A Director of the Australasian Hydraulink businesses honoured by The King for services to engineering, business and the community says, “having served for 21 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy, retiring in the rank of Lieutenant Commander and been exposed to all forms of personal and professional training, I am a strong believer in ongoing training, staff development and a customer-first focus as keys to success”.
Noel Llewellyn Davies – who is a Director of the Hydraulink hydraulic hose and fittings businesses in New Zealand and Australia – was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) in this year’s King Charles’ Birthday Honours.
Noel, along with company fellow Director Lee Short, have been Directors of Hydraulink since 1989. They have grown Hydraulink to where the business now has more than 400 service points in both countries, complemented by a fleet of 24/7 mobile service vehicles servicing almost all types of industries, and on-site service facilities servicing primarily the mining, oil and gas industries.
Noel’s views are founded on decades of practical success, with the King’s Birthday honours noting his long service with the New Zealand Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) Executive Board in 1992, becoming the first non-engineer Chair of the organisation in 2003, stepping down in 2023.
He was appointed as a voluntary Board member of the New Zealand Engineering Federation in 1986, where his work elevated the profile of New Zealand manufacturing companies, providing a voice with industry and stakeholders, including government. Through HERA, he led cross-sector industry initiatives and was instrumental in HERA developing a research and development-related industry advocacy role. From 2006 he was a Trustee and Chair of the HERA Foundation, providing industry scholarships and establishing an industry member recognition awards programme. He was a category winner of the Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 and has chaired a significant number of different enterprises.
Noel said he has been humbled that he was nominated for the honour and proud for the amazing support he has received.
