A $170,000 tilter which tips shipping containers on end to make them easier to fill arrived at its Wilkie Rd yard last week, while a $130,000 set of giant shears which can chop up even the thickest steel was put into service this week.
Many other scrap merchants already had similar equipment, Everitts co-owner Peter Everitt said this week.
With export prices improving, the family-owned company started by his father, John, in 1964 had decided it was time to "keep up with the play".
Prices for scrap steel internationally climbed in 2007 and last year, but plummeted sharply at the end of last year.
Mr Everitt would not say say how much premium grade steel was fetching a tonne now but said prices were much better than six months ago when steel was being stockpiled because it was not worth selling.
The new equipment would pay for itself in no time, he said.
An operator could fill five containers a day using the tilter, whereas it used to take staff one day to fill a single container by hand.
In the past, steel had been exported in bulk shipments of about 30,000 tonnes a time.
Mr Everitt said the tilter enabled steel to be exported in container loads, the delivery system preferred by customers, and meant scrap should be shipped from Port Chalmers more regularly.
He expected about 15 containers a week to be shipped out over the next few months.
