Our People. Our Legacies.
Our Legends:
In Steel We Trust - 100 Years of Legends
A lot can happen in 100 Years, cities grow, legacies become legends and history becomes a story that’s shared for generations. The glue that holds it all together, however, are the people.
Fletcher Steels journey begins in 1923 as a job site in- service to The Fletcher Construction Company, a division of Fletcher Building, when Fletchers were building the Auckland University. A gang of nine steelworkers and one apprentice working on the job were the nucleus of what was to become within thirty years, the largest steel fabricating and sales company in New Zealand.
As a natural consequence of the increasing demand in work in the New Zealand Steel industry, Vulcan Engineering was formed by Fletcher Building, followed by the creation of Wellington Structural and Reinforcing Steel Company in 1936. During this period, New Zealand’s infrastructure was in its prime, an estimated 30,000 women and men were entering the work force, and the demand for steel materials was unprecedented, leading to the extensions of Fletcher’s newly established steel businesses to help facilitate the increased fabrication work and sales of structural and reinforcing steel.
In 1941 Fletcher Building purchased Stevenson and Cook Engineering Co Ltd at Port Chalmers, soon followed by the purchase of Joseph Sparrow & Co Ltd in Dunedin, prompting the expansion of steel services on offer through Fletcher Building. A Reinforcing and Structural Steel site (later known as Fletcher Reinforcing) was then established in Christchurch during the 1950’s and from there, the steel businesses of Fletcher’s began servicing the whole of New Zealand. As New Zealand continued to grow, the value of Fletcher Building’s steel companies was becoming increasingly obvious, and so by 1954, the companies were re-organized and re-grouped with the names being changed to The Fletcher Steel and Engineering Companies Limited (later to be known as Easysteel).
By 1962 Fletcher Steel and Engineering Co Ltd were appointed the ARMCO (Safety Barriers) sales agent for New Zealand, which would later be renamed Corrugated Steel Products, CSP. Fletcher Building, now equipped with various steel companies across New Zealand, officially established ‘The Steel Sector’ in 1983, of which, Fletcher Steel and Engineering Companies Ltd became a part of.
Five years later, in 1988, Fletcher Steel and Engineering Co Ltd was renamed Fletcher Steel Industries. During this period of time, Winstone Ltd merged with Fletcher Building – a turning point for Fletcher Brownbuilt and Dimond Industries who would become one brand under the Fletcher Steel Industries, forming Fletcher Dimond. In the same year, (1988) Hunter Douglas Coilcoaters Ltd was also acquired by Fletcher Steel Industries and was renamed Pacific Coilcoaters, PCC. And by the 1st of July 1997 Fletcher Steel Products was formed as a business unit comprising: Dimond Industries Ltd, Fletcher Steel (Easysteel & Fletcher Reinforcing) PCC and CSP.
Fasttrack to 2023, Fletcher Steel is New Zealand's leading importer, distributor and processor of steel representing Easysteel, Fletcher Reinforcing, CSP, Fletcher Wire Products, Dimond Roofing, Dimond Structural and Pacific Coilcoaters brands. We are the strength at the heart of New Zealand's buildings and infrastructure and proudly celebrating 100 years of service, 100 years of legendary employees and customers and 100 years of history.