From the MD – Issue 4, 2026
Dear Customers,
As we bring 2026 to a close, I would like to sincerely thank our customers across Australia and New Zealand for their continued confidence in the Okuma brand and our local operations. Your trust and partnership play an important role in our success, and we are proud to support your growth, investment, and long-term business goals.
Now just over halfway through our own financial year, we are pleased to report a very strong order intake across our branches. The diversity of projects entrusted to us reflects the strength of manufacturing throughout Australia and New Zealand with orders ranging from 2-axis lathes through to Okuma’s world-leading Double Column Machining Centres and everything in between.
The combination of our current orders and healthy backlog provides a strong indication of ongoing market activity and positions us well as we look to the future. Equally encouraging is the confidence customers are showing by expanding their capabilities, improving productivity and investing in advanced manufacturing automation and technologies.
To support customer machine demand, we continue our commitment to support our customers by maintaining a wide range of stock machines for immediate or quick delivery.
Supporting this growth requires continued investment in our people. Guided by the Monozukuri philosophy, the art of making things better than ever, we will continue to invest in our people, skills and technology so that our customers can invest with confidence.
During 2026, we welcomed four additional Service Engineers across Australia, with eight members of our service team attending technical training programs at Okuma Japan, further enhancing the expertise available to our customers locally. A further group of ten team members will travel to Japan for an intensive week of educational support training during January 2027.
As highlighted in this newsletter, our business continues to evolve through a structured succession planning program that balances experience, leadership continuity and fresh perspectives. As part of this long-term strategy, on 23rd December 2026, I will transition to the role of Chairman and Karl Corry (currently Sales, Applications and Technology Manager) will assume the position of Managing Director, Okuma Australia and New Zealand. These changes have been carefully planned, and we are confident they will position both our company and our customers for continued success into the future.
I will take the opportunity to say what a privilege it has been to have led our companies for the past 8 years which has witnessed significant increase in overall company performance, measurably stronger employee engagement and satisfaction which affirms the many initiatives we put in place in order to place the Okuma name firmly front of mind for the metal cutting manufacturing industry. My personal satisfaction is heartened by our very supportive customer base’s increased positioning of us as the preferred brand and equally of our members pride they wear outwardly. It is fair to say that the position our companies are in today exceeds my original expectation but frankly does not surprise me. I thank all and any connected with the Okuma name who have been a part of this ride and trust enjoyment has been found by all.
On a final but sad note, our industry recently farewelled two highly respected individuals. We remember Pat McCluskley and Michael Bourchier with gratitude and admiration for their contributions to manufacturing and the many lives they touched throughout their careers. Their legacies will not be forgotten.
As we take a short break over the Christmas holidays, we would like to wish you and your team a safe and enjoyable festive season. We look forward to working with you again in 2027 and beyond.
Kind regards,
Dean McCarroll
Managing Director
Okuma Australia + New Zealand