At Formsteel, we envision a world where durable, carbon-neutral buildings can be designed in days, built in weeks, and last a lifetime.
With over five decades of proven history, Formsteel has built a reputation for innovation and reliability in large-scale steel construction. Its patented technology and advanced building systems streamline design, fabrication, and installation, making complex structures faster, easier, and more cost-effective to deliver. Backed by experience and continual innovation, Formsteel solutions simplify construction while maintaining strength, quality, and performance at scale.
Our History
It started with an inventor, an engineer, and a shared belief that construction could be done smarter. From day one, Formsteel was manufacturing purlins, Sylo flooring, and slitting coil steel — and already doing things nobody else had thought to try, like combining the gutter and beam into a single method. Small beginnings. Big thinking.
Our Purlindek system found its feet on farm buildings and small commercial structures across New Zealand. Nothing glamorous — just practical, honest engineering that worked. And that reputation for reliability? It started right here.
The 50020 beam opened up a whole new world of longer spans and portal-framed structures. We also developed trapezoidal tray flooring that cut down on concrete without cutting corners on performance. We were learning that the best solutions are often the simplest ones.
Our Waokauri factory was purpose-built — designed to grow with us and built to last. Three decades later, it's still the heartbeat of our operation. Some things, when done right, just endure.
The 63020 beam arrived as the largest member on the market — capable of clear-spanning up to 45 metres. A record at the time. For us, just proof that we weren't done yet.
We started pre-nesting rafters, columns, and purlins at our factory instead of on-site — shifting the hard work off the job site and into a controlled environment where both precision and quality are guaranteed. Less stress for builders. Better results all round.
The Pre-Engineered Shelter range gave customers 24 building models that were straightforward to erect and fully PS1 certified. Because not every project needs to be complicated — sometimes you just need something that works, right out of the box.
When Simon Herd acquired Formsteel, he saw what many already knew — that this company had enormous potential waiting to be unlocked. Significant investment followed: new products, new software, a sharper focus on commercial and industrial clearspan buildings, and a second location. The next chapter had begun.
The SuperSpan™ beam did something that turned heads across the industry — it cleared an unsupported span of 60 metres. Then Structural.IQ™ arrived and turned weeks of engineering calculations into a single day's work. Two innovations that changed everything, in the same year.
Half a century of building New Zealand. We took a moment to look back at how far we'd come — then got straight back to work.
New products. New equipment. A growing team. High-profile commercial developments on the books. 2023 was the year momentum really started to show — and the people behind it were just as important as the product.
A new marketing strategy and a flagship customer experience lounge gave us a way to show the world what Formsteel is really about. Not just steel — but the thinking, the people, and the process behind every build.
The Formsteel brand grew to include Vast and Arc, opening the door to a wider audience and a new era of possibility. We're not just building structures. We're building the future of construction.
Our revolution in steel beam technology and automated processes have changed the way large-scale structures take shape.
Meet SuperSpan™, the steel of the future. A patented structural beam system that's three times stronger than conventional structural steel yet uses significantly less material. That means up to 60m clear spans, up to 47% lower carbon, and substantial savings across steel, cranage, transport, and foundations. Designed in days. Built in weeks. Backed by a 50-year structural guarantee.
Meet SuperSpan™, the steel of the future. A patented structural beam system that's three times stronger than conventional structural steel yet uses significantly less material. That means up to 60m clear spans, up to 47% lower carbon, and substantial savings across steel, cranage, transport, and foundations. Designed in days. Built in weeks. Backed by a 50-year structural guarantee.
From the ground up. Built around your vision.
Complete building envelope solutions.
No two projects are the same. Formsteel is built for that. Our patented technologies integrate with any material, any process, any build — delivering performance, efficiency, and results from the ground up.
When it comes to sustainability, Formsteel cuts carbon through smarter engineering and material efficiency, delivering real, measurable sustainability gains—not marketing gestures.
Compared to equivalent universal beam to achieve 60m clear span.
Carbon (CO2e)pm based on 1.85 tonnes of CO2e per tonne of steel.
Formsteel’s in-house team of engineers and experienced construction experts, partner with you to build better than ever before, with a commitment to practical, high-performance solutions.
Looking for a future-focused career?
View our Careers