Aluminium extrusion specialist Altus is on track to have the most state-of-the-art facilities for extrusion and powder coating in New Zealand. They’re rapidly expanding their Hamilton site with a new 6,500 m2 plant to accommodate the installation of another extrusion press line by the end of 2022.
Altus National Operations Manager Mark Kennedy says, “the expansion is in direct response to the increasing demand for Altus products, which are sold to both Window and Door Joinery Franchisees and Industrial customers, as well as being part of a strategic plan to revolutionise the way we do things.”
Once complete, staff numbers are tipped to increase by 25% to over 230, with developments set to double the extrusion output at the Altus site by July 2023.
Mark says “the business has invested in the most advanced technology to maximise the extrusion output. With a total investment of over $25M, it includes a solar power installation to supply approximately 20% of the new factory’s power requirements.”
As a building industry example, the increased capacity is the equivalent to producing aluminium windows and doors for approximately 25,000 houses.”
Alongside this, Altus supplies aluminium to many other different industries, made specifically to order to suit many different wide and varied innovations coming from our Industrial customers.
“The products that we can turn a log of primary aluminium into never ceases to amaze me,” says Mark.
“The capabilities we will have developed by the end of 2022 will put Altus at the forefront of the aluminium extrusion and finishing industry in New Zealand. The investment in the Te Rapa site started in 2015 with a new 8” Turla Extrusion Line, followed closely in 2018 with a SAT Vertical Powdercoat line, and finally this year with this second Extrusion Line. We believe that success is better shared and so we see this as a real win for both our customers and the Altus team,” he says.
With a larger footprint due to this recent business investment, team growth is required, with Altus adding 50 new full-time roles in the last 12 months. There will be a further 30 positions to be filled by the end of the year.
“We have a range of employment opportunities available, from machine operators to technical and process specialists. We’re really looking forward to growing our team,” Mark says. “We strongly believe in growing and developing our people as well as providing support for staff to advance within the organisation”.
“We’re also proud of the long service that many of our staff have dedicated to Altus.
With 199 staff having worked over 10 years or more, and of these 57 have been employed by Altus for over 25 years, we have a reputation for care of our people and providing a great work environment.
“We are really excited about our future at Altus and the contribution we are going to be making to economic development in the Waikato” says Mark.
The Pukete site in Hamilton has been producing aluminium products since the very early 1980’s when it traded as South Pacific Aluminium. It has been through various changes of ownership since then including being known as Fletcher Aluminium, COMALCO and National Aluminium Limited (NALCO). In 2016, the joint venture between NALCO and Fletcher Aluminium formed Altus.