Business North November 2021

| 5 New facility set to have major impact T T Karen Phelps Work is well underway on Winstone Wallboards state-of-the-art plasterboard facility at Tauranga’s Tauriko Business Park. “Winstone Wallboards wants to have a really positive impact in the region so having support from the councils, iwi and hapu has been really awesome.” T T to page 6 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Winstone Wallboards - Fletcher Building: Tauriko Facility 24 Gundry Street, Newton Auckland 1010 | PO Box 7539 Victoria Street West Auckland 1142 P: 09 3034759 | Maurice Langdon 027 481 4796 | Peter Keys 021 271 0888 G ood progress is being made on the new Winstone Wallboards state-of-the-art plasterboard facility in Tauranga. Winstone Wallboards Programme Lead for the project Stewart Vaughan says close engagement with the Tauriko Business Park developer, local and regional council, iwi and hapu have been major factors in getting the project to where it is now. “Winstone Wallboards wants to have a really positive impact in the region so having sup- port from the councils, iwi and hapu has been really awesome,” he says. Winstone Wallboards has led the design and consenting of the facility with the support of its own consultant team. Fletcher Construction Buildings has been contracted as the lead builder and Gypsum Technologies, a Canadian based gypsum board equipment manufacturer, will design build and commission the plasterboard plant under a turnkey contract. Winstone Wall- boards is also project managing the design and build of the national compounds plant with its own in-house engineering team. The new plant will see around $400 million invested and will bring significant economic benefit to the region, says Stewart. It will cre- ate around 100 new permanent jobs in Tau - ranga and at peak construction there will be around 300 people working on site. It will also have significant spin-off effects for support and other local businesses in the region. Stewart and his team are also working with local iwi, hapu, and work ready partners to facilitate readiness for employment opportu- nities. Winstone Wallboards is New Zealand’s only manufacturer and largest marketer of gypsum plasterboard, drywall systems, associated products and services. The company has been operating since 1927 and manufactures plasterboard systems under the GIB® brand. Winstone Wallboards has facilities in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and is part of the Building Prod- ucts Division of Fletcher Building.