What CR Automation does

CR Automation is a privately held New Zealand industrial automation engineering company headquartered in Hastings, Hawke's Bay, founded in 2002 by Peter Richards. The firm delivers end-to-end automation solutions spanning electrical design, mechanical design, software engineering (PLC, SCADA, HMI), robotics integration, and in-house metalwork fabrication. Its offering is organised around four core areas: Post-Harvest Technology (including the proprietary JetWash HPW/MPW/TPW washers, BrushDry brush-bed system, robotic palletising, bin dump systems, tray fillers, and bulk bin fillers designed for MPI export compliance), Water & Wastewater (SCADA, process control, remote monitoring, and dedicated 24/7 service for district councils and utilities), Machine Safety (TÜV Nord-certified audits, hazard analysis, and validation to AS/NZS 4024), and General Automation/Robotics (discrete automation, process control, SCADA, legacy upgrades, custom robot cells, autonomous mobile robots, and machine vision systems). The technology stack is built on established industrial platforms — Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, AVEVA/Wonderware ArchestrA, Schneider, Siemens, SICK safety PLCs, ABB Robotics, Omron, and Inductive Automation Ignition (with Ignition Gold certified engineers).

The business model is project-based engineering services delivered through direct sales, competitive tenders, and relationship-driven account management. Revenue is generated through one-time project fees for turnkey installations (e.g., greenfield factories, packhouse rebuilds, port safety upgrades) and recurring maintenance/servicing contracts (particularly in the Water vertical with dedicated 24/7 service). Pricing is bespoke and quote-based given the custom-engineering nature of work. Customers are predominantly large New Zealand enterprises and government entities, including Kraft Heinz, Pernod Ricard, WoolWorks, Mr Apple, Eastland Port, Whanganui District Council, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, and Indevin, with international project delivery to NSW (Ardagh/Jamestrong) and Samoa (Water Authority). Go-to-market is consultative and field-led, with no formal channel partners or digital marketing at scale. The firm appears to be founder-owned and operated with no disclosed institutional investors; a single NZ$12,568 Callaghan Innovation grant in 2021 is the only external capital event on record.

Name

CR Automation

Legal name

CR Automation

Website

https://crautomation.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CR Automation is a privately held New Zealand industrial automation engineering firm founded in 2002 that designs and delivers PLC, SCADA, robotics, and machine safety solutions — plus proprietary post-harvest equipment — to enterprise and government customers across food and beverage, water infrastructure, horticulture, and manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Engineering

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial automation engineering
• Post-harvest equipment
• SCADA process control
• Machine safety compliance
• Robotic palletising systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hastings

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Automation Engineering and Integration Services: CR Automation generates revenue through project-based engineering services including electrical design, mechanical design, software development (PLC/SCADA/HMI), robotics integration, project management, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance/servicing. Projects range from discrete machine automation through to large greenfield turnkey industrial installations. Revenue is earned through one-time project fees and recurring servicing/maintenance contracts. The company also provides machine safety assessment, validation, and compliance services. Post-harvest equipment (JetWash, BrushDry, bin dumpers, tray fillers, robotic palletisers) is sold as part of integrated turnkey solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CR Automation provides industrial automation and control engineering solutions for industries, warehouses, packhouses, and other businesses. The company delivers turnkey automation projects covering electrical design, mechanical design, PLC/SCADA/HMI software engineering, robotics integration, and metalwork fabrication, alongside a proprietary range of post-harvest equipment (JetWash washers, BrushDry, robotic palletisers, bin dumps, tray fillers), water and wastewater SCADA systems, and machine safety compliance solutions.

Product overview

CR Automation is an industrial automation engineering company incorporated in 2002, delivering a diversified portfolio of products and services throughout New Zealand and internationally. The offering spans multiple distinct product lines organized into divisions: Post Harvest Technology (including JetWash HPW, MPW, and TPW washers, BrushDry brush bed system, Robotic Palletising, Continuous Flow Bin Dump, Robotic Rollover Bin Dump, Goose Neck Tray Filler, Bulk Bin Filler, and Complete Turnkey Solutions); Robotics (Custom Robot Cells, Custom Machines, Pallet Scanner, Robotic Palletising, Flex Pickers, and Autonomous Mobile Robots); Water (Water & Wastewater Treatment Process Control, Trade Waste Process Control, SCADA systems, Remote Station Monitoring, and Dedicated Service); and Automation (Discrete Automation, Process Control, SCADA Systems, Manufacturing Line Optimisation, Legacy Upgrades, and Electrical Design). Core engineering support services including Project Management, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Design, Software Engineering, Process Engineering, and Industrial IT underpin the product portfolio. Machine Safety Solutions including audits, hazard identification, risk assessments, safety design, implementation, and validation complete the comprehensive offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JetWash HPW (High-Pressure Rotary Apple Washer) Rotary high-pressure apple washer designed to remove pests such as apple leaf curling midge and other infestations for accessing high-value export markets. Features adjustable wand height, customizable pressure settings, and touch screen HMI. Targeted at apple packhouses and horticultural exporters requiring MPI compliance.
• JetWash MPW (Medium Pressure Washer with Brush Bed) Multi-produce medium pressure washer with flat bed brush design delivering 100 PSI at the nozzle. Features triple sealed drive cavity, quick release square drive brush system, and self-diagnosing algorithms. Suitable for apples and other produce meeting MPI export requirements.
• JetWash TPW (Targeted Pressure Washer) Targeted pressure washer delivering high pest removal performance with lower cost of ownership. Features static manifold washing, fruit rotation control, multistage filtration up to 150 m3/hour down to 200 microns, sensor-controlled pump speed, and self-diagnosing algorithms.
• BrushDry Multi-Produce Brush Bed System Advanced multi-produce brush drying system with dual speed brushes, triple seal drive cavity, auto clear-out function, floating clear-out bar limited to 10kg force for safety, and quick release brushes. Modular and customizable in length, width, and height for washing, drying, treatment application, and waxing of produce.
• Robotic Palletising System Multi-product robotic palletising system using a single robot and gripper to service multiple product lines (up to 4 SKUs simultaneously), palletising up to 18 cartons per minute per cell. Features telescopic two-piece carton optimization, diagnostics, analytics, AMR-ready option, and AS/NZS 4024 compliance.
• Continuous Flow Bin Dump High-throughput continuous flow bin dump system for produce infeed with smooth bin operation, controlled fruit release, gentle fruit handling, touch screen HMI, and advanced control system.
• Robotic Rollover Bin Dump Automated robotic bin tipper with gantry frame and robotic tipping mechanism for gently releasing produce into dump tanks. Features adjustable dump height, touch screen HMI, and category three safety rating.
• Goose Neck Tray Filler High-performance apple tray filler with modular design and transfer plate for even fruit distribution, minimizing stem pull. Available with single and split outfeed belt options.
• Bulk Bin Filler Continuous flow rapid bin filling system with automated bin conveying, automatic tilt hoist conveyor, and capability of filling over 30 bins per hour with bin changeover without stopping production.
• Complete Turnkey Packhouse Solution Integration of CR Automation proprietary products with third-party subsystems to deliver complete post-harvest solutions including bin handling, flume design, washing, drying, sizing integration, tray filling, carton handling, palletising, and complete process SCADA.
• Custom Robot Cell Custom robotic solutions designed and manufactured for specific business needs, including automated material handling robot cells for 24/7 on-demand dispensing. Includes process assessment, custom development, and seamless integration services.
• Custom Machine Design and Manufacturing Custom machine design and manufacturing combining mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, automation, machine vision, robotics, and safety design elements for a wide range of industries and specific applications.
• Pallet Scanner Automatic scanning system for completed pallets that saves time, reduces labor, and eliminates human error with missed scans. Integrates with warehouse management systems for real-time data updates.
• Flex Pickers Robotic picking and packing solutions for small, high-volume materials and goods with machine vision integration for defect detection and comprehensive data collection.
• Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) Autonomous mobile robots for materials transport, enabling operators to call for materials or transport materials without stopping their current process. Features safe navigation around obstacles and people, with AMR-ready options in the robotic palletising product line.
• Water & Wastewater Treatment Process Control Full control system design and implementation for water and wastewater treatment plants including industrial network design and computer server system setup. Serves district councils, water utilities, and government bodies across New Zealand and the Pacific.
• Trade Waste Process Control Trade waste pumping station design and process control solutions for simple and complex industrial users, ensuring uninterrupted operations and providing data for local council compliance.
• SCADA for Water Industry Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition solutions for the water industry including SCADA standards development, vendor integration, HMI development, alarming, automatic reporting, and data aggregation across multiple sites.
• Remote Station Monitoring and Control Real-time monitoring and control systems for remote water stations using radio and cellular network integration, pump station controller design, with real-time alarming via text to operators.
• Dedicated Water Infrastructure Service 24/7 on-call service with remote and on-site support, preventative maintenance, system updates, critical spare part management, regular health checks, and lifecycle management for water infrastructure assets.
• Discrete Automation Solutions Custom discrete automation solutions for machinery and manufacturing lines including PLC programming, HMI design, robotic integration, automated assembly, machine vision, motion control, and drive systems.
• Process Control Solutions Expert implementation of complex continuous process controls across industries including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, energy, water treatment, and food and beverage with advanced control strategy development.
• SCADA Systems Comprehensive SCADA system design, implementation, and customization with team including Ignition Gold certified members and proficiency in AVEVA SCADA systems, with cybersecurity solutions and 24/7 support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Juice yield increase of approximately 25% at Cedenco Foods NZ Ltd
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rockwell AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationRockwell Automation is listed as a trusted supplier and industrial automation partner, providing control and information solutions. CR Automation engineers are proficient in Rockwell/Allen Bradley PLC, SCADA, and HMI platforms. Listed prominently on the partners page with logo placement.
• ABBcoreTechnology or IntegrationABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies. CR Automation has expertise in ABB Robotics (as noted in software engineering capabilities). ABB awarded CR Automation the 'Most Innovative Solution Award 2019' for the Tumu Timbers pallet robotics project.
• Wonderware (AVEVA)coreTechnology or IntegrationWonderware/AveVA is listed as a trusted supplier. CR Automation uses Wonderware InTouch and ArchestrA System Platform for SCADA development. AveVA SCADA is referenced in multiple case studies including Gisborne WWTP and Whanganui District Council projects.
• OTTO Motors (Clearpath Robotics)coreTechnology or IntegrationOTTO Motors is listed as a trusted supplier for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). CR Automation integrates OTTO AMRs into factory-wide workflows for materials transport. AMR-ready options are offered in CR Automation's robotic palletising product line.
• SICKcoreTechnology or IntegrationSICK is listed as a trusted supplier and global leading producer of sensors and sensor systems for industrial applications. CR Automation uses SICK Flexisoft safety PLCs in safety-critical applications (e.g., Nature's Flame wood pellet facility safety monitoring).
• Schneider ElectriccoreTechnology or IntegrationSchneider Electric is listed as a trusted supplier. CR Automation engineers are proficient in Schneider PLCs, SCADAPack RTUs, Vijeo Designer, and Citect SCADA. Schneider Altivar drives (200+) were used in the WoolWorks Awatoto rebuild.
• Inductive Automation (Ignition)coreTechnology or IntegrationIgnition is listed as a trusted supplier and the 'Universal Platform for automation industry needs'. CR Automation has several Ignition Gold certified team members. Ignition Edge HMI is used in projects (e.g., Eastland Port debarker). The WoolWorks Awatoto SCADA was built on Inductive Automation's Ignition platform.
• DSK EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDSK Engineering is a strategic partner for machine guarding solutions. CR Automation worked with DSK Engineering on the Oji Fibre Solutions turn-key machine guarding project, combining DSK's fencing expertise with CR Automation's electrical and safety systems.
• Transfield WorleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCR Automation won the automation subcontract from Transfield Worley for the Nature's Flame greenfield wood pellet facility for Solid Energy. CR Automation used Transfield Worley's functional descriptions to develop the control software.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TOMRA Food: TOMRA Food is the global leader in sensor-based sorting and grading equipment for fresh produce and processed food, with a strong installed base across NZ/Australian apple and kiwifruit packhouses. It is highly comparable to CR Automation because it sells proprietary post-harvest hardware (sorters, graders) bundled with line-integration software, directly overlapping with CR Automation's packhouse automation offering.
• Compac: Compac (now part of TOMRA) is a New Zealand-based designer and manufacturer of sorting, grading and packing line equipment for apples, kiwifruit, citrus and stone fruit—the closest direct competitor to CR Automation's post-harvest wash/dry/handle/tray-fill/palletise product family. Both firms target the same NZ and Australian packhouses, and Compac's proprietary hardware plus line-control software mirrors CR Automation's JetWash/BrushDry plus robotic palletising bundle.
• BBC Technologies: BBC Technologies is a New Zealand-based specialist in optical sorting, grading and packaging lines for berries and small fruits, headquartered near Tauranga. It is a direct peer to CR Automation because both are NZ-headquartered post-harvest equipment vendors combining proprietary mechanical hardware with PLC/SCADA/robotics control, and both target export-grade packhouse customers in the Australasian market.
• Wyma Engineering: Wyma Engineering (NZ, with global reach) designs and manufactures post-harvest vegetable handling equipment including washers, brush dryers, bin handling and sizing systems. It is directly comparable to CR Automation's JetWash and BrushDry lines and Continuous Flow / Robotic Rollover Bin Dump products—similar proprietary hardware, similar packhouse/processor customers, and similar North-American/European export focus.
• Holmac International: Holmac International (Italian-based) manufactures and supplies post-harvest fruit and vegetable handling equipment including bin tipping, washing, drying and size-grading machinery. It is directly comparable to CR Automation's bin dump, washing, drying and packing product family and competes for the same European and Australasian packhouse projects.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric is a global automation incumbent whose PLCs, SCADAPack RTUs, Vijeo Designer, Citect SCADA and Altivar drives underpin many CR Automation projects (200+ Altivar drives on the WoolWorks site). It is a broad incumbent peer because, like Rockwell, it sells both platforms and increasingly Ecosystem/AVEVA System Integrator services that partially overlap CR Automation's integration and water/wastewater SCADA offerings.
• Rockwell Automation: Rockwell Automation is the global incumbent control-platform vendor (Allen-Bradley PLCs, FactoryTalk SCADA) and is explicitly listed as a core technology partner. It is a broad incumbent peer because CR Automation builds solutions on top of Rockwell's stack, and Rockwell's own SI ecosystem and emerging Lifecycle Services offerings create partial overlap with CR Automation's integration and support business.
• ABB: ABB is a global industrial automation and robotics incumbent supplying the ABB Robotics arms CR Automation integrates (e.g., Tumu Timbers custom pallet nailing cell that won the ABB Most Innovative Solution Award 2019). It is a broad incumbent peer because it provides both the underlying robotics platforms CR Automation deploys and adjacent integration services that compete with CR Automation's robotics engineering business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cr-automation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CR Automation