ARA Manufacture is New Zealand’s leading designer and manufacturer of commercial and industrial doors, shutters, curtains, and docks. With more than 70 years of innovative product development and outstanding client service, our in-house team design, manufacture, install and service door and opening solutions for clients in retail, manufacturing, food processing, transport, infrastructure, sporting, entertainment, and government.
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Originally established in Auckland in 1954 as Rookwood Engineering, Metalbilt (operating as ARA Manufacture) is today New Zealand’s leading designer and manufacturer of commercial and industrial doors. Here’s a brief look at our long history with each business association contributing to ARA Manufactures reputation for quality, innovation and customisable capacity.
1954Roller shutter manufacturer Rookwood Engineering is established in Auckland.
1969Wormald purchases Rookwood and renames it Wormald Metalbilt.
1986Factory relocates to Avondale.
1988US company Tyco purchases Wormald.
1990Management buyout Metalbilt from Tyco.
1992Metalbilt acquires Danks Bros Roller Doors which was established in 1928.
1997Tyco repurchases Metalbilt and Danks.
2006Norfolk Group purchases Metalbilt and Danks.
2013RCR Tomlinson purchases Norfolk Group. Metalbilt and Danks becomes an operating business unit of RCR.
2019Australian employee-owned company the ARA Group purchases Metalbilt and Danks after RCR Tomlinson goes into voluntary administration in 2018.
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Shirley Joined Metalbilt in 2010 as a Contract Coordinator before quickly progressing to Project Management. She has maintained some large complex projects during her time at Metalbilt covering all product ranges. Shirley is a qualified Architectural Designer (Dip Arch Design) and has worked at a number of well-known Architectural practices both in New Zealand and the UK. This plays a big role in her knowledge of product quality and expectations in the industry.
Will is well known to many Auckland contractors, having worked for Metalbilt since 2005 in various sales related capacities. He has first-hand experience of many of the sites constructed over this period, giving him invaluable insights into what works and what doesn’t. Will has an engineering background in the UK and South Africa in both small scale and large industrial complexes.
Phil joined Metalbilt in 2008 after a career in automotive engineering. For almost 10 years, Phil was a Metalbilt technician installing and repairing products. With a strength in problem solving, Phil took on the role of Service Project Manager and continued to build our client and sub-contractor relations. Now Operations Manager for Te Waipounamu/South Island, Phil is responsible for providing technical support as well as overseeing our Christchurch production facility. He continues to focus on our client and sub-contractor relations.
Mark returned to corporate life joining Metalbilt in November 2023 after 14 years owning and operating a small manufacturing business here in Auckland. Prior to this Mark held senior roles as Country Manager and Pacific Regional Manager for large US and Australian Corporates. Mark brings a strong passion for leadership and a key focus on business growth.
Paul joined Metalbilt in July 2020 and has held many senior management roles in the facilities maintenance, security and industrial coatings industries. After introducing new Metalbilt products, Paul became General Manager in July 2021. His key focus is to grow Metalbilt, retain clients and improve production rates and quality.
Ian joined Metalbilt in August 2021 after a 17 year career in various senior management roles within the manufacturing and electrical industries. Ian’s main driver is working to achieve an excellent customer experience and supporting the future growth of the business and customers alike.
Stef started as the Service Coordinator for the PENSA Auckland office in 2019, moving down to the South Island in 2020 to help set up the Christchurch branch. Taking the fundamental knowledge learnt in the field and applying this to the strategic development and growth of the South Island, Stef has spent the last 6 years working in all fields of the business. Working along side a highly experienced team, she’s driven to continue the growth of the high level of service, installation & project management they’ve built the branch on.
Murray has worked in engineering sales since the early 1980s and has been part of the industrial dock and door industry since the early 2000s. Throughout his career, he has partnered with manufacturers through to global leading organisations at senior levels. This depth of experience and expertise has earned him a strong reputation in the field, and he brings a wealth of industry knowledge that he is always willing to share.
Beginning his career in Manufacturing, Daniel spent over 10 years in Production Management in the high-speed door industry, building a strong foundation in manufacturing operations, process efficiency, and team leadership. This experience provided a strong technical understanding that supported his transition into the service side of the business. Moving into service management, he went on to lead the growth of the North Island service operation, strengthening delivery performance and customer relationships. Over the past two years, Daniel has worked closely with key national clients, expanding asset management planning and contributing to long-term strategic outcomes. In late 2025, he progressed into the role of North Island Branch Manager, where he continues to apply his end-to-end industry experience to deliver major projects, and drive service excellence and business growth.
ARA Group NZ Ltd trading as Manufacture is committed to protecting our people, our clients and our reputation. This commitment extends to successfully completing an annual SiteWise Health and Safety assessment which encompasses all aspects of worker training, incident and accident reporting, risk identification, health monitoring and internal auditing of our manufacturing facilities.
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