Metro Performance Glass opens $21.5m Auckland factory

Prime Minister John Key has officially opened Metro Performance Glass' new $21.5 million factory in Auckland.

The factory at the Highbrook Business Park consolidates Metroglass' five Auckland sites into one 26,000 square metre site, an area bigger than two and a half rugby fields, and doubles the company's production capacity.

The plant, which runs 24 hours, five days a week, has been operational since January.

Key said in Auckland alone there was a lot of future demand for glass with construction of SkyCity's international convention centre and hotel, a 52-storey tower in downtown Auckland, a five star hotel in the Viaduct and 13,000 new dwellings required every year.

The $40 billion Christchurch rebuild and general construction around the rest of New Zealand would also drive demand for glass, he said.

"You can rest assure that the factory here is going to be very busy for a long period of time," Key said.

"There is a huge demand curve for glass and for new construction."

Metroglass chairman Sir John Goulter said the facility was the most modern glass manufacturing facility in New Zealand and Australia.

"New Zealand housing markets, particularly those in Christchurch and Auckland, are experiencing a boom due to a shortage of houses and construction industry bottlenecks that make it difficult to respond to the high levels of demand," Goulter said.

In May the company blamed a missed sales target on constraints and delays facing the construction industry.

Metroglass chief executive Nigel Rigby said the facility was one of the most technically-advanced and efficient glass production plants in the world.

The factory would allow the company to compete against imported products, Rigby said.

"In the context of New Zealand manufacturing, this is a rare and privileged position to occupy," he said.

It was completed on time and within budget, he said.

The factory could manufacture high specification glass and some of the largest flat glass products in the country. It could also produce customised orders. 

Metroglass listed on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges last year.

Its shares floated at $1.75 but have slipped $1.65.

Metroglass produces glass for windows, doors, internal partitions, balustrades, showers, mirrors, furniture and splash backs.

The company employs 700 workers.