GWA International (GWT)

Shares / Stock Code

GWT

Stock Exchange / Sharemarket

ax

GWA International Limited (GWT) is an Australia-based company engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of household consumer products such as bathroom products and sanitary ware, tap ware, laundry tubs and stainless steel sinks, door fittings and hardware, hot water storage units, lawn equipment, garden care equipment and furniture through the company's distribution channel networks in Australia and abroad. GWA was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on the 20th of May 1993. Its average annual revenue reaches approximately $645 million. Its headquarters is located in Brisbane Australia and to date; around 1,957 people are employed in the company. GWA International Limited operates mainly in six business segments: Sebel, Rover, Gainsborough, Dux, Dorf Clark and Caroma.

GWA's Sebel is in charge of the production of a variety of commercial furniture exclusively designed for its target market. This variety includes, outdoor furniture, dining seating and tables, casual corporate markets, mass seating for public areas and stadia, desks, tables and chairs for the education market. The Rover segment designs, manufactures and distributes domestic and commercial garden care and lawn equipment.

Gainsborough is the business segment of GWA that is focused on designing, manufacturing, importing and distributing a variety of domestic and commercial door fittings and hardware while Dux designs, manufactures and distributes variety of electric and gas mains pressure hot water storage units to be applied domestically.

Dorf Clark, also a segment of GWA International Limited designs, manufactures, imports and distributes tap ware and other associated accessories such as laundry tubs and stainless steel sinks used domestically and commercially while Caroma designs, manufactures, imports and distributes domestic and commercial bathroom products and sanitary ware. This segment is also focused on innovating products with its activities predominantly held in the market for reduced flush water efficient sanitary ware.

GWA International Limited (GWT) History

GWA International Limited became part of the Australian Stock Exchange in 1993 and comprised the business divisions of Sebel, Caroma, T H Martin, Rover and Poolrite. Queensland Anderson family formerly owned these businesses. Anderson family privatised GWA Limited in 1989. Gainsborough Hardware Industries Limited which provides comprehensive range of door handles and door security products was taken by GWA in 1995. T H Martin business was traded the next year. James Hardie Bathroom Products Division was acquired by the company in 1997.

The acquisition's result was the impartation of Irwell taps, Fowler sanitaryware, and Dux hot water systems to the range of products of the company. After two years, Email Kitchen and Bathroom Products Division were taken by GWA aside from the Dorf tapware and Clark Stainless steel sinks' acquisition. Bathroom and kitchen products of Stylus were acquired by GWA in 2001.

Year 2006 marked the closure of GWA's Coburg Sanitware factory. However, the company was able to open GWA Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd in China to provide sourcing and quality assurance maintenance to the Australian businesses. Rover lawn mower assembly operation in Eagle Fram, Dorf tapware factory in Penrith and acrylic shower and bath tray factory in Smithfield ended in that same year. The property located in Eagle Farm, Brisbane was traded by the company in November 2007.