who we are
OUR VALUES
Armorflex was launched in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1997 by current MD Dallas James and supplied a range of basic roadside hardware products.
In 1999/2000 the New Zealand Transportation Agency (then Transit NZ) changed legislation which forced all safety products used on the New Zealand roading network to comply with the American crash test standard NCHRP 350.
Seizing this opportunity to challenge the NZ monopolistic market place, Armorflex acquired a range of proprietary products which met this standard from American companies BSI and RSI for distribution in New Zealand. Not long after, Armorflex identified a further opportunity to improve on the performance of the products currently available. As a result, Armorflex started up its own Research and Development division and facilitated the set-up of approved crash test facilities in Meremere and Christchurch (the first fully compliant in the Southern Hemisphere).
Armorflex was soon to reap the rewards of this investment as the X-350 (X-Tension™) w-beam guardrail terminal end, became the world’s first system to work in tension (as opposed to compression) and be fully re-directive. Within months it became New Zealand’s preferred terminal end and soon after it was demanded by overseas markets.
A change in direction was to follow this success as Armorflex decided to leave the New Zealand domestic market to concentrate fully the development of new innovative products. Over the following years an entire family of products was developed. A huge amount of effort was required to get them to the world’s diverse range of markets and it still continues to this day.
Distributors of Armorflex products, which includes the X-350 range (X-Tension™), RAPTOR™, ArmorZone™, Orion™, Nu-Guard™ 31 and Armorwire (Sentryline II) systems, enjoy the many advantages these products have brought to the market place.
Armorflex continues to expand this catalogue of products and enter new markets. Some products have required modification to gain access into markets further afield like Europe and its EN1317 standards. Armorflex must also be responsive to changes in previously recognised standards, such as the upgrade of NCHRP 350 to MASH. This dynamic environment ensures that no 2 days are the same at Armorflex and there is never a dull moment.
To this day though the Armorflex motto still remains short, to the point and proves to be imperative in its success, “increase safety and reduce costs”!