This year Winstone Wallboards is celebrating its 80th anniversary since first manufacturing GIB plasterboard in New Zealand.
The modest hand-operated factory which first opened in Auckland pioneered high-quality local production to replace imported plasterboard from North America.
Since then, the company has achieved market leadership in many areas.
Specialised products
Working closely with New Zealand universities, major industrial research and development centres, and partners locally and abroad, Winstone Wallboards has developed many specialised products and complete systems specifically for New Zealand conditions.
The technology is complemented by an extensive range of services to the construction industry, including next-day delivery promise, comprehensive technical literature, field sales support, expert technical advice and training.
In 1997, Winstone Wallboards extended education to home owners by providing information to help them through the building process to get the home they really wanted.
The award-winning GIB Living Solutions programme continues to offer a comprehensive resource kit on building a new home or renovating.
More recently the company has moved to endorse the principles of sustainability. Winstone Wallboards has met the challenge of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is pioneering the successful establishment of recycling GIB plasterboard waste to compost.
The company is also a partner in ventures to bring modern sustainable construction into the mainstream of commercial and domestic building markets, through support of the Beacon project and the New Zealand Green Building Council.
A recent addition to its strengths is the achievement of Environmental Choice accreditation.
Automated factories
Today, the company has automated factories in Auckland and Christchurch, and distribution centres in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It is also involved in the booming Asian markets through its Cemac operation in Hong Kong.
Winstone Wallboards continues to see its focus as developing and supplying products, systems and services which are dependable and easily used to create better interiors, to the benefit of all New Zealanders now and in the future.
