New Fletcher Aluminium factory in Christchurch
Fletcher Aluminium has set up a new factory for the rebuilding of Christchurch.
Fletcher Aluminium has set up a new factory in Wigram to cater for the Christchurch rebuild.
The new lease of the revamped Pilkington Drive property will benefit Auckland owner of the factory Barry Wither.
He has owned the $2.1 million-valued building since 2009 and in January commissioned seismic strengthening and other improvements.
Production is already under way as the factory gears up for more building activity.
The demand for the windows is apparent in many neighbourhoods, especially the hill suburbs at Mt Pleasant and Sumner.
Every other house has boards over windows destroyed in the quakes.
Doors and windows were previously transported to Christchurch.
Up to 70 people will be employed at the factory, the first of its kind in New Zealand, Fletcher Aluminium South Island Window and Door manager Darrell Gane says.
The factory will powder coat and mill-finish aluminium product made in Auckland, which will then be distributed to the franchisees in Christchurch and the rest of the South Island.
When it is fully operational, the factory will also have the capacity to produce up to 135sq m of windows a day – equivalent to three average-size homes.
Fletcher Aluminium’s local window and door fabricators will supply clients.
The franchisees are long-time Christchurch businesses in their own right and include Nebulite, Rylock, Vistalite and Fisher, manufacturing window and door brands such as Atlantic and Pacific.
Fletcher Aluminium and the Canterbury franchise owners discussed setting up the facility last year after anticipating a surge in demand.
Chris Hutching
Thu, 10 May 2012
Thu, 10 May 2012
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New Fletcher Aluminium factory in Christchurch
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