Chartek

What Chartek does

Chartek is a Christchurch, New Zealand-based, family-owned specialist timber charring service that delivers Shou Sugi Ban (yakisugi) charred cladding for the construction industry. The company operates a single manufacturing facility housing a proprietary, purpose-built charring machine capable of processing profiles up to 200mm wide and 50mm thick, paired with what it describes as the world's only weathergroove protection mechanism and a proprietary natural oil finish with hardener. Chartek is an Accoya Approved Manufacturer and offers charred finishes across multiple substrates — Accoya, Thermory Ash, NZ Pine TMT, Japanese Cedar and Siberian Larch — each available in fully charred or brushed variants.

The company serves three primary segments: residential homeowners, builders and construction companies (TOA Homes, Fowler Homes, JD Homes), and architects (Nic Owen Architects, AKA Architects), with selected commercial deployments including the award-winning 3,100 sqm Jamie Kay warehouse. Its go-to-market is sales-led and direct: customers procure timber through a curated supplier network (Pentarch Forest Products, Supreme Wood, ITI Timspec, Sugi, Timberline, Health Based Building), send it to the Christchurch facility for charring and oiling, and receive finished product on-site with a typical 3-week lead time.

Commercially, Chartek runs a quote-based, project-priced service model rather than a recurring-revenue or merchant model — it explicitly does not mark up timber, which keeps customer cost of acquisition low but caps margin to the charring service itself. The business is private with no external funding beyond a $3,172 Callaghan Innovation grant in 2018, holds a Product Technical Statement approved by all major NZ councils, and has accumulated multiple industry recognitions including City Home of the Year 2024 and a Bronze at the 2022 NZ Commercial Projects Awards. Geographic scope is restricted to New Zealand.

Name

Chartek

Legal name

Chartek

Website

https://chartek.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chartek is a Christchurch-based, family-owned specialist charring service that produces Shou Sugi Ban charred timber cladding for New Zealand builders, architects, and homeowners using proprietary equipment and processes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Timber Cladding Services

NAICS

Sawmills and Wood Preservation (32111), Sawmills and Wood Preservation (3211), Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Logging (1133), Logging (11331)

SIC

Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400), Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430), Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421)

akta.pro primary industry

Hardwood Lumber Sawmills (IMAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Logging & Timber Harvesting (IMAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Charred timber cladding
• Shou sugi ban service
• Yakisugi timber treatment
• Timber charring service
• Architectural timber finishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Timber Charring Service: Core revenue stream - Chartek provides a charring service where customers send timber to their Christchurch facility for charring and oiling. They are not a timber merchant, which reduces costs for customers as no margin is added to timber pricing.
2. Oil Application Service: Application of proprietary natural oil to charred timber as part of the finishing process.
3. Delivery Service: Finished charred timber is delivered to project sites, ready for installation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chartek is a specialist timber charring service that applies the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban (yakisugi) technique to customer-supplied timber at their Christchurch facility. Using a proprietary, custom-built charring machine, they process timber profiles up to 200mm wide and 50mm thick, then seal the finish with a proprietary natural oil with hardener. They offer charred and brushed finish variants across Accoya, Thermory Ash, NZ Pine TMT, Japanese Cedar, and Siberian Larch timbers for exterior cladding, interior feature walls, furniture, doors, and joinery applications.

Product overview

Chartek is a family-owned specialist timber charring service based in Christchurch, New Zealand, offering Shou Sugi Ban (yakisugi) charred timber cladding and finishes. The company's core service is charring timber using their proprietary, purpose-built charring machine that can process profiles up to 200mm wide and 50mm thick. They offer charred finishes on multiple timber types: Accoya (acetylated radiata pine with 50-year warranty), Thermory Ash (thermally modified hardwood), NZ Pine TMT (thermally modified pine), Japanese Cedar, and Siberian Larch. Each timber can be finished as either fully charred or brushed (charcoal removed to expose grain). The process includes application of Chartek's proprietary natural oil with hardener to seal and protect the charred surface. They are an Accoya Approved Manufacturer and partner with Pentarch Forest Products for sustainable timber supply.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shou Sugi Ban Charred Timber Cladding Service Chartek's core service offering - a specialist timber charring service applying the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban (yakisugi) technique at their Christchurch facility. Customers send timber to be charred using Chartek's proprietary custom-built charring machine (capable of processing profiles up to 200mm wide and 50mm thick), then sealed with a proprietary natural oil finish. The service is suitable for exterior cladding, interior feature walls, furniture, doors, and joinery across residential and commercial projects in New Zealand.
• Accoya Charred Finish A charred finish applied to sustainably sourced Accoya (radiata pine modified through acetylation), offering a 50-year warranty. When charred using the Shou Sugi Ban method, it produces a distinctive alligator skin texture with minimal maintenance requirements. Available through Chartek's Accoya Approved Manufacturer status.
• Thermory Ash Charred Finish A charred finish applied to Thermory Ash, a high-quality hardwood thermally modified using only heat and steam with no chemicals, enhancing durability and natural rot resistance. Produces a unique and detailed design with distinctive texture when charred.
• NZ Pine TMT Charred Finish A charred finish applied to heat-treated New Zealand Pine (Thermally Modified Timber), improving durability, strength, and resistance to weathering. Combined with Shou Sugi Ban charring, produces a sustainable, long-lasting wood finish.
• Charred Japanese Cedar A fully charred finish on Japanese cedar producing a dense soot layer that provides long-lasting color, UV and weather protection, and fire resistance. The natural oil seal reduces imperfections and helps maintain wood color by preventing soot rub-off.
• Charred Siberian Larch A fully charred finish on Siberian Larch producing a simple, durable, low-maintenance, and fire-resistant finish with a sophisticated look suitable for exterior cladding applications. Featured in award-winning projects including City Home of the Year 2024.
• Chartek Natural Oil Finish A specially designed unique natural oil with added hardener for extended durability. Applied as part of the finishing process to lock in the charred surface, provide UV and weather protection, and prevent charcoal from rubbing off on clothes. Used for both exterior and interior applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approved by all major councils in New Zealand with provided Product Technical Statement (PTS)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pentarch Forest ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Pentarch Forest Products, one of Australasia's leading forestry and timber companies. Both companies share principles of Ancient Craft, Modern Form, Sustainability, Authenticity, and Exquisite quality. The partnership allows Chartek to focus on precision timber treatment while benefiting from Pentarch's forestry knowledge and supply capability.
• AccoyacoreTechnology or IntegrationChartek is an Accoya Approved Manufacturer. Accoya is an advanced, high-performance wood that undergoes acetylation for durability. Chartek specializes in charring Accoya to create a striking, long-lasting finish with minimal maintenance.
• Supreme WoodminorOthersRecommended supplier for Siberian Larch timber. Chartek connects customers with Supreme Wood for timber procurement.
• ITI TimspecminorOthersRecommended supplier for Accoya timber. Part of Chartek's network of timber suppliers to make the process seamless for customers.
• Health Based BuildingminorOthersRecommended supplier for Earthern Plus TMT (Thermally Modified Timber) Pine.
• SugiminorOthersRecommended supplier for Japanese Cedar timber.
• TimberlineminorOthersRecommended supplier for Thermory Ash timber.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Plyco: Australasian supplier of plywood,veneers and specialty architectural panel products serving builders and architects. Comparable as an adjacent specialty building-products supplier in the same regional market and customer ecosystem.
• Hermpac: New Zealand-based specialty timber importer and processor serving architects and builders with premium exterior and interior wood products. Comparable in serving NZ architectural cladding demand with specialty timber offerings.

Others

• Royal Building Products (Royal Wood): North American specialty millwork and cladding manufacturer with charred timber offerings. Comparable as an adjacent building-products manufacturer serving the architectural cladding segment; much larger and broader portfolio than Chartek.
• ITI Timspec: New Zealand timber distributor and supplier of Accoya and other specialty timbers. Comparable as a channel participant in the NZ premium timber supply chain; functions partly as a supplier ecosystem partner to Chartek (ITITimspec is a recommended Accoya supplier).

Direct peers

• Delta Millworks: US-based specialty millwork producer offering charred (shou sugi ban) timber cladding and other architectural wood products. Directly comparable in product, customer base (architects and builders), and aesthetic positioning to Chartek.

Broad incumbents

• Thermory: International manufacturer of thermally modified timber with a broad product portfolio including cladding that competes aesthetically with charred timber. Comparable in serving architects and builders seeking premium, durable, low-maintenance exterior wood, but on a larger, multi-country scale.
• Nakamoto Forestry: Japan-based forestry company and pioneer of modern shou sugi ban / yakisugi cladding production. Comparable as the originating incumbent in the charred-timber category Chartek operates in; broader product and geographic footprint than Chartek.

Emerging players

• Abodo Wood: New Zealand-based producer of thermally modified timber cladding and architectural wood products. Comparable in product category (premium NZ exterior cladding), customer base (architects, builders, homeowners), and domestic market overlap with Chartek.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/charteknz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chartek