Kernohan Engineering

What Kernohan Engineering does

Kernohan Engineering is a privately held, multi-disciplinary industrial engineering firm headquartered in Nelson, New Zealand, operating from a purpose-built workshop at 121 Vickerman Street in Port Nelson. Founded in 1972, the company provides integrated engineering services spanning heavy and stainless steel fabrication, ASME IX-certified process piping, CNC machining and laser profile cutting, non-ferrous foundry casting (bronze and aluminium), marine engineering and propeller manufacturing, draughting and design using SolidWorks with Finite Element Analysis, and 3D printing for rapid prototyping. The firm holds AS/NZS ISO 9001:2015 quality certification, implemented through its proprietary Kernohan Exceptional Engineers System (KEES), alongside ASME IX and AS/NZS 2980 welding certifications.

The company serves New Zealand's largest producers across at least seven verticals — marine and aquaculture, wine and food processing, cement, mining, timber and MDF, water and infrastructure, and oil and gas — with a roster that includes Villa Maria, Holcim, OMV New Zealand, Daiken Southland, Carter Holt Harvey, Nelmac, Bathurst Mine, Gigablue, and McCashins. Its business model is project-based, with revenue generated from billable engineering hours, materials, manufactured products (notably seismic-rated wine barrel racks), and 24/7 emergency call-out services. Distribution is direct enterprise sales with no intermediaries; pricing is quote-based and project-specific.

In April 2025 Kernohan acquired the assets of Diverse Engineering and the original Nalder and Biddle Foundry, broadening its marine division and adding propeller, keel, and cast metal product capabilities. The firm runs a 70+ strong team with over 250 years of combined experience, has trained 35+ apprentices, and operates nationally across New Zealand with a Nelson workshop and mobile project teams. Leadership comprises CEO Paul Miller and General Manager Operations Darcy Paul, supported by divisional managers across stainless/pipe, propellers and foundry, machine shop, business development, and welding inspection.

Name

Kernohan Engineering

Legal name

Kernohan Engineering

Website

https://kernohan.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kernohan Engineering is a privately held Nelson, New Zealand-based industrial engineering firm providing fabrication, machining, welding, foundry, marine engineering, and design services to New Zealand's largest producers across marine, wine, mining, cement, timber, water, and oil and gas sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Engineering Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting) (IMAJAGAK)

Keywords

• Heavy steel fabrication
• CNC machining services
• Marine engineering services
• Industrial maintenance services
• Foundry casting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Nelson

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Engineering Projects: Project-based engineering services including maintenance, fabrication, machining, design, and installation. Revenue generated from billable engineering hours, materials, and project management fees. Services span multiple industries including marine, timber, mining, food & beverage, and infrastructure.
2. Product Sales: Sale of engineered products including wine barrel racks (seismic-rated), propellers, stillages, and custom fabrications. Products are manufactured to order.
3. Profile Cutting Services: CNC laser cutting services charged per job based on material, thickness, and complexity.
4. 24/7 Emergency Response Services: Emergency breakdown and call-out services available 24/7 for urgent repairs and maintenance needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kernohan Engineering provides multi-disciplinary industrial engineering services including custom stainless and heavy fabrication, ASME IX-certified process piping, CNC machining and 3D printing, CNC laser profile cutting, in-house foundry casting (bronze and aluminium), marine engineering, and 24/7 maintenance and emergency response. The firm also designs and manufactures products such as precision-cast marine propellers and the only NZ-made seismically certified wine barrel racks. Projects span concept, design, prototyping, fabrication, installation and ongoing maintenance across marine, timber, mining, cement, food and beverage, and infrastructure sectors.

Product overview

Kernohan Engineering is a multi-disciplinary engineering services firm offering an integrated suite of services centered on fabrication, machining, maintenance and marine engineering. The core portfolio includes Stainless Fabrication, Heavy Fabrication, Process Piping (certified to ASME IX), Machine Shop (CNC machining and 3D printing), Marine Engineering, Propellers (designed and manufactured in-house), Profile Cutting (CNC laser), Draughting and Design (SolidWorks CAD/FEA), Foundry services (bronze/aluminum casting), Innovation (product development), and Stillages and Racking (seismic-rated wine barrel racks). The company operates from a purpose-built workshop in Nelson, New Zealand, serving industries including marine, timber, food processing, mining, energy and infrastructure. The April 2025 acquisition of Diverse Engineering and Nalder and Biddle Foundry assets expanded the foundry division with additional propeller and cast metal capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maintenance Services Comprehensive industrial maintenance services including planned 24/7 shutdowns, preventative plant maintenance, emergency breakdowns and call-outs, and shift cover for industrial operations across New Zealand.
• Stainless Fabrication Custom stainless steel fabrication for food-grade, hygienic, and corrosive environments including tanks, hoppers, pipework, kitchen fittings, and architectural finishes.
• Heavy Fabrication Large-scale structural steel fabrication for industrial plants, buildings, platforms, frames, pipe bridges, conveyor structures, and seismic structural upgrades.
• Process Piping Certified pipeline fabrication and installation for transporting fluids, gases, and steam, with ASME IX and AS/NZS 2980 welding certifications.
• Machine Shop Precision CNC and manual machining services including turning, milling, drilling, boring, surface grinding, key-way cutting, plus 3D printing, prototyping, and reverse engineering.
• Marine Engineering Maintenance, repair, fabrication, and innovation services for vessels, marine infrastructure, and aquaculture equipment, including hull repairs, refits, and structural work.
• Propellers Design, engineering, manufacturing, repair, and balancing services for precision-cast marine propellers using in-house foundry capabilities.
• Profile Cutting CNC laser cutting services for sheet metal and plate materials up to 3.0m x 1.5m, cutting mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and brass from 0.5mm to 20mm thick.
• Draughting and Design In-house CAD design services using SolidWorks for 2D technical drawings, 3D CAD modeling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), reverse engineering, and full documentation for compliance.
• Foundry Precision casting services for non-ferrous metals including bronze and aluminum, specializing in marine propellers, rudder components, bushings, and custom fittings through sand casting.
• Innovation Product development and prototyping services converting research into engineered solutions, from conceptual prototypes through pre-production testing to final manufacturing.
• Stillages and Racking Seismic-certified wine barrel racking systems designed and manufactured in New Zealand, the only NZ-made option meeting earthquake safety standards for wineries, featuring modular interlocking design and hot-dip galvanization.

Quantifiable outcome

• FPSO MV Raroa refit completed ahead of schedule with 150+ tradespeople working 24/7 over 8 weeks with zero incidents and no environmental impact
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Diverse EngineeringmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Kernohan Engineering Ltd acquired the assets of Diverse Engineering effective April 1, 2025. This acquisition expands Kernohan's marine division and product offerings.
• Nalder and Biddle FoundrymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Kernohan Engineering Ltd acquired the assets of the original Nalder and Biddle Foundry effective April 1, 2025. Continues to provide products and services previously supplied by Nalder and Biddle to their loyal customer base.
• Nelson Tasman Chamber of CommercecoreOthersCornerstone sponsor of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce, investing in the success of all businesses in the region. Provides networking opportunities and industry visibility.
• MoananuicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud partners of Moananui and signatories of their pledge. Moananui is a regional initiative focused on environmental and ocean sustainability in New Zealand.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• McConnell Dowell: Australia and New Zealand-based engineering and infrastructure contractor with marine and industrial construction capabilities. Closely comparable to Kernohan in being a multi-disciplinary engineering services firm operating across land and marine in the Australasian market, though at significantly larger scale.
• Beca Group: New Zealand-headquartered engineering and design consultancy with deep industrial, marine, and infrastructure capabilities. Like Kernohan, Beca is privately-held and NZ-rooted, and serves many of the same enterprise clients across industrial and asset-heavy sectors.
• Steel Construction Ltd: New Zealand structural steel fabrication and heavy engineering firm. Most directly comparable to Kernohan's heavy fabrication, process piping, and structural steel work for industrial and marine customers in the NZ market.
• Eastbridge: New Zealand engineering services firm with similar multi-disciplinary capabilities across industrial sectors. Comparable to Kernohan in scale, customer base, and broad engineering services offering within the NZ market.
• WSP in New Zealand: Global engineering consultancy with a substantial New Zealand presence, providing design, advisory, and project management across marine, infrastructure, mining, and industrial sectors. Comparable to Kernohan's design and owner's-engineering work, though WSP is design-focused rather than fabrication-led.

Broad incumbents

• Babcock International: International marine, naval, and industrial engineering services provider. Overlaps with Kernohan's vessel maintenance, refit, and marine engineering work, but operates at scale across defense and commercial marine globally.
• Wärtsilä: Global marine solutions provider with ship repair, propulsion, and lifecycle services. Comparable to Kernohan's marine engineering and propeller work, but as a broad incumbent operating worldwide rather than a NZ-focused specialist.
• Downer Group: ASX-listed Australasian infrastructure services provider with industrial, marine, and asset maintenance capabilities. Overlaps with Kernohan on industrial maintenance, fabrication, and project delivery but operates at a much larger scale and across broader geographies.

Regional players

• Fulton Hogan: Australasian infrastructure and civil contractor with industrial maintenance and fabrication capabilities. Comparable to Kernohan's industrial maintenance and project delivery work, though focused on civil infrastructure rather than marine.
• McMullen & Wing: New Zealand boat builder and marine refit specialist. Comparable to Kernohan's marine engineering and fabrication services for vessels, though more focused on custom and large-yacht new construction rather than industrial marine work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kernohan-engineering

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Kernohan Engineering