Walk into Action Manufacturing and you’ll witness the kind of collaboration that transforms big ideas into road‑ready vehicles: designers, engineers and craftspeople circling a prototype, sticky notes on the side panel, questions flying, solutions landing. It’s the Kiwi way—practical, creative, and relentlessly focused on making it better.

For more than 75 years, this New Zealand‑owned specialist has been building the vehicles that keep life moving: custom ambulances and mobile theatres, efficient freight bodies, and state‑of‑the‑art RVs for New Zealand and Australia. With the backing of Tourism Holdings Limited (THL), Action blends high‑volume production with design‑led craftsmanship—an uncommon combo that sets a new benchmark for specialist vehicle manufacturing.

Advanced Manufacturing, Reimagined the Action Way

Few firms can ship large fleets and, in the same breath, craft highly specialised one‑offs. Action has built that muscle deliberately: automation and streamlined workflows across Auckland and Hamilton, digital coordination between teams, and processes tuned for high‑mix, zero‑compromise manufacturing. That approach has powered seamless integration of group brands—Fairfax Industries, Freighter NZ, Transcold NZ, and Apollo Manufacturing Australia—so customers get the scale of a group with the precision of a custom shop. Inside the product portfolio, the “make it better” mindset shows up everywhere—from re‑engineered ambulance interiors that improve patient care flows to more efficient freight builds and a thousand‑plus RVs rolling out each year.

“We thrive on tackling the tough, the unique, and the ambitious… Never stop asking ‘how can we make this better?’” — Chris Devoy, CEO

The human engine: people first

Action’s advantage starts with its people. CEO Chris Devoy leads with a simple mandate: empower teams to explore, experiment and own the outcome.

“You can’t build world-class products without backing world-class people. Our team is the engine that drives everything.”— Chris Devoy, CEO

Designers, engineers and craftspeople are encouraged to stretch, cross‑pollinate skills, and bring fresh ideas to the floor. It’s a culture grounded in trust, craftsmanship and community—Kiwi to the core—and it shows in the vehicles and the careers being built here.

Building a cleaner road ahead

Sustainability isn’t a poster on the wall; it’s a five‑year strategy in motion—cutting emissions, eliminating waste and embedding better choices in product and process. Flagship projects include the Coast EV Ford Transit motorhome for cleaner travel and the Fairfax ZE trailer setting a new standard for zero‑emissions freight. Lean principles reduce material waste across the line, while a dedicated Sustainability Committee—made up of passionate team members from across the business—drives improvement from the ground up. In the community, Action has spent the past three years digging in—literally—through Hamilton’s Fairfield Project, planting natives and restoring urban biodiversity. It’s manufacturing with a wider purpose.

Recognition that travels well

When you do world‑class work, the world notices. Action has been a Top 5 finalist for the International Innovation Award, featured among TIN’s “10 to Watch” (including a #4 ranking and a repeat appearance in 2023), and earned the Griffiths Equipment Award for outstanding sales growth. The team also brings home the fun stuff—multiple wins in the Corporate Tough Guy/Gal Challenge and the Corporate Challenge Around the Bridges—proof that camaraderie and excellence can go hand in hand.

Pathways that power the industry

Action’s story lines up beautifully with The Future Makers mission: real pathways, real skills, real impact. Careers here don’t follow a single track — they can start on the workshop floor, in design, or in engineering, and evolve into leadership, specialist technical roles, or cross-functional project teams.

From apprenticeships that give people hands-on skills from day one, to opportunities to move between brands within the Action Group, the company invests in growing talent from within. Staff are encouraged to cross-train across disciplines, take on stretch assignments, and work alongside experienced mentors who’ve spent decades in the industry.

For apprentices, it might mean going from the basics of assembly to working on high-spec, design-led builds in just a few years. For designers, it can be the chance to see ideas move from CAD screen to road-ready vehicle. And for engineers, it’s about solving complex manufacturing challenges at scale while still having room to innovate.

“Manufacturing isn’t just about building products, it’s about making a real difference by finding smarter, more efficient ways to meet complex challenges”, says Sam Constable, Lead Engineer

From life‑saving emergency vehicles to eco‑friendly RVs, Action Manufacturing shows what happens when scale meets craft—and when a people‑first culture fuels advanced manufacturing right here in Aotearoa.

From apprentice to production lead, the team is filled with people whose careers have scaled with the company.

“Here at Action, we design vehicles that matter, from life-saving emergency units to motorhomes that take people on the trip of a lifetime. Being part of that is something I’m incredibly proud of,” says Jacob Marsh, Industrial Designer