The founder, Bazil Cocksedge in his younger days

The original factory site

100kW element prior to delivery

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Bazil James Cocksedge was born in Wellington in 1909, the son of a tailor and a teacher of commercial subjects. He grew up in the inner city, before his parents moved to the suburb of Rongotai in 1920, where he attended Scots College. By the age of 21, Bazil was travelling throughout the North Island for Hope Gibbons Ltd, selling radios. By this time, he was showing a natural aptitude for working with radios and so he decided to go to radio school, gain his radio operator's licence, then perhaps go to sea. He eventually became a skipper on a trawler, but felt a longing to get back into the radio business. He subsequently worked for various electrical firms, before being offered a position as factory foreman with HMV in its radio manufacturing division. As fate would have it, World War II intervened. With radio production being deemed an essential industry, he was soon made factory manager. In 1946, HMV decided to move into the manufacture of domestic irons, but finding that locally-produced elements were sub-standard in quality, they offered to provide the funding if Bazil would set up his own production operation. 

So in 1946 B J Cocksedge & Co Ltd took its first faltering steps. Bazil Cocksedge was now confronted with a challenge. He had a customer wanting twenty thousand quality heating elements for its domestic iron production but had no established means to produce them. Undaunted, he met this challenge by coming to an arrangement with HMV where he used the company's press during the evenings to cut formers, then at home during the day he wound and finished the elements. Subsequently, the range of products made by BJC expanded, and the need to employ more staff as the business continued to grow, necessitating a relocation to larger premises. In 1949 Bazil rented a church hall in the Wellington suburb of Newtown where he employed a staff of ten. By now he was equipped with his own presses. A further shift to more permanent premises took place in 1950 when a two-storey wooden building in Kent Terrace was purchased. The larger premises meant that BJC could now respond more effectively to the growing customer base. In 1958 BJC's first toolroom was developed and from this facility the Company's' winding machines were designed and built. After spending some time in Germany gaining the relevant knowhow and skills in tubular element manufacturing, Bazil began to assemble the staff and equipment for making tubular elements. In 1961 full production was under way. It proved to be such a major undertaking that Bazil decided to form a subsidiary company to manage this operation. Accordingly, BJC Tubular Elements Ltd. was formed, operating out of the same premises as BJC in Kent Terrace. The result of this expansion in production was a corresponding increase in staff numbers, with 35 employed by BJC to wind elements, and a similar number employed by BJC Tubular Elements. This cramped arrangement however, proved unsatisfactory, so suitable larger premises were sought. The search ended in 1964 at an old furniture factory in Gregory Street, Naenae, a suburb of Lower Hutt, just north of Wellington. Once the decision to relocate was made, the buildinq was completely renovated. BJC moved to the new site in 1964, with BJC Tubular Elements following later in the year. The new building was named Element House, as it is to this day.

As time went on, competition became fierce, and BJC Elements had to work harder to maintain its market share. Therefore, when in 1966 a major appliance firm made an offer to buy out BJC Tubular Elements, Bazil felt the offer was too good to turn down. BJC Tubular Elements was sold and all plant and several of the staff were relocated to the new buyer's Dunedin factory. BJC continued to expand, and began the manufacture of "Thermofin" air heating elements, and later, conductor pins. The growth in the industrial heating market saw an increase in the number of large elements being produced. Where previously elements of up to 10kW were the largest, now occasionally ones of up to 100kW have been constructed.

Bazil Cocksedge had steered his company from its formation so in 1972, he decided to retire from day-to-day involvement in the Company. Bev Hawkins, who bad been BJC's factory manager since joining the Company in 1961, was promoted to General Manager. BJC met the challenges of the '80's by further diversification, and new products were tried out, including elements for hand and hair dryers. A greater push was made towards the industrial market, with the production of finned elements for air conditioning units. Overall however, the late 1980's proved a difficult time for BJC and staff numbers fell as element production declined.

1991 saw another change at the helm, when Bev Hawkins retired and Kean O'Neill took over as General Manager. Kean initiated many changes to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of BJC, including lowering the cost of manufacture, increasing productivity and sales, and eliminating waste. It is due to these philosophies that BJC enjoys success today. Major developments over recent years include building a new design and engineering team, and a complete refurbishment of the factory including two new filling towers. This dramatically enhanced the manufacturing capacity of the plant and brings us to the present day.

As well as satisfying the current customer base. Kean O'Neill is aware that BJC must constantly strive to open new markets and develop new products to ensure the Company strengthens its position in the marketplace, and he looks forward to future challenges with optimism and enthusiasm.