OUR HISTORY
1977
Terry Young established Young’s Electrical as an owner operator on 23rd of March 1977
1979
Terry manufactured the first heater for our 100 year old home
Yunca's first brochure - displaying the first Yunca heater. (Terry's daughters Kylie (LHS) and Karyna (RHS)
1980
By 1980, Terry had sold five units to acquaintances in Invercargill
Displayed units [one burning] at the Southland Agriculture and Pastoral Winter Show taking orders for 151 units. At the time making one per week (3 years sales) hence the need to purchase more machinery and hire extra staff- bringing production numbers up to six per day.
Expansion of the first factory behind the old home at 38 Bowmont Street.
Our family home - 38 Bowmont Street
1981
Established a network of retail associates throughout the South Island.
1982
First shipment of units bound for Australia with salesman Ron Downy, in November 1982. These were stored in a warehouse in Botany, Sydney with Ron, our salesman, working to establish the market.
1983
Further expansion of the factory after buying the neighbouring home of 34 Bowmont Street.
1984
Purchased 50% of Procote Industries 18 McNab Street Dunedin [Enamelling and powder coating plant] this allowed Yunca to offer a number of colours. Ken Rewcastle our chartered accountant joined the company and played a large part during this early development.
1986
We established a market in the Netherlands with our multi burner.
1987/88
Purchase of plant and equipment from Champion Appliances and the Yunca Dunedin factory at 2 Donald Street to house the new equipment. Operations Manager of Champion appliances Harvie Bell also joined Yunca at that time and retired from the company in 2013 after 27 years with Yunca.
1989/90
Development of the Wegj, a radical new concept in design for wood heating with the drop down door.
1992
Our first shipment was dispatched to the USA, Canada and Greece. We also purchased a further 25% of Procote Industries in 1992 completing the purchase of the remaining 25% from Ralph DeVries in the late 1990s Ralph stayed on with the company until the age of 65.
1993
We acquired our new factory at 41 Onslow Street and still operate from this site today.
Yunca Engineering was established
1993/4
We received our first engineering contract to manufacture 18,000 cell hood covers for New Zealand Aluminum Smelters (NZAS).
1995
Our second contract for NZAS was to manufacture 22,000 anode clamps for the up-grade of the smelter.
Harvie Bell developed a range of gas product all manufactured in Dunedin, the gas production ceased in 2008 favouring wood burning production.
2002/03
Established a gas distribution company eventually selling out to Nova Energy in 2010, Nova later sold to Genesis Energy, and they still operate from the site leased from Yunca.
2006
Purchase of the Yunca India site in the state of Goa starting production in 2010 allowing us to re-establish our export market. Mahesh Upadhye is Yunca’s operations manager in India ensuring the company’s quality comes first is retained. Also in 2006 our first shipment of engineering product was sent to the UAE
Yunca's factory in Goa, India
2010
A shipment of Engineering product was dispatched to Germany with a second shipment leaving in 2013
Karyna was head-hunted to join the company, so succession is in great hands for the future.