In 2017, a customer approached us with a specific problem: they needed the functionality of a Ground Clamp 15, but with a wider jaw to suit their application. Our engineering team designed what became the Ground Clamp 42—a robust, purpose‑built solution ready for production. Although the original customer didn’t proceed, the design was archived along with its pattern, tooling, and drawings, as part of our practice of retaining every specialist solution we develop.
Some products take time to find their market. In industries where requirements are niche, intermittent, or project‑specific, a design may sit quietly until the right application emerges. By maintaining our full library of past designs, we ensure that when a need resurfaces—whether months or years later—we can respond immediately without starting from scratch. This continuity is part of what allows us to support utilities and contractors with uncommon but critical hardware.
Last year, we added the Ground Clamp 42 to our website to gauge interest. Ten months later, Transpower provided a nationwide programme of refresher Portable Earthing workshops for their contractors. Contractors were reminded they should be connecting earths to the tower leg. But the tower legs are up to an inch thick, too big for the standard Ground Clamp 15.
As a result, a major infrastructure contractor placed an order for a production run of thirty Ground Clamp 42 units. Because the design and pattern were preserved, we were able to move straight into manufacturing. The first production Ground Clamp 42 has now been completed and is shipping out today.
This small success illustrates something important about how we work. Custom designs aren’t one‑off curiosities—they become part of a long‑term capability that can serve future customers with similar challenges. Good engineering doesn’t expire, and sometimes the value of a design only becomes clear years after it was created. The Ground Clamp 42 is a reminder that investing in thoughtful solutions, even for niche needs, strengthens our ability to support the industry over the long haul.
