James Hardie Nz

james hardie started the company as a leather tanning business in melbourne in 1888. he later recruited fellow scot andrew reid in 1891, importing tannery and curriers supplies. while on a trip in london in 1903, james chanced upon 'fibro-cement', a new type of roofing and lining slate that was made in france, and imported it to australia. james hardie retired in 1911 and sold his half of the business to andrew reid, whose family led the expanding business from 1911 until 1995, when his grandson john b reid retired. in 1925, the roof of pipitea wharf, one of the most exposed buildings in wellington, was done by hardies' own fixers who were sent over from sydney. in 1929, john knutson moved to new zealand to represent all hardie interests in the country. although james hardie started importing to new zealand in 1906, it wasn't until 1936 when the fibrolite trade took off that they decided to find a suitable manufacturing plant in morningside, auckland. however, the area was taken