Viridian Glass was formed in 2007 when CSR Building Products acquired Pilkington, becoming a part of CSR’s building and construction products family. In 2012, Viridian Glass entered into a joint venture with Euroglass and National Glass.
Today Viridian Glass is a leading provider of residential and commercial glass in New Zealand. Its glass services include energy efficient double glazing, shower screens, splashbacks, pool fences, balustrades, and its Euroglass premium fittings and installation. Viridian Glass processes over 900,000sqm of glass annually. Along with its new multimillion dollar state-of-the-art facility in Auckland, the company has glass processing sites in Christchurch, Nelson and Wellington; it operates distribution and installation facilities in Dunedin, Central Otago, Blenheim, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Tauranga and Auckland. Viridian Glass employs over 450 staff nationwide.
Manufacturing innovator Viridian Glass has officially opened a new state-of-the-art processing plant in Highbrook, Auckland. The multimillion dollar investment represents a significant commitment to the New Zealand market, says the company.
The purpose-built facility has amalgamated the company’s Auckland operations under one roof and expanded Viridian’s existing Highbrook footprint by 160% to accommodate the Mt Wellington and Auckland Airport operations, with space now totalling over 17,000sqm.
Viridian Glass New Zealand chief executive Lars Bloch-Kristensen said the new facility had united the company’s three Auckland glass processing sites to satisfy an ever-increasing demand for bespoke glass solutions. “This significant investment has created a semi-automatic factory with flexibility integrated into its design, allowing us to adjust production swiftly to meet customer demands,” he said.
Bloch-Kristensen believes the future of glass products is bespoke design. “New Zealanders don’t want cookie-cutter building designs, so every house and building is different and requires a tailored glass solution. Our new glass processing plant’s in-built flexibility enables Viridian Glass to introduce new and innovative forms of glass solutions to the residential and commercial sectors efficiently.
“We are just beginning to see product solutions with glass as a key component for places where people work, live and play. Technology will be integrated into today’s glass products in ways we can’t imagine now and we will see the boundaries for traditional processing continually challenged.”
Viridian Glass is owned by CSR Building Products, which includes brands such as Bradford Insulation, Monier Bricks & Roofing, Potter Interior Systems, AFS Walling Solutions, and Hebel Autoclaved Aerated Concrete.
“As part of CSR’s building and construction products family, we can collaborate with our partners to create complete building systems. This relationship connects us to the whole building and construction industry; we’re not isolated,” says Bloch-Kristensen.
Viridian Glass celebrated the factory opening with more than 200 guests at its Highbrook site including Minister for Economic Development Steven Joyce, and architects, builders, engineers, glass industry specialists and local government officials. Guests were treated to a tour of the new plant’s processing capabilities and, with help from Minister Joyce, a demonstration of Viridian Glass’s new Sentryglas interlayer performing within one of its balustrade systems.
