Proud to be a Kiwi company.
Family owned and operated since 1964.
Our Story
SRS History
Shands Road Sawmills Ltd was founded in 1964 by Colin McCorkindale and Harold McCrystal at 35-39 Shands Rd, Hornby, Christchurch. A small sawmill was built on a 5,000m2 site previously used for growing strawberries. Initially 5 staff produced standard fencing and construction grades but within a few years the focus changed to supplying the rapidly expanding local manufacturing sector with pallets and the horticultural and agricultural industries with bins.
The original sawmill at 35-39 Shands Road.
Colin McCorkindale bought this sawblade but found a small crack near the centre which made it unusable. He was known as the magpie as he would never waste anything - so it became the SRS sign.
The first SRS truck with timber to be delivered.
In 1969 Colin McCorkindale purchased Harold McCrystal's shares and later his sons, John and Bryan joined the company; John in 1971 and Bryan in 1973. Colin retired as Managing Director in 1978 and John and Bryan purchased the shares.
In 1983 a higher capacity sawmill was established on a new 22,000m2 site at Calgary Pl, Hornby. Over the next 15 years further reprocessing capacity was installed including kiln drying and cable drum manufacturing facilities. In 1998 a cable drum manufacturing branch was established in New Plymouth, and pallet and bin manufacturing plants were established in Temuka and Dunedin.
In 1999 a new 80,000m2 site at Jones Road Rolleston was purchased and a high capacity, fully automated sawmill and kiln drying plant was commissioned in 2001.
The 80,000m2 Rolleston site.
One of the four kilns at the Rolleston site.
In 2003 the Hornby site was sold and all reprocessing facilities were moved to a new 4,000m2 building on the Rolleston site. At this time the company name was changed to SRS New Zealand Ltd.
SRS Today
SRS employs over 130 people and supplies pallets, bins and cable drums to many major domestic customers and exports kiln dried timber and CKD products to China, India, Japan, the Middle East, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. All exports are shipped through the Christchurch port of Lyttelton.
Reprocessing and manufacturing facilities at Rolleston include machining, resawing, and assembly lines for pallets, bins and cable drums. The sawmill is one of the highest capacity and automated sawmills in New Zealand requiring only two operators and capable of processing a truck and trailer load of logs in less than 15 minutes.
The Dunedin branch in the South Island manufactures and recycles pallets and bins. Cable drums are manufactured at the New Plymouth site in the North Island.
We are proud to have built long standing customer relationships, with many spanning over 40 years.
The control room oversees 2,000+ logs through a day.
Accreditations
SRS New Zealand Limited is an approved Transitional Facility as endorsed by MPI along with ISPM 15. We also have the PEFC and ISO 9001 certifications.
ISO9001:2015 Certification
The manufacture and supply of wooden pallets and bins from the Christchurch site.
Investment in people, automation & technology.
SRS invests in latest in computer controlled machinery and scanning technology ensured accuracy and high production. Further investment in automated handling and additional kiln drying capacity has made SRS one of New Zealand’s leading producers and exporters of timber.
Through efficient handling and using technology to do the heavy lifting, SRS can ensure staff safety and satisfaction are a priority.
“When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that's my religion.”
— Colin McCorkindale, SRS Founder, was a fan of this Abraham Lincoln quote.