Central Mobile (CM) Engineering is a prominent player in the mobile engineering and mobile hydraulic hoses market, providing repair and manufacturing services. Located near Waipukurau, New Zealand, CM Engineering serves the agricultural community in the Central Hawke’s Bay region. With a team of six engineers and two office staff, the company specialises in delivering a diverse range of mobile engineering solutions. CM Engineering’s sister company, Pirtek Central Hawkes Bay (CHB), operates their hydraulic division.

CM Engineering recognised the need to expand their Pirtek CHB mobile service capabilities to meet the demands of the agricultural industry covering a significant land area. To achieve this, they required a larger, more versatile, and technologically advanced Mobile Service Unit (MSU) truck. The challenge was to find a fabrication partner capable of designing and building a customised truck body that could accommodate the necessary equipment, tools, and inventory, while also presenting a professional image on the move.

In their search for a suitable fabrication partner, CM Engineering came across Roadrunner Manufacturing, a renowned company based in Bulls, New Zealand. Impressed by the quality and innovation showcased in Roadrunner’s work, CM Engineering decided to collaborate with them on the development of their MSU truck.

According to Sam Barry, Manager and Qualified Engineer at CM Engineering;“As heavy fabrication engineers ourselves, we came across their work and were really impressed with the quality of projects they were putting out, and although there were a few other ute body builders out there, none of them offered the size we aimed to achieve.”

The partnership began with a clear vision from CM Engineering. Sam provided initial sketches, sizes, and locations, and Keiran Jenkins at Roadrunner transformed these into detailed Computer Aided Designs (CAD). The design phase allowed both teams to collaborate effectively, refining the concepts to ensure that the MSU truck would perfectly suit CM Engineering’s requirements.

Sam explains, “I began by providing a basic sketch, outlining sizes and placements. They took that sketch and transformed it into a detailed CAD design, and our project evolved from that starting point. They handled the main structural fabrication, incorporating central locking and crafting three lift-up doors with gas struts. All the doors are equipped with individual locking mechanisms and switches, ensuring that closing a door automatically turns off the interior lights.”

The completion of the MSU truck project has had a significant positive impact on CM Engineering’s operations. The newly designed 4WD truck with its custom-built body has enabled the company to cover a larger land area efficiently. The storage capacity, equipped with strategically placed compartments and toolboxes, has ensured that the team had all the necessary parts and tools readily available. This has not only improved service response times but also projected a professional image of the company whilst out on jobs.

Sam shares, “We can go to more sites. As a manager, I have more confidence that my staff can get to sites safely, get the job done effectively and have all the equipment available.”

One of the key things that sets Roadrunner Manufacturing apart from other fabricators was their ability to deliver highly customisable solutions. Sam Barry emphasises,”Their ability to customise a product that really suited our needs was second to none.”

Furthermore, the transparent and reliable communication, along with Roadrunner’s commitment to meeting project timelines, made the collaboration smooth and productive. Sam remarks, “The fact that they could issue a quote and stick to it was awesome too, these days there are often blowouts of either cost and time and we didn’t experience any of that with Roadrunner.”

Reflecting on the experience of working with Roadrunner Manufacturing, Sam Barry had high praise for the team, particularly Keiran, stating, “It was really good… a really straightforward experience. Keiran really understands lead times and the technical side of things. He’s a really honest guy and I got a good vibe about them right from the start.”

Visit the CM Engineering Website