Special Feature: B.W. O'Brien & Co 50 years by NZFarmer

EN B.W. O’BRIE & CO. LTD

CO.LTD

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Lynand Colleen ownB.W.O’Brien with brother and sister team Jonathan and Ashleigh managingthe company. Before them, Bernie O’Brien developed the company from scratch. Three generations of the O’Brien family havebeen deeply embedded in this companythatspecialises in Wairarapa’s refrigeration and air conditioning.

This monthmarks B.W. O’Brien &Co’s50TH birthday, and so we look backat the generations of leadership and teamwork thathavemade this companywhatitistoday

Established in 1974 by Bernie O’Brien, the companyhas been embedded locally from the outset,with afocus on stellar customer serviceand building the skills required to meet customer needs.

CLOCKWISE FROMTOP: 2024 50TH anniversary celebration with Lyn &Colleen cuttingthe cake. 2014 40TH anniversary celebration withLyn, Colleen and their grandchildren cutting the cake. Bernie O’Brien in 1974, when he founded B.W.O’Brien &CoLTD.

The B.W.O’Brien team today

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS B.W.O’BRIEN &CO. LTD

The O’Brien family legacy

Bernie O’Brien’s storyis quintessentially kiwi. He startedout workingfor the Wairarapa PowerBoardbefore moving on to work for EG Clark, alocal refrigeration engineering company.

With the necessaryskillsand experience under his belt,Bernie soon had afire in his belly propelling him to set up his ownrefrigeration and air conditioning company, and he followedthatdream in 1974.

Thewalrus wasaproud O’Brien mascot fromthe very beginning.Originally designed as the B.W. O’Brien logo by Melva, Bernie’s wife, the walrus

has evolvedartistically and been redesigned over the decades Bernie’s son, Lyn, followedin his father’s footsteps,starting arefrigeration engineering apprenticeship at EG Clarkin1972. His ownpassion forthe industrywell and truly stoked,Lyn and his wifeColleen purchased B.W. O’Brien &CoLtd from Bernie in 1980, allowing Bernie to

change direction and head to Fiji for awhile.While there, Bernie worked forBurns Philp,alarge refrigeration company, to train manyapprentices Bernie’s desiretotraveland explore subsequently led him to Tauranga whereheworked forHoverdIndustries, even travelling to post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s forthe company. Retiring back to Wairarapa, Bernie passed away in 2013, only ayear shyofB.W.O’Brien &Co’s40TH birthdaycelebrations.

In the years between 1980, when Lyn and Colleen took up the B.W. O’Brien &Comantle,and the company’s40TH anniversary, Lynmoved from being aone man band -covering aheavy workload on the tools,callouts,and bookwork -totaking on aconsiderable number of staffmembers.Like his father beforehim, Lynrecognised the importanceofgood training, with his staffbecoming competent refrigeration engineers

Creating jobs and training young people is avaluable waytocontribute to the wellbeing of families, community, and the local economy.

Congratulations on 50 Years of Excellence

We at Tom's Autos, aproud family-run automotive workshop, extend ourcongratulations to the entire team at B.W O’Brien &Co. on reaching this incredible milestone of 50 years in business. Your dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence in the Wairarapa communityistruly inspiring.

Just like you, we understandthe values of family, tradition, andexceptional service. Here's to many more years of successand continued excellence!

Richard and Sara Mason

Tom's Autos

Lynand Colleen O’Brien surrounded by their children and partners, and their grandchildren

REFRIGERATION |AIR CONDITIONING |HEATPUMPS

One year,the nationalAGM of the InstituteofRefrigeration,Heating &Air Conditioning Engineers (IRHACE) recognised B.W. O’Brien & Co as abusiness thathad invested alot into the industry, including as adedicatedtraining hub for budding engineers

Annual IRHACE conferences include askill’s competition for apprentices, and several B.W. O’Brien &Co apprentices have got through to competeinthe finals

Today, LynO’Brien enjoys aquieter work life, Jon O’Brien has been arefrigeration engineer with the companyfor 24 years,and AshO’Brien has managed the companysince2017. Ashbrings with her abackground in human resourcesand six years of prior experienceworking in Wairarapa’s health sector. Her transferable HR expertise is evident in theway B.W. O’Brien &CoLtd has carried on developing atightknit team dedicatedtocustomer serviceand delivering qualityworkmanship

Celebrating 50 Years of Success

Earlier this month, B.W. O’Brien hosted closefriends,family,and staff-both past andpresent-toanevening of drinks, canapes,dancing,reminiscences andspeeches.Colleen thanked everyone forcoming and acknowledged thateveryone gathered thatevening hadhelped B.W. O’Brien in some way.

“You’vebecome partofour family on this journey”she said

“Itwas alovely evening,” Ashsays.

“It wassonicetohavepeopleclose to the O’Brienbusiness come from far andwide,and even from overseas,to

celebratethe 50TH anniversaryofthe O’Brien firm.”Jon remembered the days when hisdad,Lyn, wascalled out on an urgentjob at nighttime.

“Ifhe’dhad one or twobeers,mum would drivehim,and all us kids were bundled in the back.B.W.O’Brien has beenpartofour lives from the earliest days.”

Jon also praised the skills of his sister, Ash, whohas expanded the business ADaikin representativespokeabout howeasy it has beenovermany decades to work withthe O’Briens

Ash O’Brien with Zoe, Jas and Debbie Dodd

Close friends, family and staffatB.W.O’Brien’s50TH celebration

Commercial andon-farm refrigeration

“Weserve businesses thatrely on machines to keep milk cool and to keep other perishables chilled or frozen,”Ash says. “Wedesign, sell,maintain and serviceall manner of chillers, cool rooms,freezers and chilled waterunits -and all in partnership with our clients.”

B.W. O’Brien can build anysizeof room as awalk-in chiller,cool room or freezer,and tailorittothe needs of the customer.The team can designand install on-farm/dairyfarmrefrigeration, and provide the best systems and machines for bringing

On the job in themid-1990s

the milk down to temperatureand keeping it there.

With breakdowns alwayspossible, the O’Brien team is ready to assist with your refrigeration emergencyat amoment’s notice-anengineer is alwaysoncall

“Our dairycompanyworkhas always coveredthe area from Woodville to Whiteman’s Valley in Wellington,”Ash says.“It is avaried and unpredictable partofthe business.”

Thecompany’steam on the tools includes engineers,electricians,HVAC technicians,and an apprentice. “We train and build our ownworkforce, which meanswe’re ahighly skilled and experienced team, and astrong and resilientone,too.”

Heat pumps &air conditioning in homes &offices

As well as cooling businesses andfarms down rightacross Wairarapa, B.W. O’Brien also cools and heats homes and offices with heatpumps andair conditioning units.The businessis Wairarapa’s only accredited Daikin dealer forheatpumps,aswell

Colleen remembers when air conditioning units were just coming onto the market 30 years ago.Now they’reasignificantpartofthe business She also remembers meetingAll Black Dan Carter,the faceofDaikin,a few times;“thatwas atreat”.

RIGHT:Lyn O’Brien is happy to uplift the Carrier dehumidifier prize. Raffle proceeds went to the Wallie Askew Memorial funds.

BELOW:Lyn in 1995.

Air conditioning in cars and trucks

As summer advances, air-conditioning becomes morecritical in cars and in heavy vehicles out on the farms and forestryblocks

“Our guyshavebeen specifically trained to serviceand repair vehicle air conditioning,”Ashsays. “We’re only a phone call away and we’vegot your backs.”

Dan Carter comes to B.W.O’Brien in 2013

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Journey through time

Currentday premises forthe companywerebuilt in 2008, when the old house was shiftedoffbyBrittons

In 2024, B.W. O’Brien has grownto encompass astrong and valued team, described by Ashasthe company’s greatest assets and an extension of the O’Brien Family.She says the B.W. O’Brien &Co. team is highly skilled,totally reliable,and embedded locally.“We’re asolid and tightknit team,focused on customer service.”

Thecompanyhas been thatway from the start. 50 years on,the serviceethos isstill going strong.“Decades on, we areproud to be serving the Wairarapa communityand supporting local