Canterbury Today Magazine Issue 142

Page 24

Goods & Services | Clemence Drilling

Three decades of working with water Modern day life, in many respects, bears little similarity to that of more than 100 years ago. Yet what remains the same is the importance of access to the most essential of essential services – water. Which goes some way towards explaining the success of Clemence Drilling, at 65 Main North Road near Kaiapoi, which has made its commercial name installing and maintaining those integral water systems. “If it is anything to do with water, we do it,” Dave Clemence laughs. But that’s only part of this local success story. You see, Clemence Drilling is something of a Canterbury icon. Owner Dave Clemence’s grandfather, Art, was heavily involved in the industry throughout the 1880s, as were Art’s two brothers and his brother in law. Then the mantel was passed to Dave’s father Trevor and his two brothers, Ray and Basil. The company assisted with the development of the thermal bore at Hanmer Springs in 1912. Almost 100 years later, Clemence Drilling was involved in the extensive upgrade of the thermal pools facility in 2010. Dave himself spent seven years with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, gaining extensive experience and travelling to a number of interesting places, including

If it is anything to do with water, we do it. - DAVE CLEMENCE

Antarctica, before establishing Clemence Drilling in 1986, then just a one-man operation.

The company is celebrating 30 years in business this year and during this time it has established itself as a large local employer, running a team of 56 with 130 registered vehicles and pieces of equipment, including 18 drilling rigs operating from a busy 10 acre industrial site alongside the main motorway on the way to Kaiapoi. With the integral nature of water, there is certainly no shortage of regular work. Clemence Drilling’s four main areas of operation are industrial, lifestyle, irrigation and municipal, which involves work such as household wells, pump installation (the company is an agent for Grundfos pumps), site investigation and irrigation wells.

Shayne Higgs

DRAINAGE CONTRACTOR LTD

• Excavators, Trucks & Trailer Hire • Water, Sewer, Stormwater & Service Installation • Earthworks & Driveways • Chain Trenching • Farm Drainage • Farm Tracks • Irrigation • Asphalt & Concrete Cutting • Concrete & Rock Breaker

Phone: 03 347 2691 www.southerngas.co.nz

PROUD TO SUPPORT CLEMENCE DRILLING CONTRACTORS

164 Styx Mill Road, Casebrook Christchurch 8051 Email: shaynehiggsdrainage@gmail.com

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PH 027 435 4818 | A/H 03 359 6004 24 | December/January 2017    www.canterburytoday.co.nz

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