After 27 years at Spida Machinery, it’s hard to separate Bevan Lines from the story of the business itself. His journey has been one of long-term commitment, steady leadership and genuine care for the people around him.
While the growth of the company is a significant part of that story, the real measure of Bevan’s impact can be found in the relationships he built, the culture he helped shape, and the respect he earned along the way.
Bevan had his last day at Spida Machinery on 29th May 2026 - this is just a brief snippet of his 27 incredible years with the organisation.
Where It All Began
Spida Machinery was part of the Lines family story before Bevan officially joined the business. The family acquired the company from Hayes International, and launched the business in Rotorua, New Zealand - with strong values at its core, which still remain today. Bevan’s first real involvement came in his final year at university, when he and a couple of classmates, chose Spida Machinery as the subject of a research project. That experience gave him an early window into the business, the industry and the opportunities ahead.
After finishing university, Bevan’s father could see there was more to be done at Spida Machinery, and so Bevan decided to get involved. The rest, as they say, is history. Bevan got straight to work in business development and building customer relationships, laying the foundations for what would become a long and deeply influential career.
Building Momentum Through Change
In the early years, Spida Machinery experienced steady growth as the team built strong customer relationships and developed a reputation for practical, high-quality machinery. Like many businesses, that momentum slowed during the Global Financial Crisis, bringing a quieter period for the industry. But as is often the case in the construction sector, the pause did not last forever.
In 2012, Bevan teamed up with Mike Faulkner and together they helped spark a new chapter for the business. A few early orders helped rebuild momentum, and from there Spida continued to grow in both confidence and capability. It was another example of Bevan’s belief that growth comes from backing good people, staying close to customers, and being willing to keep moving forward even after challenging periods.
Leading Through a New Chapter
In 2014, Spida Machinery was purchased by Multinail Australia, along with a competitor of Spida, Mango Tech, marking a major milestone in the company’s evolution. Bevan stayed on as CEO of MN Machinery Group, helping guide the business through this next phase while maintaining continuity for staff, customers and partners. The acquisition strengthened the knowledge base and product offering across the group, creating new opportunities for innovation and growth.
That global story continued to strengthen with the acquisition of Square 1 in America in 2019, helping create a compelling mix of machinery, software and service for customers, globally.
Why the Work Mattered
For Bevan, one of the most rewarding parts of his role in the business and the industry, was the completeness - solving a problem, understanding a customer needs, helping create the right machine to address those needs, developing the software around it, and then seeing the solution implemented successfully. That end-to-end involvement reflects what made the work meaningful to him: not just building products but helping people achieve something better in their own businesses.
During Bevan’s time, the frame and truss industry changed significantly. Automation became more advanced, software became essential, and customers increasingly needed integrated solutions rather than standalone equipment. Through that evolution, Bevan helped ensure Spida stayed focused on practical innovation - combining machinery, software and service in ways that delivered real value for customers.
A Leadership Style Centred On People
Ask Bevan what matters most in business and the answer is simple: people. He has long believed that you don’t have anything without the people. That belief shaped the way he led - with humility, respect, and a genuine commitment to relationships. It also shaped the culture around him, where trust, authenticity and long-term partnership mattered just as much as performance.
That’s why Bevan’s legacy reaches far beyond business milestones. It lives on in the people he supported, the careers he influenced, the customers he built lasting relationships with, and the culture he helped create over nearly three decades. His journey at Spida Machinery is a reminder that strong businesses are built not only through innovation and growth, but through people who lead with consistency, care and integrity.
That is the real story of Bevan’s 27 years at Spida Machinery. It’s a story of commitment, growth, resilience and leadership, but above all it is a story about people. The relationships he built, the confidence he gave others, and the culture he helped shape, which will remain part of Spida long after this chapter closes.
