Newspaper Article 2011 – Nimon and Sons

NIMON

HAWKE’S BAY   EST. 1905

Proud of our past and our future

NIMON   EST 1905

Transporting the Hawke’s Bay community for over 100 years

Nimon and Sons is believed to be the oldest established passenger service operation under continuous private ownership in New Zealand.

Nimon and Sons Passenger Transport Company was established in 1905 when John Giles Nimon, known as Jack, took over a business established in 1874. It is still owned by the Nimon family and many family members are still actively involved with the company today, including the fifth generation.

Photo caption – Jack Nimon with his horsebus (Advance) and horses Ivanhoe and Major, outside the depot ‘Lucknow’ 1905.

The time was right

After 105 years in Havelock North Nimon and Sons has moved to new premises in Whakatu and recently celebrated with an official opening of the brand new premises at 39 Whakatu Road on Saturday 6 August. Managing Director Bill Nimon said the time was right for a move to a more central location. They are now located in a good position to service the school bus routes, whereas Havelock North was on the fringe in the area. More importantly, the journey to Napier port, where the cruise liners berth, has been reduced by half.

The new operations centre is likely to be a work in progress for many years to come with work currently focused on building a panel shop.

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PRICE CAMPBELL & CO LTD
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS.
Professional Accounting For Your Future
Proud to support Nimon & Sons and congratulate them on their new premises.
250 Gloucester Street,
Taradale
Phone 06 844 6603

KIWI
Bus Builders Ltd
Congratulates Nimon & Sons for celebrating 105 years in business and the grand opening of their new premises.
44 Whakakake Street
Tauriko, Tauranga
Phone: (07) 571-0100
Email: [email protected]
Web:www .kiwibus.co.nz

NIMON   EST 1905

Mad keen Magpies supporters (left) Warwick Howie and Brian White aboard the Magpie Nimon’s Bus.

Rugby trips

Rugby teams travel with us in our part of the world and we also offer trips for their supporters. We can carry your group nationwide, whether it’s to a cup game or local team battle. We also have a special coach to transport the Magpies team.

Hawke’s Bay Tours

The Nimon Travel Advisors understand how daunting organising a holiday or an event for a group can be. With over 100 years experience, we specialise in tailoring itineraries to meet your groups’ interests, needs and budget as well as ensuring that we exceed their expectations. Whether it is for a social holiday or a corporate group, we are sure to find the right locations to suit your needs. From an executive board meeting to a tour or holiday, or spectacular conferences to stimulating team- building events, we are sure to fulfil your requirements.

For a stress free group event simply call us for a quotation.  We will be able to offer you free quotations for your accommodation, Cook Strait crossings, executive coach travel, attraction tickets and much more.

Weddings

Weddings can be stressful whether large or small. Relieve the stress and let us take care of the transport segment of the day for you and your guests.

School student transport service and school trips

We have extensive school bus contracts with the Ministry of education and schools. School trips are the highlight of a child’s education.

We have over 100 years experience in Hawke’s Bay and around New Zealand – experience that allows us to offer interesting and exciting school trips for your school or class.

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NGATARAWA
Lifetimes told in wine.

Proud to manage the tyres for the Nimon fleet
Hopefully Greg’s son Quinn will follow the Nimon family footsteps.
– Seen here helping his Dad performing a safety check on a Nimon bus.
Havelock North
TYRE & ALIGNMENT
9 Donnelly St, Havelock North  Ph: 877 0004
[email protected]

NIMON   EST 1905

Photo supplied by Andrew Flack LHT Design

Photo supplied by Polly Hunt LHT Design)

New mechanical and servicing section for local transport industries

Nimon and Sons has a fully fitted heavy vehicle workshop maintaining our bus and coach fleet to better than Certificate of Fitness standards.  A wide range of work is carried out on both the company’s vehicles and we also provide for outside customers.

All our coaches are regularly inspected and maintained by our team of skilled workshop technicians, ensuring they are perfectly presented in excellent working order. We can, and do, provide full panel beating services for the industry as well as ourselves with the new, purpose built panel shop.

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PATTON ENGINEERING
Leaders in Premier Engineering Solutions
Supporting another long standing local business.
32 Rangitane Road, Whakatu, Hawke’s Bay
P (06) 872 7120  F (06) 872 0617
E [email protected]
www .patton.co.nz

AW HOLDER
PLUMBING PLUS
BATHROOM   KITCHEN   LAUNDRY
Proud to supply Panel beating and Paint Supplies for Nimon & Sons
501 Warren St North Hastings
Phone: 878 5093  Fax: 878 7410
1018 Omahu Rd, Hastings 879 8030
118 Taradale Road, Onekawa, Napier
Phone: 835 0864 / Fax 843 5565
www .plumbingplus.co.nz

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NAPIER Carlyle St, Ph 06 834 2680   HASTINGS 505 Karamu Rd Nth Ph 06 873 0908

NIMON   EST 1905

The history of Nimon and Sons 1905 to 2011

Nimon and Sons was founded in 1905 when John Giles Nimon, or Jack as he was commonly known, bought the company from William Arthur Beecroft.

Jack was a bullock driver who worked for the Donnelly family driving wagons loaded with wool from inland Patea to Napier port. He met his future wife, Edith nee Ridd, a seamstress who also worked for the Donnelly family about this time. Jack and Edith’s surviving children were John Joseph generally known as Joe, William Arthur, Edward Cecil, Edith and the youngest, Richard Alexander.

In 1895 Jack worked for William Beecroft a livery stable owner operating in Havelock and Hastings. William supplied most modes of transport (all horse driven of course) including taxis and hearses. In 1905 Jack bought the Havelock North side of the business.

The original horse drawn buses operated by Jack, Advance and Relief, were named after battles of Lucknow in India. The old depot, used by the company until 1976 called Lucknow lodge, is still standing today and is a private house.

1910
With the invention of the motor vehicle the company expanded and bought a Studebaker eight-seater bus, which was later converted to a ten-seater. An old photograph survives from 1916 which shows the vehicle transporting girls from Iona College on a school outing. Bill and Joe went overseas to fight in WW1 and Edith, her daughter and the two youngest boys helped with the business. Their father died in 1914. At the end of the war Bill and Joe came home to run the family business.

1923
Motor buses were added to the fleet in 1910 and in 1923 the first full sized bus, a Thornycroft with pneumatic tyres, believed to be a first for the district, and possibly New Zealand, was purchased.

Edith lived until 1955, surviving her son Bill who died of a heart attack while doing war work at Napier Wharf in 1943.

1926
The company bought a Studebaker, the first vehicle with dual pneumatic tyres.

1963
Joe’s son, John Rodney Nimon took over as Managing Director.

1967
The bus fleet grew to 11 buses. John had also started a refrigerated trucking company called Road Air in 1956.

Photo captions –

The fleet consisting of Morris Commercials, 1934/1935.

Heretaunga Street Hastings. Looking back toward Te Mata Peak and Havelock North, the destination for the transport business run in 1903.

This 1912 Studebaker began life as a conventional eight-seater bus in the Havelock North and Hastings transport business. Later it was converted to take ten passengers.

Fleet No 6, a Morris Commercial built by Nuttalls of Napier, brand new in 1952.

Fleet No 7, sister to No 6, a Morris from 1954.

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D.P.S. TRUCKS
Pleased to be associated with Nimon & Sons.
Congratulations on your relocation to new premises and 105 years in business
Ford Road, Onekawa 843 0538
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Transmission

Lindisfarne College
Congratulates Nimon and Sons on their 105 years in business and their relocation to Whakatu. We thank you for your ongoing support of one of New Zealand’s top boy’s schools and appreciate the superb bus service you have provided over the years to our staff and students.
600 Pakowhai Road, P O Box 2341, Hastings 4153
Phone: 06 873 1136   Fax 06 878 6955
[email protected]
An Integrated Boarding and Day school emphasising excellence for boys – Years 7-13
www .lindisfarne.school.nz

NIMON   EST 1905

Practical, sustainable and good looking design

LHT Design Managing Director Alan Thompson praised Bill Nimon for his vision and desire to plan for the future while incorporating good design and environmentally sustainable development into Nimon’s new transport hub. Bill was able to see the value of doing things well and LHT design followed through with his vision, Alan said.

The workshop is aesthetically pleasing and practical at the same time, and has been designed to cater for buses and trucks for many years to come. Bill also wanted to create an energy efficient and environmentally sustainable depot that offered comfortable working conditions far better than the industry norm.

LHT Design was involved at the outset helping identify and evaluate the Whakatu site as the ideal place to build a transport hub. It was a challenging site as the ground was quite soft so geotextile materials had to be incorporated into the basecourse design.

The project encompassed all aspects of the design process from geotechnical, civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, architectural and regulatory, Alan said. There were some new ideas and some challenging aspects such as raised inspection bays in the 1200m2  workshop, rather than inspection pits, which is a novel and thought-provoking idea. Up to ten trucks and buses can be serviced at any time.

Next door to the workshop is a data serviced, fully air-conditioned administration building of some 300m2 . The depot has ample parking and extensive landscaping in conjunction with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

Project Manager Rob Macphail explained that rainwater collected from the roof is used for domestic supply. There’s an on-site well that can be used as back up during dry periods. There’s also on-site stormwater drainage with a large rain garden in the middle of the property. Heating and ventilation systems are extremely efficient and the mechanics benefit from a ground sourced heat pump which provides under floor heating where they work.

LHT personnel monitored the construction by Gemco Construction and the end result is a good looking and highly functional depot and transport hub that meets the needs of Nimon and Sons Ltd now and for the foreseeable future.

Garth Nimon Napier Manager checks the back steering axle on No17 super low floor bus.

Dave Neith, Mechanic checks under the front of the bus in the purpose built workshop.

[Advertisement]
Designers and Project Managers
of the new facilities
for Nimons & Sons Bus company
Congratulations Bill & Team
We’ve really enjoyed the trip with you.
LHT DESIGN

NIMON   EST 1905

Team approach to design and construction

Darren Diack Managing Director of Gemco Group Holdings said “This was a great project to be involved in because there was a real team approach by our client and the design team. The design was innovative and challenging and we are pleased to have delivered a quality building to Bill and his staff.”

Gemco Construction, a Havelock North company, won the contract, ahead of four other companies to build the brand new 1550 m2  workshop and administration premises for Nimon and Sons at Whakatu. Work started late last June, and although wet weather during the first six weeks hampered the foundations work, the building was completed on time in February 2011.

Gemco Trades carried out all the plumbing & drainage, electrical, tiling, painting and joinery work. Over twenty sub-trades were involved in the administration and workshop building project. Key construction materials, all locally supplied were structural steel, pre-cast concrete, Coloursteel roof and wall claddings, James Hardie Linea weatherboard and HardiFlex.

Bill Nimon (front) believes Darren Diack from Gemco Construction was the perfect man to help build an eco-friendly new building.

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SPORT HAWKE’S BAY BAY
PARTICIPATION   PROMOTION   PERFORMANCE
Sport Hawke’s Bay congratulates Nimon and Sons Ltd on serving the sports sector so well over the years.
Enjoy the new premises.
www .sporthb.net.nz
NIMON
HAWKE’S BAY   EST. 1905

gemco
CONSTRUCTION LTD
REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS
Proud to support Nimon & Sons
www. gemcogroup.com

UDC Finance is proud to support Nimon & Sons in celebrating 105 years in business
UDC has been financing New Zealand businesses like Nimon & Sons for generations For asset finance for plant, machinery, vehicles and equipment, call Nick Boult on (06) 830 0445
UDC Finance Limited lending criteria apply.
UDC
New Zealand’s Finance Company

NIMON   EST 1905

Meet the management team

Nimon and Sons Managing Director Bill Nimon and our Napier Depot Manager Garth Nimon are the 4th generation of the Nimon family to manage the business. They both understand the need for outstanding customer service, comfort and safety in the supply of passenger transport services.

Pete Patterson is our general manager who applies his team building skills to forge a committed team of professionals.

Ian Hughes is our Charter Manager responsible for all charters, tours and cruise ship work.

Whakatu Depot Manager Tony Lessel ensures our coaches and buses are well prepared and drivers are well briefed before any tour.

Taupo Depot Manager Kay Hill meets the needs of our customers in the Taupo area, ensuring that the right buses and drivers are assigned on time, every time.

Sue Nimon manages the accounts department, and ensures you get exactly what you book, at a competitive price.

Workshop Manager Warren Magon and Foreman Shaun Ellis take pride in the fact that our fleet of coaches and buses are well maintained by their staff and are in a safe condition before signing off for any work.

Staff in front of fleet No 1.  Back row from left: Tony Lessel, Whakatu Depot Manager, Ian Hughes, Operations Manager, Warren Magon, Workshop Manager, Kylie Howat, Charter Administration, Anne Bethell, Receptionist, Sue Nimon, Administration Manager, Bill Nimon, Managing Director, Kay Hill, Taupo Depot Manager. Front: Aroha Clere, Accounts/Payroll Administrator, Pete Patterson, General Manager, Garth Nimon, Napier Depot Manager.

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PUMPING
CRT Fuel are nationwide suppliers of bulk fuel, fuel cards and lubricants.
We are proud to keep NIMON & SONS on the move
crt FUEL
0800 66 66 26   www .crtfuel.co.nz

PAN PAC
PAN PAC FOREST PRODUCTS LIMITED
Congratulations to Nimon & Sons on their 105th Anniversary in business and relocation to new premises.
Thank you for providing an efficient transport service to Pan Pac employees since March 1992.

NIMON   EST 1905

Pride of the fleet. Our latest coach with aircraft style seating & DVD, air conditioning and air suspension.

What we do

“We’ll transport your group in style, comfort, within budget and on time.”

Nimon and Sons operate a fleet of around 100 vehicles in a variety of capacities. When you board a Nimon and Sons coach you know that you’ll be travelling in style and with a friendly driver. Wherever your destination, the Nimon’s luxury fleet of vehicles will provide the very best in comfort, safety and technology.

Nimon’s can provide a coach service to take you anywhere in New Zealand from Hawke’s Bay or Taupo, or alternatively our coaches can meet you at the airport or shipping port of your chosen destination.

From 18-seater mini-coaches to VIP coaches with aircraft-style seating and bathroom facilities, all on air suspension, the unmistakable fleet travels all over New Zealand. Our 5-star gold coaches provide the ultimate indulgence for your corporate travels requirements. With features including flat screen TVs with PC compatibility for presentations, DVD & CD audio system, tinted windows and bathroom facilities, you can provide a truly unforgettable experience for your clients or guests. Our gold bus #1, a 2010 automatic Volvo B12b is 13.6 metres long, seats 57 passengers in chairs that are better than aircraft seats, has air suspension, front and rear axle steering for a beautifully smooth and comfortable ride.

As a commitment to responsible tourism operations, all our new buses meet Euro-5 emission standards. Our newest bus #17 is the first in New Zealand with an eco-life gear box and the Euro-5 emission standard is the highest in the country.

Corporate transport

From transporting staff and clients to conferences, to a day out of the office – whatever the event we are able to provide corporate transport when required, including executive coach hire for those special occasions when only a luxury coach will do. We also have contracts with private companies for the supply of staff transport in the Napier and Hastings area.

Coach tours and private charters

Our corporate travel consultants offer a complete travel management package to suit your individual or corporate coach hire requirements. More than just simple coach hire, we can provide coaches for family excursions, school visits and corporate events. Executive coaches are also available when only luxury travel will do.

This nation-wide service provides route planning and 24-hour, 7-days-per-week backup via our dedicated after hours Duty Officers.

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Congratulations to Nimon & Sons on 105 years in business, and on your new premises.
NAPIER GLASS
843 6481
20 Austin St, Onekawa, Napier
[email protected]

Eureka
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NIMON   EST 1905

Bill Nimon, General Manager Nimon & Sons Ltd, Havelock North, with Kirsten Stokes, Napier, and her son Lachie, 14 mths, with a new bus that “kneels” to allow easier access.

Some of the fleet in 2008  No 27 (2001), No 8 (2007), Magpies coach (1985) and No 12 (2008).

1980
In the late 1980s Nimon & Sons took over some school runs from Mt Cook and Newmans Coach Services.

1990/1991
In 1990 the company took on more Ministry of Education runs and in 1991 took over Railway Road Services in Napier and Hastings and the fleet expanded considerably.

A typical bus fleet in the 1990s consisted of 1 x B58 Volvo x Newmans, 2 x RK 176 Hinos x Cityline and 1 x NFM Bedford ex Cityline.

2003
Bill Nimon took over as Managing Director in 2003 when his father John died. The company took delivery of a new bus that “kneels” to allow easier access.

2007
Drivers Barrie Gledhill and Bob Alexander compete in the first ever Tranzqual ITO Australasian Bus Rodeo held at Christchurch in September.

2009
Nimon and Sons ran the Havelock North to Hastings run continuously for 104 years until 2009 when the runs were lost to tender but they picked up significant school tenders and more than doubled the number of runs.

2010
Nimon and Sons won all the Taupo school service from February 1 and the fleet consisted of more than 98 vehicles.

2011
On 20 March 2011 the company moved its operations to (the) new depot at 39 Whakatu Road, Whakatu, Hastings. The new premises were officially opened by National MP for Tukituki Craig Foss on Saturday 6 August 2011.

A brand new bus #17 was delivered in mid-July and the drivers are currently receiving training. With dual axle steering it is quite different to drive. The new bus with a white livery will be used around town. It was made in New Zealand by Kiwi Bus in Tauranga and meets Euro-Five emission standards.

It took two hours to transfer half of Nimon Bus company’s old 852sq m Havelock North workshop to its new home as East Coast Scrap’s new workshop in Omahu Rd.

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AUSTIN TRANSPORT
HASTINGS
CONGRATULATIONS TO NIMON & SONS ON
105 YEARS IN BUSINESS
AND YOUR RELOCATION TO NEW PREMISES.

CONGRATULATIONS TO NIMON
HAWKE’S BAY EST 1905
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NIMON   EST 1905

Technical skills and resources

Workplace training and assessment is provided within the company to NZQA standards, enabling our drivers to excel at their jobs. We have an in-house training scheme and meet Tranzqual ITO requirements to be a recognised training and assessment workplace. Most of our drivers are trained up to National Certificate level.

New mechanical and servicing section for local transport industries

Nimon and Sons has a fully fitted heavy vehicle workshop maintaining our bus and coach fleet to better than Certificate of Fitness standards. A wide range of work is carried out on both the company’s vehicles and we also provide a service for outside customers.

All our coaches are regularly inspected and maintained by our team of skilled workshop technicians, ensuring they are perfectly presented in excellent working order. We can, and do, provide full panel beating services for the industry as well as ourselves with the new, purpose built panel shop.

Workshop and WOF testing centre

A 24-hour workshop call out service is operated and we’re an approved Warrant of Fitness centre for cars, light vans and trailers.

Ramp up to the workshop where mechanics serve the buses and commercial clients.

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The
Silky Oak
Chocolate
COMPANY
Is proud to be associated with Nimons
1131 Links Road. Phone 845 0908