Aluminium adds new direction

Including aluminium as a construction material has led to an expansion of Wanganui business Heritage Gates & Fences.

Owned by the Cox family, its Heads Rd factory is being almost doubled in size to make room for a separate construction process using aluminium. Salesman Dave Cox said the business started using aluminium as well as wood about two years ago.

Work to expand the factory began in early December and the rear extension has been done by Totalspan Steel Sheds & Buildings.

A front extension is still being worked on by Morris & Son builders and is due to be finished in about two weeks.

The additions are timely because business has never been better. Mr Cox said that could be because although new building consents had slowed, people were still adding value to their properties by putting up new gates and fences.

His father, Graham, started the business in the late 1990s. He had a carpentry background and saw an opening in the market for quality gates and fences.

Initially, they were all made of high-grade pine and western red cedar from British Columbia.

Heritage Gates & Fences now has 60 different designs in timber and nearly the same number in aluminium. They are made to order in Wanganui and sold by timber merchants and fencing contractors all over New Zealand, especially in the main centres.

There are seven workers at the Heads Rd factory, plus Dave and Graham Cox.

The business is about to to be renamed and incorporated into the Heritage Group.

It is also aiming to import and sell automatic gate openers and accessories.