Crane Group (CRG)

Shares / Stock Code

CRG

Stock Exchange / Sharemarket

Australian Securities Exchange

Crane Group Limited (CRG) is a company engaged in the manufacture and distribution of aluminium extrusions, copper tube, bar extrusions, copper alloy rod and plumbing supplies. CRG was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on the 19th of February, 1962. Its average annual revenue reaches approximately $2 billion out of its issued capital of approximately $354 million. Its headquarters is located in North Sydney, Australia and to date; around 5,000 people are employed in the company. Crane Group Limited operates mainly in four business segments: Crane Distribution NZ (CDNZ), Tradelink, Iplex and Metals.

The CDNZ segment of Crane Group Limited is in charged of the distribution of electrician's and plumber's supplies in New Zealand. Included in the product brands that this segment distributes are Corys, MasterTrade, Pipelines, Mico Plumbing and EquipSafety.

The Tradelink business segment of CRG is engaged in the distribution of the plumber's supplies in Australia. It also develops services to cater to the specific needs of both its retail and trade customers. This segment maintains a state-of-the-art coding system to ensure retrieval and dispatch of the orders that come to this segment. It operates through a network of more that 180 trade stores, ideas destination stores stocks and showrooms to display a variety of locally manufactured and imported plumbing products.

The Iplex segment of the Crane Group is in charged of the manufacturing and distribution of plastic pipeline systems and supplies as well as ductile and cast iron pipe, valves and fittings. It is associated with the world's leader in pipeline technology, the Wavin BV. It has main operations and principal activities in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries in South East Asia.

The Metals segment of CRG is in engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of products that include copper alloy and copper strip and sheet, copper tube extrusions, coin blanks and nickel alloys.

Crane Group Company History

In 1867, George Eakins Crane, a building supplies company was founded in Sydney and it started producing brass ware and copper sheet by the 1920s. It was listed on the Australian Stock exchange in 1949.

Crane's plumbing supplies business increased when Tradelink Plumbing Supplies was taken in 1994. Mico Wakefield, a plumbing supplies and metal products distributor in New Zealand was obtained in the same year.

The company's national network expanded in 1995 when Raymor was acquired by the company. Wright & Co was taken in 1997. Wavin BV, a company in Netherlands with CSR entered an agreement.

Mainlin Plastics and Extruded Metals were acquired in 1998 and 1999 respectively. These attainments increased the product range and the production scale of the company. Crevet extended distribution and manufacturing competencies of Iplex Pipelines when it was attained by the company in 2000. Attainment of the distribution and extrusion of aluminum business in Boral expanded the company’s capacities.

42 branches were added to Crane’s distribution in New Zealand after gaining Corys Frasers' electrical chain in 2001.The distribution spread out in 2002 when Smart Aluminum was acquired. MasterTrade was also taken by the company that same year.

The agreement between Sims and Crane ended in July 2005. The aluminum business was traded to Capral Aluminum in August 2005.

The remaining 25% interest in Iplex Pipelines NZ Ltd and Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd was finally taken in March 2006. Kingston Bridge Engineering Pty Ltd. was done fully by Iplex division in August 2007.