Tiling firm finds new markets

A fledgling Mount Maunganui manufacturing exporter has cemented its place in the global roof tiling market by forming a partnership with a large international group.

Global Roofing Solutions manufactures and markets metal tile roofing plants to companies wanting to branch into tile production and tile importers looking to cut costs by taking control of production.

The company last month announced a strategic partnership with The Bradbury Group, an international group of manufacturing companies which specialises in producing high-quality metal processing equipment.

While Global Roofing is still a young, developing company (formed in September 2011), the partnership with The Bradbury Group _ which started in 1959 and has since acquired nine companies _ was a strong statement of faith in Global Roofing's future, managing director Lance Eagle told the Bay of Plenty Times.

Mr Eagle will next week make a presentation at The Bradbury Group's annual sales conference in the United States.

In doing so, Global Roofing Solutions will gain access to Bradbury's 60 international sales representatives.

``We're very excited about this partnership as it integrates our 25 years of experience in the metal tile industry with a recognised global company. Together, we're well positioned to supply the metal tile roofing market worldwide with our integrated equipment.''

A former Hortenz Innovation award and Export NZ Achiever award winner, Mr Eagle had a long history in the fruit processing industry before moving into the roofing industry in 2008 as a business consultant.

Mr Eagle was contracting to Katikati firm International Roofing, which the Pearce Group owned at the time, and saw potential to operate the company in a way he thought was better, but was not able to convince the owners.

He was also twice unsuccessful in convincing International Roofing's owners to sell him the business and eventually decided to start his own roofing tile plant company and run things according to his own vision.

He took with him International Roofing's general manager Tony Rodger and together they set about establishing a workshop in Mount Maunganui and developing a unique plant design.

``What we're producing is very different in the way of machinery to what has been produced not only locally with International Roofing but differently to what's being produced in the world,'' Mr Eagle said.

Global Roofing markets itself as a total solution rather than just a plant manufacturer and works with customers ``from concept to commercialisation''.

The company is currently assembling its first plant for a customer in the Middle East and plans to be manufacturing six plants a year within the next five years. Plants range in size from 100sq m to 6000sq m depending on the needs of the customer, and cost between US$600,000 and US$4 million.