BUSINESS PROFILE
The original Steel Bros. premises in Christchurch.
RICH HISTORY STILL IN THE MAKING This year will be Christchurch-headquartered trailer manufacturer Steelbro’s 143rd anniversary. We popped in to check out the latest premises in Wigram, reminisce over past achievements and learn about the company’s focus in 2021. ”
T
he company owners and staff take great pride in the history and achievements of Steelbro over the last 143 years,” says marketing projects manager Joy Taylor. “Many people (past and present) have contributed to the Steelbro success, and it is a privilege to be part of that family. “Our history gives Steelbro an excellent foundation in design and innovation, and these elements are at the core
Old sheep truck.
of all Steelbro products. It has been vital in Steelbro building a credible, world-leading sidelifter brand. There have been many challenges over the last 140-plus years, but we have responded, adapted and thrived.” Brothers Joseph and David Steel started Steel Bros. Coach Factory in Christchurch, putting up £5 each. They were not the only builders in the city fabricating horse-drawn wagons, coaches, gigs and
drays but a great reputation for quality and reliable carriage builds saw them flourish, growing to 22 staff less than two decades later. In 1890 Steel Bros. (as it was then known), took its first tentative step into producing motor carriages. By 1930, the company was in full swing, designing and building motor bodies. During the war years, it produced grenade castings, concrete mixers, landing craft and dummy aircraft.
Tri-axle tanker.
The company became New Zealand’s leading motor-body building and engineering company in the 1950s and 1960s, later introducing the Hiab truck-mounted crane into New Zealand. As well as building truck bodies, by the 1970s, Steel Bros. was also assembling Toyotas and even building Lotus sports cars. The 1980s saw the winddown of Steelbro’s vehicle assembly and motor body building business. Steelbro (as the company was now known), decided to concentrate on developing the concept of container transportation, and the revolutionary Sidelifter was born. There have been numerous major milestones for the company since its inception. But standout moments in the past 50 years include global expansion, with initial exports to the Pacific Islands, Australia and United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Development and specialisation of sidelifters in the 1990s saw the list of export countries grow to more than 110 worldwide. Steelbro now has overseas offices in Perth (owners), Queensland (service), Malaysia and China and a network of distributors across the globe. It has about 215 employees (15 in New Zealand), a number that is expected to grow steadily in years to come. Steelbro was purchased by Howard Porter PTY in 2015 and this marked another important moment in its history, providing significant investment and what Taylor terms “excellent synergy”,
