After an absence of four years, SouthMach, the engineering exhibition, returned to Christchurch. It is the largest South Island manufacturing, engineering, and technology trade show and was held over two days at Canterbury Arena, a cavernous space that has had several names over the years and is usually home to rock concerts and professional netball.
By my count, there were 83 exhibitors displaying their products and services.
Two local machinery importers, Scott Machinery and Machinery House, had large stands. Machinery House was introducing several very attractive new machines: a high-end tube bender, a shaper, a welding-fume extractor, and – the one I would have most liked toa wheeling machine is.