Winstone Wallboards Ltd
Date established
1927
History
Winstone Wallboards Ltd 1927 -
Prior to 1927 plaster board was imported, much of it from the United States. But a group of Aucklander’s, headed by Harold Hitchon, saw the potential in plaster board as a low-cost, easy to handle building product and believed that it could be made locally, in spite of the problems.
To supply the local market a company called Builders' Composite Materials Ltd was formed in 1925 in Auckland with the aim of setting up a plaster board production using technology and raw materials from the US. 1927 is generally regarded as the birth year of the company, when Builders’ Composite Materials Ltd increased its share capital, changed its name to NZ Wallboards Ltd, set up a manufacturing plant in Balmoral Road, Mt Eden and appointed Winstone Ltd as sole distribution agents, purchasing the factory's entire output. Winstone Ltd, an established builders’ merchants company, had the foresight to become involved in the distribution of the wallboards in those early days, forging a link that would prove crucial to the future of the two companies. Mr Hitchon was made manager and later managing director and guided the company through its first 33 years. Under his steward ship, NZ Wallboards went from a small, labour-intensive operation to one of New Zealand's leading manufacturing enterprises - a position it still holds today. The plaster boards manufactured in the Mt Eden plant during its first year were virtually hand-made, with the mixing of plaster, the trimming and cutting of finished boards all done by hand. Despite this, more than 1 million square feet of wallboard was produced in that first year.
However this method could not keep up with the demand in a growing country, and it became obvious that mechanisation would be needed. In 1928 Winstone became a shareholder of NZ Wallboards and Mr Owen (OK) Winstone visited the US to investigate updated production methods. He advocated complete modernisation, which the other shareholders were reluctant to go along with. Winstone Ltd offered to buy them out and NZ Wallboards became a subsidiary of Winstone Ltd in 1930, authorising the upgrading, with technological assistance from the US Gypsum Company, who also supplied the raw gypsum plaster and lining paper. The name Gibraltar Board was introduced at this time.
The name Gibraltar Board, or Gib Board as it is now commonly known, is unique to New Zealand. In other countries it is referred to either as Plaster Board, Drywall, Gypsum Board, Gyproc, Gyprock, Drywall or Wallboard. The origins go back to the 1930s when the fledgling wallboard company decided that a strong brand name was needed to identify the new product. A competition was held for staff to suggest a suitable name, with 10 pounds in cash offered as the prize. The winning suggestion was Gibraltar Board, selected because it stood for strength and permanence - as in the Rock of Gibraltar. Gib Board has become one of the most successful New Zealand originated brand names of all time. In fact, it has become so successful that it is often used erroneously as a generic name for plaster board. It is Winstone Wallboards' major asset, which the company has taken strong steps to protect, to ensure that Gib Board is recognised as a registered trade mark, for use only with its products.
By 1936, a Winstone associate company, Victor Plasters Ltd became the plaster supplier to NZ Wallboards and switched sourcing to Australia.
Prior to 1927 plaster board was imported, much of it from the United States. But a group of Aucklander’s, headed by Harold Hitchon, saw the potential in plaster board as a low-cost, easy to handle building product and believed that it could be made locally, in spite of the problems.
To supply the local market a company called Builders' Composite Materials Ltd was formed in 1925 in Auckland with the aim of setting up a plaster board production using technology and raw materials from the US. 1927 is generally regarded as the birth year of the company, when Builders’ Composite Materials Ltd increased its share capital, changed its name to NZ Wallboards Ltd, set up a manufacturing plant in Balmoral Road, Mt Eden and appointed Winstone Ltd as sole distribution agents, purchasing the factory's entire output. Winstone Ltd, an established builders’ merchants company, had the foresight to become involved in the distribution of the wallboards in those early days, forging a link that would prove crucial to the future of the two companies. Mr Hitchon was made manager and later managing director and guided the company through its first 33 years. Under his steward ship, NZ Wallboards went from a small, labour-intensive operation to one of New Zealand's leading manufacturing enterprises - a position it still holds today. The plaster boards manufactured in the Mt Eden plant during its first year were virtually hand-made, with the mixing of plaster, the trimming and cutting of finished boards all done by hand. Despite this, more than 1 million square feet of wallboard was produced in that first year.
However this method could not keep up with the demand in a growing country, and it became obvious that mechanisation would be needed. In 1928 Winstone became a shareholder of NZ Wallboards and Mr Owen (OK) Winstone visited the US to investigate updated production methods. He advocated complete modernisation, which the other shareholders were reluctant to go along with. Winstone Ltd offered to buy them out and NZ Wallboards became a subsidiary of Winstone Ltd in 1930, authorising the upgrading, with technological assistance from the US Gypsum Company, who also supplied the raw gypsum plaster and lining paper. The name Gibraltar Board was introduced at this time.
The name Gibraltar Board, or Gib Board as it is now commonly known, is unique to New Zealand. In other countries it is referred to either as Plaster Board, Drywall, Gypsum Board, Gyproc, Gyprock, Drywall or Wallboard. The origins go back to the 1930s when the fledgling wallboard company decided that a strong brand name was needed to identify the new product. A competition was held for staff to suggest a suitable name, with 10 pounds in cash offered as the prize. The winning suggestion was Gibraltar Board, selected because it stood for strength and permanence - as in the Rock of Gibraltar. Gib Board has become one of the most successful New Zealand originated brand names of all time. In fact, it has become so successful that it is often used erroneously as a generic name for plaster board. It is Winstone Wallboards' major asset, which the company has taken strong steps to protect, to ensure that Gib Board is recognised as a registered trade mark, for use only with its products.
By 1936, a Winstone associate company, Victor Plasters Ltd became the plaster supplier to NZ Wallboards and switched sourcing to Australia.
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