NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Companies / Freight and logistics

Global coup for local company

By Mike Rose
NZ Herald·
29 Jan, 2011 01:51 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Gareth Hodson, ENL's new boss. Photo / Supplied

Gareth Hodson, ENL's new boss. Photo / Supplied

Most boaties would know Electronic Navigation (ENL) as the company that sells Furuno and Lowrance electronics from their large, brightly coloured base in Westhaven.

Older mariners, especially those with an interest in fishing, might also remember them as the company behind the Furuno Fishing Competition, based initially on Motuihe and
then on Kawau.

What many don't realise is that ENL, a privately owned company founded in 1946, is also a creator and manufacturer of marine electronic systems, especially those targeted at the commercial fishing industry.

Their latest offering, the Wide Angle Sonar Seafloor Profiler (Wassp) is proving so successful that it has attracted the attention of the giant Furuno Electric. Furuno has agreed to distribute Wassp internationally.

The agreement means Wassp will now be available in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, China, Spain, South Korea and Japan.

The partnership with Furuno is a positive step, says ENL's new chief executive, Gareth Hodson.

"Having Wassp distributed into these key markets by Furuno will see a significant increase in sales," he says.

"Furuno has a stronghold on the commercial fishing market and this will prove a great way to expose Wassp to their customers."

Designed and manufactured at ENL's headquarters in Westhaven, Auckland, Wassp has been exported globally since 2006 and more than 250 units have been sold.

So what is this new Waasp technology and why is it so highly rated? Put simply, Wassp allows commercial fishing boats to map the seafloor and see more information in the water column, thanks largely to its wide sonar coverage.

As Hodson explains, the Wassp multibeam sonar accurately profiles the water column and seafloor, highlighting reefs, wrecks, fish schools, changes in seafloor hardness and foreign objects.

This information is then presented in user-friendly displays, all controlled by a mouse and stored on a hard drive. "The primary objective of the Wassp Multibeam Sonar is to enhance the skipper's knowledge of his fishing environment, leading to improved catch rates, reduced gear damage and more productive sea time," says Hodson.

"It's all designed, developed and manufactured here in New Zealand by our extensive R&D team who specialise in acoustic technology."

Hodson says the expected quadrupling of Wassp sales as a result of the Furuno partnership will see ENL recruiting more specialised staff at their Westhaven head office to meet the demand in production.

The partnership is also beneficial to Furuno, according to the company's senior managing director and divisional general manager, marine electronics product division, Hiroyuki Mori.

"Not only [does ENL] distribute world-class electronics products on a professional level but they have a brilliant understanding of what the market needs.

"We consider the synergy of marketing Wassp alongside our Furuno product to be beneficial to both companies and believe that it will be a complementary combination."

In March Furuno got a good look at just how superior Wassp can be when ENL trialled a unit on a purse seiner in Japan. According to Hodson, it was the best season ever experienced by the vessel's skipper who saw a significant increase in its catch.

For Hodson and ENL, the partnership is already paying dividends: Furuno recently handed them the single largest order in the history of Wassp.

Deal great start for CEO

The new strategic partnership with Furuno is proving to be a great way for the company's new chief executive officer to make his mark.

Gareth Hodson was appointed ENL's CEO in December, just a month before the deal with Furuno was announced.

Hodson is a 20-year veteran with the company and was its general manager of New Zealand sales and service.

He started with ENL in 1991 as an apprentice, going on to become a fully qualified marine electronics technician.

This saw him install and service onboard marine electronic systems such as radar, echo sounders, SSBs, VHFs, GPS and satellite communications systems.

In 1994, Hodson was the production manger and field technician for the company's Netlink deep-sea acoustic technology, which is now used globally by commercial fisherman.

After a stint playing rugby in Wales, Hodson returned to New Zealand in 1996 to take on a role with Westhaven-based marine electronics retailer Navstation.

In 1997 he rejoined ENL as commercial product manager, developing relationships with overseas suppliers and local commercial dealers, and was responsible for the pricing, branding and marketing of products.

In 2008 he moved into the role of general manager.

Hodson has also served on the board of New Zealand Marine Export for the past three years.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Manufacturer scoops awards pool again

05 Nov 10:13 PM
Lifestyle

Veteran Kereru to lead Rotoiti's classic fleet

29 Jan 01:55 AM
Lifestyle

Duo built for more active fun

11 Feb 10:02 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Freight and logistics

Premium
Politics

Treasury 'got it wrong' predicting KiwiRail to fall short of financial target, Winston Peters says

23 Jun 05:00 PM
Freight and logistics

'It is a cash grab, plain and simple': 77% port fee hike sparks industry outrage

27 May 06:56 AM
Premium
Capital markets report

How Trump tariffs are clouding NZ's economic outlook

13 May 04:59 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Freight and logistics

Premium
Treasury 'got it wrong' predicting KiwiRail to fall short of financial target, Winston Peters says

Treasury 'got it wrong' predicting KiwiRail to fall short of financial target, Winston Peters says

23 Jun 05:00 PM

'Treasury were cautious given the economic conditions, but the company delivered.'

'It is a cash grab, plain and simple': 77% port fee hike sparks industry outrage

'It is a cash grab, plain and simple': 77% port fee hike sparks industry outrage

27 May 06:56 AM
Premium
How Trump tariffs are clouding NZ's economic outlook

How Trump tariffs are clouding NZ's economic outlook

13 May 04:59 PM
Premium
Stock Takes: Will reporting season see the end of a bear market?

Stock Takes: Will reporting season see the end of a bear market?

08 May 09:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP