Active quarry with excavators and haul trucks at an open-pit drill and blast operation

Proudly NZ Owned & Operated · Est. 1993

Complete Drill & BlastSolutions

Prime Explosives partners with quarries across New Zealand to provide a complete drill and blast solution encompassing blast design, drilling, loading, and initiation.

Successful blasting outcomes rely on the right equipment, experienced personnel, and seamless coordination between our blast crews and drill teams. By combining technical expertise with practical field experience, we deliver safe, efficient, and consistently well-fragmented blasts that maximise productivity and keep operations moving.

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Major Hazard Facility · WorkSafe compliant

Independent & NZ owned since 1993

Nationwide & Pacific Islands reach

One-stop drill, blast & supply

Prime Explosives Isuzu mobile mixing unit fleet lined up

Bay of Plenty

Who We Are

The independent edge in NZ explosives.

Prime Explosives is proudly New Zealand owned and operated. As a supplier of commercial explosives we also manufacture our own range of bulk emulsion products, and provide full drill & blasting services to your quarry or mine.

Founded in 1993 by Clarrie Beardsmore, with 45+ years of industry experience.
Operating across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Headquartered in the Bay of Plenty, with North Island manufacturing and South Island operations.

More About Us

1993

Established

Mobile Mixing Units

Drill Rigs Nationwide

Years of Experience

What We Do

A complete drill & blast partner

From blast design to the final fire, our experienced shotfirers, drillers and technical team deliver a true one-stop operation — products, plant and people, all under one roof.

Prime Explosives mobile mixing unit charging blast holes at a quarry

Blast Services

We work alongside many quarries to provide the full drill & blast service — encompassing blast design, drilling, loading and firing, backed by strong coordination between shotfirers and drillers.

Blast Services

Rock Commander drill rig at a quarry rock face

Drill Services

Four drill rigs located across the North and South Islands. New-generation equipment provides live diagnostic data on drill conditions and performance, so our team can focus on quality.

Drill Services

Prime Explosives bulk emulsion manufacturing plant

Technical Support

Field expertise that makes the difference — appropriate machinery, blast optimisation and the hands-on knowledge to get the best result from every pattern, safely and efficiently.

Technical Support

See It In Action

A Prime Explosives blast

Aerial footage from one of our quarry blasts — designed, loaded and fired by our own crews.

Aerial view of the Prime Explosives manufacturing plant

PrimeX Emulsion Range

Products & Manufacture

Our own bulk emulsion, made in New Zealand

PrimeX is Prime Explosives' proprietary bulk emulsion range, manufactured in New Zealand and trusted by quarrying and mining operations nationwide.

Combined with our blended ANFO products, PrimeX forms part of a comprehensive explosives portfolio designed to deliver reliable performance, operational efficiency, and the right solution for every blasting application.

PrimeX 3000 Gassed — pumped to the bottom of each blast hole.
PrimeX 3000 Heavy ANFO — augered from a bulk delivery truck.
PrimeX 7000UGX — primer-sensitive bulk emulsion for underground pump units.

View the Product Range

Where We Operate

Nationwide reach, Pacific presence

Headquartered in the sunny Bay of Plenty, with manufacturing and storage in the North Island and large warehousing, magazines and a fleet of MMUs serving the South Island.

New Zealand Aerial view of a Prime Explosives mobile mixing unit at a New Zealand quarry

North & South Island

Head office and emulsion manufacturing in the North Island, supported by Mobile Mixing Units, bulk delivery trucks and large storage magazines. Our South Island operation runs three 6×6 MMUs and extensive warehousing.

Pacific Islands Heavy machinery working an open-pit operation

Across the Pacific

A strong and growing presence throughout the Pacific Islands — including drill & blast of 80,000 BCM at Faleolo Airport runway in Samoa, and explosives supply for breakwater armour-rock blasting in Tonga.

See All Locations

Health & Safety

Safety is built into everything.

Prime Explosives takes the health & safety of our staff and customers very seriously. We operate as a Major Hazard Facility with an app-based safety management system accessible to staff in the field.

WorkSafe NZ EPA Compliant IEE Inspected

Our Safety Commitment

Prime Explosives crew loading a blast at a quarry rock face

Trained · Certified · Compliant

Let's Talk

Ready to plan your next drill & blast?

Talk to New Zealand's number one independent supplier of explosive products. Our team will help you optimise patterns, cut costs and keep your site moving — safely.

Get in Touch Call +64 7 577 1275