.
The Auckland-based company has received orders for 126,000 AirMo Vent conventional induction commercial refrigeration motors for refrigeration companies in Turkey.
Managing director RossGreen said customers had asked for the company to supply conventional motors - which were introduced in 2005 - as well as the high-efficiency electronic version.
The supply of conventional motors gave customers greater assurance because if necessary they could easily switch to another supplier, Green said.
Customers could then migrate across to the high-efficiency motors.
"I feel introducing the AirMo Vent product line was actually one of the smartest things we've done for a long time to tell the truth," Green said. "It's stimulated a lot of orders actually for the high-efficiency ones oddly enough, being a single source supplier," Green said.
The motors would be delivered between February and June, with further substantial orders expected during the rest of the year, Green said.
Meanwhile, deliveries began this month to the US against an order for more 50,000 ECR high-efficiency motors worth about $1.8 million.
Wellington Drive said the electricity saving from the motors would be about $5 million a year at a typical 20c a unit tariff rate for North America.
