VICKERS Quarries are celebrating this weekend as the business reaches a milestone 50 years of business.
Vickers Quarries was started by Russell Vickers in 1958 and he admitted he didn't dream his business would still be going strong and supporting a wider community five decades down the track.
The business started on their Radnor Road farm, when they discovered a sufficient supply of metal and found there was quite a need for it.
When the home site started to run our Russell looked further a field and found the perfect site in Toko.
The Toko Quarry has been successfully operating for the past 35 years and will still be in use for quite a while.
Russell said work was running smoothly and it was around 15 years ago he bought the York Road site and his second Quarry began production after some major housekeeping.
Russell said his dream of running a successful land-based business was only made possible because of his late wife Marie.
"In the early days she would stay at home, run the farm and milk the cows, while I was away playing with my big toys."
Today, two of his five children Kevin and Noddy are equal partners in the business.
Russell said he doesn't compare his quarries to others in the country, but believes his operations and one of the largest in Taranaki.
He said he judges the quality of his work by what others do.
"If they keep coming back, we must be doing something right."
Recently, he has installed the largest 'crusher' unit in New Zealand, with installation costs alone at $600,000.
This has enabled him to step-up production and to be able to crush larger rocks that he wasn't able to use in the past.
Vickers Quarries expects its product sales to hit a record 250,000 tonnes by the end of this month.
One of his past projects has been supplying rocks for the upgrade of the Waitangi Park in Wellington a project costing 29 million in total.
The business was based originally on roading, but over the years Vickers has changed and adapted to his clients needs now offering 20 different types of products&from; fine sand to 30-tonne boulders.
Russell said he has built a firm relationship with his many regular clients over the years.
"I still like to do things the old way, we base everything on trust and a handshake. I work face to face or by the phone, no mucking around."
"These business partners have become more than just clients. Some have been with me for over 40 years we have formed a very trusting friendship."
To celebrate there 50 years in business Vickers Quarries have invited selected guests and business clients to help them celebrate this weekend. These will include representatives from the mining and quarrying industry, suppliers, construction, roading, local, regional and central Government and more.
Vickers celebrating golden anniversary
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