Humes Pipeline Systems Ltd
Date established
1997
History
HUME INDUSTRIES (AUST) LTD / HUME INDUSTRIES (NZ) LTD / HUMES PIPELINE SYSTEMS LTD
Humes Limited was incorporated in Victoria, Australia on 26 July 1920, under the name of Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited. Walter Hume discovered a way to apply the same technique to making concrete pipes. Using the new method, concrete was spun horizontally within a steel mould using centrifugal force. The result was stronger pipes - with more uniformity and durability than competing products. This subsequently became Hume Brothers Cement Iron Company Ltd. That company was operating factories in Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart, manufacturing centrifugally spun reinforced concrete pipes by the method patented by Hume Bros, and also in countries abroad when it was formed into the Hume Pipe Company (Aust) Ltd in 1920. Walter R Hume was appointed Managing Director and held that position until his death in July 1943.
Chronology:
- 1920 incorporated in Victoria, Australia
- 1922 Singapore Hume Pipe Company was incorporated in Victoria to operate the Hume process in Malaya (the name changed to Hume Pipe (Far East) Ltd in 1933).
- 1923 Humes was established in New Zealand by Walter Hume in Masterton, Wairarapa.
- 1924 factory at Hornby, Christchurch producing pipes under license.
- 1933 Humes factory in Dunedin, Otago was established the company had a pesence in Timaru.
- 1943 three factories operated in New Zealand – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; Walter R Hume dies.
- 1950 Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited changed its name to Humes Limited; this was because, as a result od the merger with Humes Steel Ltd, the combined activites of the company was not restricted to the manufacture of pipes only.
- 1951 Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd was established, as an independent subsidiary formed from the New Zealand Branches of Humes Ltd and Hume Steel Ltd. From the early 1950s to about 1964 the company expanded with factories being set up at Papakura, Tauranga, Kaikohe, Whangarei and Rotorua. Onehunga factory was rebuilt and Penrose factory extended. The company was also expanding in Gisborne, (East Coast); Taumarunui, (King Country); New Plymouth, (Taranaki); Upper Hutt, (Wellington), and in the South Island. A fourth Branch was formed which consisted of the steel works foundry in Heads Rd, Wanganui producing a large range of cast iron products and a range of waterworks fittings, later evolving into the more specialised company, Humes Castings.
- 1955-1956 Humes Papakura factory opened in South Auckland.
- 1957 Humes Industries (South Seas) Ltd was established in Suva, Fiji.
- 1966 company provided an offshore circulating water system for the Marsden Point Power Station at Whangarei Heads, Northland.
- 1976 Humes factory in Alexandra, Central Otago was established.
- 1977 Humes factory at Silverstream closed
- 1977 new factory at Ruffell Rd, Te Rapa in Hamilton, Waikato opened.
Meanwhile, on the pipeline side, by 1991 Hume’s Drainage & Watermain Sales Centres had commenced marketing and distributing concrete, plastic, iron and earthenware pipeline products and pre-cast directly to drainage contractors, watermain contractors and local authorities.
- 1997 Humes was acquired by Fletcher Challenge Building Division
- 1999 July - Humes was behind the most significant innovation in concrete pipe manufacturing in 75 years! After substantial research and development Humes introduced Vertical Pipe manufacturing to New Zealand. The vertical process produces Roller Compacted reinforced pipe (RCP) which is manufactured from the Humes Hamilton plant. The RCP pipe forms part of the Titan Concrete Pipe Range.
- 2000 Another industry milestone – Humes were the first pipe manufacturer in Australasia to gain Standard Mark approval for their RCP range.
Hume’s Pipeline Systems and its sister company CSP Pacific are divisions of Fletcher Building, a New Zealand-based group of businesses operating in, and supplying to, the building and construction industries in New Zealand, Australia, North and South America, Hong Kong and the South Pacific. Fletcher Building has had a major hand in creating the built environment in which New Zealanders live.
Humes Limited was incorporated in Victoria, Australia on 26 July 1920, under the name of Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited. Walter Hume discovered a way to apply the same technique to making concrete pipes. Using the new method, concrete was spun horizontally within a steel mould using centrifugal force. The result was stronger pipes - with more uniformity and durability than competing products. This subsequently became Hume Brothers Cement Iron Company Ltd. That company was operating factories in Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart, manufacturing centrifugally spun reinforced concrete pipes by the method patented by Hume Bros, and also in countries abroad when it was formed into the Hume Pipe Company (Aust) Ltd in 1920. Walter R Hume was appointed Managing Director and held that position until his death in July 1943.
Chronology:
- 1920 incorporated in Victoria, Australia
- 1922 Singapore Hume Pipe Company was incorporated in Victoria to operate the Hume process in Malaya (the name changed to Hume Pipe (Far East) Ltd in 1933).
- 1923 Humes was established in New Zealand by Walter Hume in Masterton, Wairarapa.
- 1924 factory at Hornby, Christchurch producing pipes under license.
- 1933 Humes factory in Dunedin, Otago was established the company had a pesence in Timaru.
- 1943 three factories operated in New Zealand – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; Walter R Hume dies.
- 1950 Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited changed its name to Humes Limited; this was because, as a result od the merger with Humes Steel Ltd, the combined activites of the company was not restricted to the manufacture of pipes only.
- 1951 Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd was established, as an independent subsidiary formed from the New Zealand Branches of Humes Ltd and Hume Steel Ltd. From the early 1950s to about 1964 the company expanded with factories being set up at Papakura, Tauranga, Kaikohe, Whangarei and Rotorua. Onehunga factory was rebuilt and Penrose factory extended. The company was also expanding in Gisborne, (East Coast); Taumarunui, (King Country); New Plymouth, (Taranaki); Upper Hutt, (Wellington), and in the South Island. A fourth Branch was formed which consisted of the steel works foundry in Heads Rd, Wanganui producing a large range of cast iron products and a range of waterworks fittings, later evolving into the more specialised company, Humes Castings.
- 1955-1956 Humes Papakura factory opened in South Auckland.
- 1957 Humes Industries (South Seas) Ltd was established in Suva, Fiji.
- 1966 company provided an offshore circulating water system for the Marsden Point Power Station at Whangarei Heads, Northland.
- 1976 Humes factory in Alexandra, Central Otago was established.
- 1977 Humes factory at Silverstream closed
- 1977 new factory at Ruffell Rd, Te Rapa in Hamilton, Waikato opened.
Meanwhile, on the pipeline side, by 1991 Hume’s Drainage & Watermain Sales Centres had commenced marketing and distributing concrete, plastic, iron and earthenware pipeline products and pre-cast directly to drainage contractors, watermain contractors and local authorities.
- 1997 Humes was acquired by Fletcher Challenge Building Division
- 1999 July - Humes was behind the most significant innovation in concrete pipe manufacturing in 75 years! After substantial research and development Humes introduced Vertical Pipe manufacturing to New Zealand. The vertical process produces Roller Compacted reinforced pipe (RCP) which is manufactured from the Humes Hamilton plant. The RCP pipe forms part of the Titan Concrete Pipe Range.
- 2000 Another industry milestone – Humes were the first pipe manufacturer in Australasia to gain Standard Mark approval for their RCP range.
Hume’s Pipeline Systems and its sister company CSP Pacific are divisions of Fletcher Building, a New Zealand-based group of businesses operating in, and supplying to, the building and construction industries in New Zealand, Australia, North and South America, Hong Kong and the South Pacific. Fletcher Building has had a major hand in creating the built environment in which New Zealanders live.
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