Northfield Engineering is a proudly Eastern Cape company which turns 75-years-old on the 23rd of June 2024. Its trademark black and white compass and 1949 logo is one of the most recognizable brands in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Northfield Engineering, originally known as Northfield Distributors, was founded in 1947 by Jock Titterington. He moved to South Africa from Scotland in 1926 at the age of 21. In 1949, the brand’s name was changed to Northfield Engineering. In 1953, the business started operating from its current premises in Dobson Street in North End.
Managing Director Robert Archibald says that over the past two decades, the business has grown substantially in both its size and in the scale of its operations. “We boast a current staff compliment of more than 130 people supported by a fleet of 60-plus commercial and heavy-duty vehicles. Our key focus areas of project-support are to the Industrial, Municipal and Agricultural sectors (particularly in the dairy space).”
Mr Archibald says he’s incredibly honoured to be at the helm of Northfield Engineering of which he assumed the mantle in 2009 when his father Alexander Archibald retired. “A key support component is our Northfield Hire & Contracting Division which provides crane, rigging and transportation services to a diverse customer base both locally and nationally. I’m also so proud of our Industry Support Division which has completed a multitude of high value projects for our many loyal customers over the years.”
Northfield Engineering has been working with municipalities across the Eastern Cape since the early 1950’s – providing critical back-up and support in key areas such as pump stations and waste water treatment works. The drought intervention project on the Impofu Dam in 2020 was a massive undertaking by Northfield Engineering and ultimately ensured that the taps did not run dry in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Northfield Engineering ’s presence in the dairy industry dates back to 1962. Northfield Engineering has been part of more than one-thousand dairy-builds across the country since then. In excess of 220 of these dairies were equipped with rotary parlours in conjunction with our sister company Rockwood Rotary Platforms.
Mr Archibald says he’s excited at what the future holds both locally and nationally. “We are totally invested in Nelson Mandela Bay and continue to make acquisitions which will hopefully strengthen our presence in this great Metro, and beyond. Our fleet of six crane-trucks is about to be expanded to seven, which along with our low-bed heavy-duty transport truck, makes it the largest privately owned fleet of its kind from Durban to Cape Town.
“We are now in the position where we can perform any manner of heavy lifting jobs, including the rigging and moving of machine presses, large transformers, boilers and all types of heavy industry equipment. We look forward to continue making great things happen for the next 75 years.”
