Close Nav


Ullrich Aluminium history

2021

Ullrich Aluminium celebrates 60 successful years as a family owned business. The average price of a house in Australia smashes the $1million record and at December 2021 is now at $1,101,612 while Covid-19 has introduced lockdowns, masks and contactless delivery.

2019

Ullrich employs 700+ staff across Australia and New Zealand throughout 46 branches. Ullrich Aluminium exports products to 23 South Pacific Island nations and owns its distribution networks and manufacturing plants, making Ullrich the aluminium leader in the region.

2011

Ullrich Aluminium turns 50 years old and recognises the hard work undertaken to survive in business for 50 years with a big thank you to our trans-Tasman team of over 750 staff for all their commitment to the business. New Zealand wins the World Cup in Rugby.

2010

Ullrich opens a manufacturing plant in Newcastle NSW and installs a state of the art Japanese extrusion press and a new national distribution centre. At the same time Ullrich opens a new company head office and warehouse facility in Carole Park near Brisbane. The Burj Khalifa opens in the UAE.

2009

Extrusion plant built in Newcastle with a 2500-ton 8-inch extrusion press to add to the dozen fabrication facilities across Australia and New Zealand. Ullrich can extrude, cut, fold and fabricate anything aluminium. The Ullrich ladders and climbing equipment range is released.

2008

New Zealand expands its manufacturing operations by introducing a new UBE 2000-ton aluminium extrusion press, the only 7-inch extrusion line in New Zealand. The Global Financial Crisis starts.

2005

Ullrich purchases aluminium joinery company Wintec Windows & Doors and takes over servicing of 85 fabricators nationwide. Ullrich now offers manufacturing and sales of Ulltraclad cladding and window products.

1993

Ullrich purchases Australian metal distributor company Hawker Noyes Metals. The established Nationwide branch network fitted well with the 17-branch network that existed in New Zealand. The Hawker Noyes acquisition proves to be a major turning point for Ullrich and since then, even more branches have been opened on the Australian east coast. 

1992

The Hamilton site gets a much larger extrusion machine. The average house price in Australia edges up to $121,500.

1988

First Australian Ullrich branch was opened in Smithfield near Sydney and a second in Coopers Planes near Brisbane in the year Australia celebrated its bicentenary.

1985

While Wham went to number one of the music charts with 'Wake me up before you go go', Ullrich shocks its competitors and builds its very own extrusion plant and national distribution centre and sales branch in Hamilton, removing their reliance of external suppliers.

1982

After the purchase of Kabelduct systems in 1982, Ullrich expands capabilities and introduces a powder coating line. While in sport, Brisbane played host to the  Commonwealth Games.

1980

With the construction of a new warehouse facility in Wellington, the business was expanding so fast that just a few years later they had outgrown the building and a larger facility was purchased across the road for the ladder assembly plant. The same year the USA boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games.

1978

Loading their Designmark award winning Easylift Ladder into a plane for export to 48 different countries as far afield as the Middle East, Mauritius and the Indian Ocean, Ullrich wins the Exporter of the Year Award.

1975

Ullrich New Zealand outgrows the existing office and new head office is built in Auckland across the road from the existing head office. The same year the West Indies won the first ever ODI World Cup in cricket.

1961

The same year humans go into space and the Berlin wall was built, Ullrich Aluminium was founded. Ullrich Aluminium was ushered into existence with a profound statement from Founder, William Ullrich, to his two sons Gilbert and Ernest: “The Aluminium Age is Coming”. The business started with William importing corrugated aluminium sheeting from Europe and gradually moved into the manufacturing of aluminium products.

We are here to help

1300 650 075