History

Southern Cross Engineering (SCE) was acquired to expand and further diversify our manufacturing engineering capabilities.

Mercer Group was re-branded as MHM Automation to reflect the growing importance of automated technologies to the group and to align the three operating entities – Mercer Stainless, H&C and Milmeq – as one business.

Milmeq was purchased to extend automation capabilities into chilling and freezing and Haden and Custance was rebranded H&C Automated Solutions.

The BetaVac and AiCo product ranges were moved into Haden and Custance.

Haden and Custance was purchased by Mercer Group.

Mercer Technologies was split between Mercer Medical and Mercer Stainless, with three companies formed under the Mercer Group: Mercer Stainless – industrial fabrication and design, including AiCO and BetaVac machinery; Mercer Products – suppliers of kitchen, laundry and bathroom equipment; Mercer Medical – medical equipment, incubators, cleaning equipment and sterilisers.

Purchased Duratech Wholesale and integrated it into Mercer Products.

Purchased InMotion Engineering, in Australia.

Purchased Equipment Maintenance Ltd, owners of the BetaVac brand, and integrated it into Mercer Technologies.

Mercer Technologies division was established, integrating Mercer Medical and AiCo Products, and to focus on new R&D projects.

Medisys was purchased and a new division of the business was established: Mercer Medical.

AiCo Materials Handling was purchased and integrated into Mercer Stainless.

Robots were introduced into Haden and Custance product handling systems for the dairy industry. Milmeq pioneered the development of large-scale plate freezers for the meat processing industry.

Broadway Industries purchased South Island Dairy, fully integrated Silver Dolphin and J Mercer & Sons, and started trading as Mercer Stainless Ltd.

South Island Dairy purchased J Mercer & Sons in 1980 and continued trading under names J Mercer & Sons and Silver Dolphin.

Haden and Custance moved into providing solutions for manufacturers including palletising. Milmeq (then known as Realcold) developed automatic chilling and freezing tunnels for the meat and dairy industries.

Haden and Custance was established.

Mercer Group Limited (MGL) was first listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange.

Milmeq had its beginnings in New Zealand under the name Refrigeration Engineering, providing chilling and freezing equipment to meat processors to enable the export of their product.

Silver Dolphin Industries was established as manufacturing arm of South Island Dairy Association.

South Island Dairy Association was established.

The original Mercer company, J Mercer and Sons, was established by James Mercer in Christchurch, New Zealand.