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The plant was first developed by L.J.Fisher & Co Ltd, officially opening in 1968. Built on a 5-acre site, the roughly 85,000 square foot building was designed to meet the needs of growing demand within the local and export markets. Modern and sleek for its time, concept architect, John D Fleming, said in the 1960s “It was an avant-garde building really, with pre-cast floors, upstand trusses and natural light”. The exterior of the building has remained largely the same since conception, with internal upgrades to allow for advances in automation and manufacturing technology.
Glen Innes, Auckland, has been the home of steel tile roofing for over half a century, with Gerard’s historic manufacturing plant based on Felton Mathew Avenue. As Gerard continues to grow and innovate, the site’s current layout restricts development in innovative manufacturing solutions. As a result, the factory is set for largescale renovations, with expanded and refreshed manufacturing capability and office space.
As a homegrown employer, Gerard is entrenched in the local community with some families working in the business across multiple generations. Today the site is owned by IKO, who has reaffirmed their commitment to keeping and growing kiwi jobs at the plant with their investment into this renovation. The renovation will allow for greater innovation and a renewed focus on high quality products and growth in exports around the world.
The renovation will see the building reclad and a central atrium converted into manufacturing space. New offices will be erected on the northwestern side of the building, with previous office space converted into a manufacturing floor. The project is in good hands, with the design developed by Beca, and Cassidy Construction undertaking the renovations.
Sean McElroy, CEO of IKO Metals Asia Pacific says “We’re excited to be undertaking this renovation - the first significant refresh this site has had in decades. I’m really proud of the investment we’re making into innovation as well as supporting the local community by keeping high quality manufacturing jobs onshore.”
Initial planning for the renovation project began in 2022. Preliminary site works are complete, and Stage 1 of the project has launched. Stage 1, renovating and moving the office space, is expected to be complete by late 2025, and the complete project is expected to wrap up in 2027.
