What Alec Ferrar Engineering does

Alec Farrar Engineering Limited is a privately held, family-owned engineering and non-ferrous foundry company founded in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1931 by Alec Farrar. The business is now in its third generation of Farrar family ownership under directors Robbie and Brent Farrar, and operates from a single site at 19 Wilmer Street in the Christchurch CBD, recently relocated to the former Mace Engineering Company site.

The company runs two integrated service divisions. The Machine Shop provides CNC turning (Colchester Tornado A90 barfeed, Harrison Alpha 400s, Doosan Lynx 2600Y 4-axis millturn, Doosan Puma ST35GSII 7-axis Swiss-style), CNC milling (Doosan DNM 6700 VMC with 4th axis), manual machining, automatic lathe work, and general engineering. The Non-Ferrous Foundry casts aluminium (up to 500kg melt), bronze alloys (up to 300kg melt), brass, and gunmetal using hard sand and green sand moulding processes, and has added rotational moulding capability following the Mace integration. The combined foundry-plus-machine-shop model allows the company to deliver finished parts from a single supplier, a positioning the company explicitly markets as a one-stop shop.

Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-driven custom manufacturing contracts with industrial customers in the Canterbury region and across New Zealand. Primary customer verticals include the power industry, agriculture, and general engineering, supplemented by a smaller segment of local artists requiring bronze and metal sculpture casting. GTM is direct B2B via phone and email, with no digital channels, distributors, or intermediaries. No pricing, revenue, or headcount figures are publicly disclosed. The company has no external investors, no parent entity, and no disclosed funding rounds.

Name

Alec Ferrar Engineering

Legal name

Alec Farrar Engineering Limited

Website

https://alecfarrar.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Alec Farrar Engineering is a family-owned New Zealand engineering and non-ferrous foundry founded in 1931, offering CNC machining, manual machining, and metal casting to power, agriculture, and general industrial customers in the Canterbury region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Engineering and Foundry Services

NAICS

Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (3327)

SIC

Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Fabrication & Finishing (Machining, Anodizing, Coating) (IMAKACAI)

Keywords

• Custom machining services
• Non-ferrous foundry
• CNC machining
• Precision engineering
• Metal casting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Engineering & Manufacturing Services: Project-based custom manufacturing services including machining, turning, milling, grinding, and casting for industrial customers. Services range from one-off parts to production runs, billed per job or project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Alec Farrar Engineering is a Christchurch, New Zealand-based engineering firm operating two divisions: a machine shop and a non-ferrous foundry. The company provides custom CNC machining (turning and milling), manual machining, automatic lathe work, and casting in aluminium, bronze, brass, and gunmetal, as well as rotational moulding for industrial and artistic customers.

Product overview

Alec Ferrar Engineering is a traditional engineering and manufacturing company offering two core service divisions: a Machine Shop and a Non-Ferrous Foundry. The Machine Shop provides CNC turning, CNC milling, manual machining, automatic lathe work, and general engineering services using specialized equipment including multiple CNC lathes (Colchester Tornado A90, Harrison Alpha 400s, Doosan Lynx 2600Y, Doosan Puma ST35GSII) and a Doosan DNM 6700 vertical machining centre with fourth axis. The Non-Ferrous Foundry offers casting services for aluminium (up to 500kg), bronze alloys (up to 300kg), brass, and gunmetal, using hard sand and green sand moulding processes, along with rotational moulding capabilities. The company positions itself as a 'one stop shop' providing casting, machining, and manufacturing services under one roof.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Doubled foundry capacity with 300kg bronze and 500kg aluminium melt capability

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mace Engineering Company (Historical Acquisition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired two local companies over time, including the Mace Engineering Company site. Alec Farrar Engineering now operates on the former Mace site in Christchurch CBD, combining the expertise and staff from both companies. This acquisition doubled foundry capacity and expanded product range to include rotational moulding capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hitchiner Manufacturing: US-based investment casting and machining services company serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets. Comparable as a contract foundry + machining provider with similar one-off-to-production-run flexibility and focus on difficult-to-machine alloys.
• Doncasters Group: UK-headquartered precision castings and machined components manufacturer for aerospace, industrial gas turbines, and industrial markets. Directly comparable as a specialty foundry + machining integrated supplier serving industrial customers, though much larger and globally diversified.
• Metaltek International: US-based provider of cast metal components and machined parts through multiple foundry processes. Directly comparable as an integrated casting + machining services company serving industrial customers across a range of alloys and sizes.
• Waupaca Foundry: US-based iron foundry producing cast and machined components for automotive, construction, agriculture, and industrial markets. Comparable as a foundry serving agriculture and industrial customers with both casting and machining capabilities, though focused on iron rather than non-ferrous alloys.
• NN Inc. US-based manufacturer of precision engineered components and assemblies using machining, stamping, and other metalworking processes. Comparable business model of producing custom and small-batch precision metal parts for industrial customers, though serving automotive and medical at scale.
• Impro Precision Industries: Global precision machining services provider serving aerospace, automotive, medical, and industrial customers. Closely comparable business model to Alec Farrar's CNC turning and milling services, though operating at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Bodycote: UK-listed provider of metal treatment and metallurgical services including heat treatment, hot isostatic pressing, and surface technologies. Comparable as a B2B industrial services company serving manufacturing customers with specialized process expertise, though focused on heat treatment rather than machining/casting.

Broad incumbents

• Magotteaux: Belgium-headquartered producer of wear-resistant cast parts and grinding media for mining, cement, and aggregate industries. Comparable as a specialty foundry serving industrial customers but operating globally and focused on wear parts rather than general industrial casting.
• ATI (Allegheny Technologies): US-listed specialty materials manufacturer producing titanium, nickel, and other alloys plus components for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Adjacent incumbent operating in metal manufacturing broadly, with overlapping alloy expertise but at much larger scale and vertical integration.
• Carpenter Technology: US-listed producer of specialty alloys and engineered components for aerospace, medical, energy, and industrial markets. Adjacent incumbent with deep metallurgical expertise and integrated manufacturing, comparable in alloy and precision-component capabilities but at enterprise scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Alec Ferrar Engineering