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Four generations · one industry

A legacy of innovation.

Ninety years of engineering wire fence machinery, from a Petone workshop to factories on six continents.

Four generations, one industry, a worldwide reputation

A legacy of innovation since 1932.

The original NZ Fence & Gate Works and Hurricane Wire Products premises
NZ Fence & Gate Works — Hurricane Wire Products, one of the family's early wire fencing businesses.

We are a fourth generation, privately owned family company. We have been in the wire fence manufacturing industry since 1932, and over that time we have built a worldwide reputation for the quality of our machines, including our latest FLM Fence Machine.

Through the machines we have built and the fence manufacturing companies we have owned and run, our customers have a genuine appreciation for our products.

Our machines have changed a great deal over the years. What started as mechanical equipment is now highly automated. The constant through every generation has been the engineering behind the machines and a reputation for building the highest quality equipment in the category.

A history of wire fence manufacturing

From 1932 to today.

1930s
NZ Fence and Gate Works, Jackson Street, Petone, established 1932
1932

NZ Fence and Gate Works established by William Ullrich in Jackson Street, Petone.

Hurricane Wire Products, 1936
1936

F.G. Ullrich purchased NZ Fence and Gate from his uncle William. Hurricane Wire Products established.

1960s
High tensile field fence development, 1960
1960

Developed the first ever high tensile field fence in a confidential field trial near Wanganui. Shortly after, John Ullrich joined the family business.

1970s & 1980s
UMC machinery sold worldwide, 1970s
1970s

Started selling wire manufacturing machinery worldwide — Russia, USA, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Colombia, Iceland, Fiji, PNG, New Zealand and Australia.

First Stay Lokk fence machine, 1980s
1980s

First Stay Lokk fence machines developed. Ullrich family sold Hurricane Wire Products and South Fence was established.

1990s & 2000s
UMC established, 1990s
1990s

UMC established. Second generation Fixed Lokk Machine developed.

UMC Mesh Lokk Double Knuckle fence machine
2000s

UMC developed the Mesh Lokk Double Knuckle fence machine.

2020
The UMC FLM — capable of producing two different types of fence knots
2020

UMC developed the only fence machine in the world capable of producing two different types of fence knots.

The people behind the machines

Four generations of know-how.