When you invest in sports equipment for a school, stadium, or community facility, you’re not just buying a product but choosing reliability, safety, and performance for years to come. That’s why we manufacture our equipment right here in Auckland, using NZ-sourced materials and carrying the official New Zealand Made trademark. For architects, schools, and construction partners, local manufacturing means predictable lead times, flexible design, and service you can count on.
We create a wide range of equipment, from basketball, volleyball, badminton, netball, football, rugby, and tennis systems through to bleachers, storage solutions, matting and padding, ballet and gymnastics equipment, and hockey gear. Only a handful of proprietary components, such as glass basketball backboards, hoops, nets, and hydraulic portable systems, are sourced offshore. Everything else is fabricated and finished locally by our dedicated team.
The process is hands-on at every stage. Once designs are finalised, shop drawings are issued to our coordinator, fabrication is assigned to the right specialist, and parts are completed before heading to our trusted local partners for powdercoating or galvanising. After strict inspection and finishing, our assembly team prepares systems for delivery. This level of oversight isn’t possible when equipment is imported, and it means we can adapt quickly if site conditions change.
Timeframes are another major difference. A complex ceiling-hung basketball system can often be turned around locally in five weeks, compared with around 14 weeks for overseas manufacture and shipping. That reduction in lead time makes a big difference to project programmes and reduces the risk of delays, especially when installation needs to be sequenced around floors, wall linings, and other trades.
Durability is built in. By galvanising our products, we ensure they stand up to New Zealand’s varied conditions, from coastal salt air to the heavy daily use of school and community gyms. To support compliance, Gymleader provides producer statements signed off by engineers, giving project managers and boards the confidence they need.
Behind the equipment is a skilled team of 10 with expertise in welding and fabrication, woodworking, upholstery and sewing, health and safety, procurement, dispatch, and customer service. Many have been with Gymleader for decades; one of our welders has over 28 years’ experience, while our woodworking technician has been with us for 20 years. Their knowledge and continuity are shown in the details: smarter fabrication, tighter tolerances, and equipment built to last.
For architects, that means precise specifications, responsive detailing, and fewer RFIs. For schools, it means safer, longer-lasting equipment and budgets directly supporting local jobs and skills. For contractors, it means certainty on the programme and fast problem-solving with the very people who built the gear. And for PE leaders, it means layouts designed for quicker changeovers and reliable aftercare from local technicians.
There are now thousands of facilities across New Zealand using equipment made in our Auckland workshop, from schools and universities to event centres, recreation halls, and clubs. Local manufacturing also reduces reliance on long shipping chains, cutting freight emissions and aligning with sustainability goals.
Ready to plan your space?
- Architects can request our spec pack and sample layouts.
- Schools can book a facility review.
- Contractors can access current lead times and install requirements to lock in programme certainty.
Choose equipment that’s built in New Zealand, for New Zealand.
