Nigel Franklin had a plan. Once he was turning over enough money, he’d leave his job and run his own business full time. That big plan lasted two weeks, before Franklin, who couldn’t help himself, quit, bought a second-hand machine off of TradeMe, and gave his business venture a go.
Equipped with a machinist background, Franklin created Franklin Engineering, which manufactures automotive parts under the brand Franklin Performance, and offers precision machining services across New Zealand, with Franklin himself at the helm as the owner and Director.
The process
Franklin was able to find a niche with his precision manufactured automotive parts, with Franklin Engineering running essentially the entire production process, handling almost all of their supply chain without having to outsource bits and pieces.
To make his products, Franklin purchases raw materials that get machined and then sent out for anodising, before being returned to be laser-marked and packaged. The retail side of things is also handled independently by Franklin Engineering.
Franklin has everything he needs in stock, ready to go and easy to deal with, so he and his team can freely use whatever they need to manufacture their products. Good pricing is also a component of Franklin Engineering, with Franklin adding that he believes he keeps his prices fair for what is provided.
Why Franklin Engineering are NZ made
To Franklin, being made in New Zealand means that people can rely on his products being high quality, creating greater trust amongst customers.
“People appreciate the quality, and I’d say they expect the quality when it’s made in New Zealand, so they trust our product. Buy New Zealand made — buy quality. You can trust that what you buy from us is a quality product.”
Franklin also notes his love for how friendly things are, since everyone knows everyone as strong relationships are built with suppliers and customers. Franklin really enjoys his work and the people he gets to spend time with while his products are developed.
“I enjoy what I do. I come into work to see the guys here, making awesome parts on our machines, making new products, and finding cool ways to do things.”
